Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-11-04
CHAPTER X-Continued.
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churning its way northward, ever
turn of the wheel bearing US deepe
into the wilderness. - The chance
were that we should thus be aboar
for several days; certainly until W
encountered some other boat boun'
downstream, which would accept u
as passengers. Meanwhile what shout
do? How escape observation? How
reach Rene, without encounterini
Kirby? The answer was not an cas-,
one. The deputy would not know me
for I had never been seen by him
Kirhy Believed me dead, yet nigh
recognize me in spite Of that convic
ton If we met face to face. Still
would he? The daring hope that he
might not came to me in flash. Might
it not be possible to so disguise my
self as to become unnoticeable? L
sprang up to stare at my features in
the small mirror hanging over the
washstand. The face which confront
ed me in surprise was almost a
strange one even to my eyes. Instead
of the smart young soldier, smoothly
shaven, with closely trimmed hair, and
rather carefully attired, as / had ap-
peared on board the Warrior, the glass
reflected bearded face, the skin Wis
IDLY roughened and reddened by ex-
posure, the hair ragged and uncombed.
Even to my view there remained
scarcely a familiar feature-the lack
of razor and shears, the exposure to
sun and water, the days of sickness
and neglect, had all helped to trans
form me into a totally different
appearing person from what / had for
merly been; the officer and gentleman
had, by the mystery of environment,
been changed into the outward SEM
blance Of river roustabout. Nor was
this all. The new character was en-
phasized by the clothes wore-far
too large to fit; also the texture and
color, not TO mention the dirt and
grease, speaking loudly Of a rough
life and the vicissitudes Of poverty.
The metamorphosis was complete; so
complete that / laughed aloud, assured
by that one glance that the gambler,
confident that was dead, would never
by any possibility recognize me in this
guise, or while habilitated in such
nondescript garments.
But the girl-Rene? And so this
was how I had appeared to her. No
wonder she questioned me; doubted
my first explanation. I had ap-
preached her confident that my ap-
pearance as a gentleman would awak-
en- her trust; I had felt myself to be
a most presentable Eyoung man, in
whom she must instantly repose faith.
Yet this had not been true at all
instead / came to her with the out
ward bearing Of worthless yaga-
bond, a stubble-bearded outcast. And
vet she had trusted me; would trust
me again. More: she could never be
deceived, or fail to recognize my pres.
ence aboard if she had the freedom OF
the deck. Kirby might be deceived,
but not Rene. If could only plan to
meet with her first alone, the peril Of
her recognition would not be extreme.
But I must also figure upon the
other woman. Who could she be? Not
Eloise Beaucaire surely, for the mate
had only mentioned one Of the two as
being sufficiently white to be notice
able. That one would surely be Rene,
and 1t was scarcely probable that
Eloise, with no drop of negro blood in
her veins, could appear colored. Per-
haps this second woman was Della,
the quadroon mother. But if so how
did she chance to fall alone into Kir.
by's clutches? Was she aboard the
keelboat, locked below in the cabin,
when it rammed into us? If she had
been captured at Shrunk's camp dur
ing their murderous raid, what had
become of her companion? Where was
Eloise Beaucaire? The harder
sought t. straighten out this mystery
the more involved it became.
With every additional glance at the
face reflected by the mirror my conf
dence strengthened In the ability to
encounter Kirby and pass unrecog'
nized. Convinced as he undoubtedly
was of my death in the black waters of
the river he could not possibly imag.
inc my presence aboard the Adven'
turer, while my personal appearance
was so utterly changed as to suggest
TO his mind no thought of familiarity.
The conditions were all in my favor
! was smiling grimly at this coDceit
weiG pleased at the chance thus af
forded me, when the Stateroom door
was suddenly flung open and the hairy
face of the mate thrust within.
81 reckon yer better tote them wet
duds down ter the boiler ROOM" he
said gruffiy, "an' then git sum grub
Likely 'nough yer wouldn't mind
eatin bit. Be yer river man?
"Tve never worked on a steamboat
If that is what you mean"
"NO; well, 1 reckoned not, but the
captain he thought maybe yer had.
tot him yer didn't talk like no steamer
band. Howsumever. we're almighty
short O. help abOarG, an maybe yer'd
like a job ter help pay yer way?'
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