Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-10-10
sElF@ CHAPTER vi.
@ COPYRIGHT y
'NA,cNeQ QuR6 3 Co


planed board, uncomfortable enough
under any conditions, in the swaying,
humping cart, and stumbled blindly
along behind, tripping over stumps in
the darkness, and wrenchingr my
ankles painfully in deep ruts.
It was considerably after ten
o'clock when we emerged upon an open
plateau, and glimmer of stars over
head revealed to me afar of the silver
thread of the great river. Pete
stopped the straining mule, feat not
at all difficult of accomplishment, the
animals sides rising and falling as ne
Wheeled for breath, and came back
to where stood, staring about at the
dimly perceived objects in the fore
ground.
"Out dar am de Beaucafre place."
he announced, as soon as he could dis
tinguish my presence, waving his arm
to Indicate the direction. San l
reckon we bettah not ride no further,
fer if Alick shud smell corn. he'd
nat'larly raise dis who'll neighborhood
he's got powerful voice, sah."
Equal to his appetite, no doubt"
'Yas, sab; that's mostly whut Ahck
am"
'How far away is the houseW
'Likely bout hundred yards. Yer
see dat light out yonder; well dat,s it,
an reckon de ladies mus be up yet,
keepin' de lamp burnin'. Here's de
slave cabins long de edge OBJ de
woods, but dey's all dark. What's yer
a goin' fer ter do now, Massa Knox"
1 was conscious that my heart was
beating rapidly, and that my mind was
anything but clear. The problem front
ing me did NOT appear, so easily
solved, now that was fairly Up
against it, and yet there seemed only
one natural method of procedure. /
must go at my unpleasant task bola-
ly, and in this case only the truth
would serve. l was an officer in the
United States army, and had in my
pocket papers to prove my identity.
These would vouch for me as gen.
tleman, and yield me q measure Of au-
thority. And this fact, once estab-
-lished, ought to give me sufficient
standing in the eyes OF those girls TO
compel from them respectful hc2r-
ing. / would tell the story exactly as
/ knew 1t, concealing nothing, and add
ing no unnecessary word, outline my
plan of action, and then leave them to
decide what they thought best to do.
Strange, unbelievable as the situation
was, proof was not lacking. Della
could be compelled to acknowledge
that Rene was her child-she wcald
scarcely dare deny this truth in face
of my positive knowledge-and she, at
least, must know that Judge Beau
caire had never during his lifetime
given her her freedom. This fact
could be established beyond question,
and then they must surely all compre-
hend the necessity Of immediate fight
that there remained no other pos
sible means OF escape from hopeless
slavery. Desperate as the chance ap.
peared, it was the only one.
1t dawned upon me now with more
intense force than ever before, the 20
stiOn in which l stood, and shrank
from the ordeal. A perfect stranger,
not even chance acquaintance OF
those directly involved in this tragedy,
{r T,n
closet, whare 1t had been hidden away
for year,, this old Beaucairc skeleton.
ard rattle the dried bones of dishonOr
before the Mortified understanding OF
these two innocent, unsuspectiHg girls
The conviction came TO me that hal
best do this alone; that the presence
of the negro, would hinder, rather than
help the solution of the problem:
~"Pete," 1 said, measuring my words,
my plan of action shaping itself even
as l spoke. what lies in there be-
tween us and the house?"
"a truck patch mostly, wild fence
round 1t. Den thar comes SOM flower
beds"
"No path?"
"Well, l done reckon as how thar
might be q sorter path, sab, but you'd
hardly find it in de dark. De bes'
way'd be ter sorter feel long de
fence, It'll yer git sight o de front
porch"
"All right, then. am going to leave
you here while scout around. Keep
your eyes open, and have the mule
ready to leave ut any minute"
"'Bout how lon yer be gone, sah?'
"I cannot tell you that. AS short a
time as possible. 1t may require con-
siderable explanation and urging TO
get those three women To trust me.
However, all you have to do is wait,
and be sure that 10 one sees you. IL
YOU should he needed for anything at
the house. III got word to you some
way: and if / should send Della and
Rene out here alone, without being
able to come with them myself, load
them into the cart AZ once, and drive
to the boat. I'll manage TO Join you
somewhere, and the important thing Is
to get them safely away. You under
stand all this?" ~
"Yas. sab: leaStways ! reckon