Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-10-16

upon him. his thick lfps instantly paSA
Ing In good-natured grin.
"De good Lord bs praissdP ~
calculated, In undisguissd delight III
yer really awake asdn, honsyf D.
doctah say he done thought yvd -
round by terday sure. sab"
1.-THE doctor7" questioned II sur.
prise, my voice sounding strange and
far away. "Have I been here lougl"
sGoin' on bout ten days, sab. Yer
was powerful bad hurt an out o. yer
head, ! reckon"
sWhat was It that happened3 Did
someone shoot mer'
The negro scratched his head, shut
fling his bare feet uneasily on the dirt
floor. ss. M .7.s a.l
''Yas, sab, Mr.. Knox" he admitted
with reluctance. IT'S sure powerful
sorry, sab. but I was de boy whut
plugged yer. Yer see. sab, It done
happened dis-a-way," and his black
face registered genuine distress.
"Thar's mean gang o. white folks
round yere thet's took It inter their
heads ter lick every free niger, an
when yer done come up ter my door
in de middle OBJ de night, a-cussin',
an a-threatenin' fer ter break in, I
just nat'arlly didn't wanter be licked,
an'-an' SO I blazed away. rs pow
erful sorry bout It now, sab"
mo doubt it was more my fault
than. yours. You are free negro,
then1"
''Yas, sab. done belong onct ter
Colonul Silas Carlton, sab, but afore
he died, just because done saved his
boy frum drownin' in de ribber, de OIL
colonul he set me free, an give me a
patch o. lam ter raise corn on"
"What is your name2'
"Pete, sar. Free Pete Is whut mostly
de white folks call me-" He laughed,
white teeth showing and the whites
Of his eyes. Eyer see thar am a DOW
erful lot o. Petes round bout we're,
sah."
drew a deep breath, conscious Of
weakness as I endeavored to change
position.
"Al right, Pete; now want to un-
derstand things clearly. You shot me,
supposing I was making an assault
on you. Your bullet lodged in my
shoulder. What happened then?"
"Well. after while, sab, thar want
no NOR noise, an I reckoned I'd Ell
ther done hit yer er else ye'd run
away. An thar We wus, sab, a-lyin'
on yer back like We wus dead. Just
SO soon as saw ye know'd as how
ye never was no nigger-hunter but a
stranger in desc yere parts. So I
dragged ye inside de cabin, an washed
up yer hurts. But We never got no bet.
tab. so got skeered, an went hoof1n'
it down fer de doctah at Beaucaire
Landin'. sab, an when he cum back
along wild me he dug the bullet outer
yer shoulder, an left some truck fel.
me ter Civ yer. He's done been yere
three times, sab" 9M Fs4
"From Beaucaire Landings that
a town.
"a sorter town, sab; bout four miles
down ribber." s.s
The mentioning Of this familiar
word brought back instantly to my
darkened understanding all those
main events leading up to my pres
ence in this neighborhood. Complete
memory returned, every separate incl
dent sweeping through my brain
Kirby. Carver, the fateful game Of
cards in the cabin Of the Warrior, the
sudden death Of the Judge, the mob
anger sought to curb. the struggle on
deck, my being thrown overheard, and
the danger threatening the two limo.
cent daughters Of Beaucaire. And I
had actually been lying in this negro
hut, burning up with fever, helplessly
delirious. for ten days. What had
already occurred in that space Of
time? What .villainy had been con.
cocted and carried out?"
snow see here, Pete" began ear
nestly. "How did you learn what my
name wasp
de doctah he foun' dat out, sab.
He done looked through yer pockets,
sab, an he took two papers whut he
foun' dar away wild him. He done toll
me as how yer wus an offercer in de
army-a leftenant er sumthin'- AM
tibet dem papers ought fer ter be stint
ter de gov'ner at onct. De las time
he wus we're he tot me tibet he whit
down ter st. Louee hisself, an done
gif bof dem papers tel Gov'ner Clark
So yer don't need worry none bout
dem no NOR" IN. II 5ss..
sank back onto the hard pillow,
greatly relieved by this information.
The burden Of official duty had been
taken from me. was now on fur.
Tough and free to act as I pleased
'Have you picked up any news late
~ from Beaucaire plantationf' /.
II heerd dey done brought de body
OBJ de Of jedge home, sah-he died
mighty sudden sumwhar up de ribber.
Thet's bout all know"
when was this1". Is