The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-12-25

| girl. However. there is little chance
| OF our encounter'ng such a party. The
| soldiers are all coming up from the
South and are bound to force Black
Hawks warriors to the other bank of
the Rock. There will be nothing but
barren country east of here. What do
you say. Miss EloiseT"
Her eyes met mine bravely, without
a shadow of doubt in them.
81 shall go wherever you say" she
replied firmly; 81 believe you will
know best
Then / decide on this route. Once
we get beyond the swamp those fell
following us, unless they have an In.
dian trailer along with them. We
have been here several hours; the
horses must be rested. Let's eat what
we can again and then start"
Kennedy stood up and stared about
us at the disolate scene, the express
ion Of his face proving his dissatisfac-
ton with the prospect.
90 course. I'm n goin' long with
yer, cap" he acknowledged, dryly. II
never wus no gutter, but this yere
trip don't look so id easy ter
me, fer all tibet. I'll wake up tibet
Clark CURL an then saddle the hosses.'
watched him round the corner of
the cabin, not wholly at ease in my
W mind, then gathered up the map
and replaced it in my pocket, aware
that Eloise had not moved from her
position on the grass.
as he right?" she questioned, look
ing up at me. "Is there any real dan.
ger of Indians?"
"Some, perhaps; IL is all Indian
country, north and east of here-or
has been. l am not denying that, but
this danger does not compare, in my
mind, with the peril which confronts
us in every direction. / am trying to
choose the least. Our greatest diff
Guilty will be the lack of food-we
possess no guns with which to kill
game, only pistols, and an exceedingly
small stock of ammunition. That is
what troubles Tim; that, and his
eagerness TO get back down the river.
He fails to realize what il would mean
to you to fall again into Kirbyis
hands"
'Do you realize?"
"Do /? 1t is the n memory which
controls me. Tell me, am ! nor right
You desplse the fellow; you are will
ing to face any hardship so as to es.
cape him?"
II would rather die than have him
touch me. Surely you cannot deem it
possible that l could ever forgiven"
"No; that would be hard 10 con
ceive; and yet l wished to hear the
words from your own lips. Will you
answer me one thing more-why did
you first assume the character Of
Rene, and why did you repose such
instant trust in me?'
II think I myself hardly knew" she
admitted timidly. 1T all happened.
was born of Impulse, rather than
through any plan. Perhaps ii was just
the woman In me. After my father
died. Della thought IL best to tell us
the story OF Rene's birth. This-this
was such a terrible tale, and later we
sought all through his private papers,
hoping he had taken some action to
set those two free. There was no
proof that he had. no mention, indeed.
except a memorandum Of intention to
refer the matter to Lawyer Haines at
the Landing. This merely served TO
confirm what Della had told us, and.
as Haines had gone to st. Louis. we
were unable to see him. We were all
or us nearly crazed. SO ! suggested that
we run away, and drew money out of
my private account for that purpose.
My only thought was to take a steam
er up the Ohio. to some place where
we were no known. and begin life
over again. Oh. you cannot under
stand--I had no mind left; only a
blind impulse to saw them"
] caught her hand in mine and held
IL firmly.
Perhaps I do understand. Ii was
my knowledge of this very condition
which first brought me to you"
"You heard about us on the boat
the Warrior? Did father tell your"
mo; 1t was Kirby. He was actual
" proud of what he had doae-boast-
ed to me of his success. ! have never
known a man SO heartlessly conceited.
Elolse. listen. You may have thought
this was largely an accident. 1t was
not: 1t was a deliberately planned.
cold-blooded plot. I tell you that Joe
Kirby Is Of the devils own breed; he
is not human. Rene's father told him
first Of the peculiar conditions at Beau
caire."
"Rene's fatheri Docs-does he still
liveT"
mo; but he did live for years after
he disappeared. supporting himself by
gambling on the lower river. At one
time he and Kirby were together. AZ
ter he died Kirby investigated hts
story In st. Louis and found that II
was true. Then he laid this plot to
gain control Of everything. including
both of you girls. The man dreamed
of owning Beaucaire. Of possessing all
1t contained. He was willing to risk
everything to carry out his hell-born