Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-09-26

any lueu OtueFS uOWu ut lue Lduuih
kin catch on"
'They couldn't do nuthin'; If thar
amt no, papers, then she's his, ac-
cordin' ter law. I've seen that tried |
afore now."
"Of course; but what's the use o.
runnin' eny risk? A smart lawyer
like Haines could make a devil ov lot |
O. trouble just the same, if he took a |
notion. That's Kirby's idee-ter cum |
up yere in a boat, unbeknownst to eny- ,
body, tie up down thar at Saunders,
an run the whole bunch o. niggers off |
in the night. Then it's done an over
with afore the Landin' even wakes up. |
the best way"
There was q moment Of silence, the
first man evidently turning the situa-
ton over in his mind. The sheriff bent
across the rail, and spat into the dark
ness below.
"The joke of it all is" he continued
with short laugh, as he Strengthened
up, "this didn't exactly work out
'cordin' ter schedule. When we
dropped in yere we rounded up the
niggers all right, an we got the girl
whar there's no chance fer her ter git
away"
SIS that the one back in the house?"
81 reckon so; leastways she toT
Kirky her name was Rene Beaucaire,
an that's how it reads in the papers.
But thar amt no trace ov her mother,
ner ov the jedge's daughter. They
amt in the house, ner the nigger
cabins. Leaves me in a deuce ov
| fix, fer l can't serve no papers less we
find the daughter. Her names Eloise;
she's the heir ct law, an amt got no
legal right fer ter take them niggers
away till / do. Looks ter me like
they'd skipped out. Thar's Kirby an
Carver, a comm now, an they're
alone; amt got no trace ov the girl or
her mother, reckon"
Where l crouched in the shadows 1
could gain no glimpse of the approach
ing figures, but l heard the crunch of
their boots on the gravel of the drive
way, and moment later the sound of
their feet as they mounted the wooden
steps. Kirby must have perceived the
forms of the other men as soon as he
attained the porch level, and his nat
urally disagreeable voice had snarly
ring.
"That you, Donaldson? Have either
of those women come back?"
NO." and 1 thought the sheriff's
answer was barely cordial "We amt
seen nobody. What did you learn
down at the Landin'T'
Nothing" savagely. Haven't found
a d trace except that Haines
hasn't been home since before dark /;
some niger came for him then. Is
that girl safe inside?"
"Sure; just as you left her, but she
won't talk. Tim tried her again, but
it's no use; she wudn't even answer
him."
''Well, by Heaven IN find way to
make her open her mouth. She knows
where those two are hiding. They
haven't had no time to get far away,
and I'll bring her to her senses before
/ am through. Come on, Carver; I'll
show the'wench who's master here if
have to lick her like a common mig
ger"
The front door opened, and closed
: leaving the two without standing in
silence, the stiffness between then
J finally broken. by a muttered curse.
: l drew back hastily, but in silence
eager to get away before the sheriff
} and his deputy should return to theil
| seats by the porch rail. My origina
plan of warning the women of the
house of their peril was blocked, com
pletely overturned by the presence OF
these men. Beyond all question those
had hoped to serve were already
| aware of their position-someOne hat
reached them before me-and two a
t least were already in hiding. VIII!
2 the third, the one most deeply in
E volved, had failed to accompany thu
others, could not be comprehended
The mystery only made my presen
task more difficult. Why should Della
the slave, disappear in company witt
Eloise, the free, and leave her owl
daughter Rene behind to face a stu
alton more terrible than death?
could not answer these questions; bu
whatever the cause the result ha,
been the complete overthrow of tn
gamblers carefully prepared plans
Not that l believed he would hesitat
for long, law or no law; but Donald
son, the sheriff, refused to be part
to any openly illegal act, and thi
would for the present. tie the fellow
hands. Not until Miss Eloise wa
found and duly served with the eviC
ton papers would Donaldson consen
to take possession of a single slave
This might still give me time for az
tion.
l slipped along in the shadow G
the house, without definite plan of q,
v tiOn but with a firm purpose to ac
- The side door I knew to be securel
locked. yet first of all it was essel
tial that l attain to the interior BU
lie one means to this end occurred t
t. me-the unshaGed window throug
g. which the glow of light continued I
stream. 1 found l could reach tn
e. edge of the balcony with extended fiji
lr gers, and drew myself slowly up III
Id til 1 clung to the railing, with fe,
finding precarious support on tt
It. outer rim. This was accomplishe
lie noiselessly and from the vantal
p. point thus obtained l was enabled
tn survey a large portion of the roor
he / clambered over the rail, assure
. by the first glance that the room W;
o. empty, and succeeded in lifting Il
1t heavy sash a few inches without al
On disturbing noise. Then it stuck, al
a even as 1 ventured to exert n
d, strength to greater extent to force