Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-27


easy until nisht,~
"Apd tAsa We are u - - " he
rivsr"
Eyes, unless, Of course something
should occur during the DAY to chsnge
our plan. Meanwhile Sam and Will
take turns on. quasi while you can
remain un6istuSbed."
watched the two % they went
down the steep bank together and
Sam helped her over the rail- into the
cockpit. The negro ieN tho door open
and returned slowly. clambering M
the bank.
"'Cuse me, sah." he said clumsily,
as he paused before me. rubbing his
head. his eyes wandering below. Did
An hear right whut yer sed las night,
bout how dat young woman was
Niger. q runaway from Mnssa kirhyf
Pears like All don't just seem fer ter
git dat right In my head, sah."
THAT IL the truth, Sam, although
1t appears quite as impossible to me
as to you. She has the blood Of your
race In her veins, and is legally
slave"
"An' now she done b'long ter dis
yere Massa Klrby"cs
"Yes, he won all the Beaucaire
property. including the slaves, in
poker game. on the river, the night
Beaucaire died"
"Ah done heerd all bout dat, sab.
An yer nebber know'd dis yere girl
afore ct ALL"
"No, I never even saw her.
CHANGED to hear the story and went
to the house to warn them. as no one
else would. was too late, and no
other course was left but to help her
escape. That Ia the whole Of It."
He asked several other questions.
but at last appeared satisfied. and
after that we discussed the guard duty
Of the day, both agreeing Il would not
be safe for US to permit Any possible
pursuit to pass by W up De river ua-
seen. Sam professed hlnsslf as I'm
wenried by the nights work and 11ll-
ing to stand the FIRST watch. I Nay
down in the tree shade, and npst
have fallen asleep almost Immediately.
I do not know what aroused me, but
Immediately sat upright, startled
and instantly awake, the nrst object
confronting me being Sam on the
crest Of the opposite ridge, eagerly
beckoninS me to Join him. The mo-
ment he was assured Of my coming,
and without so much ~ utterin0 .
word of explanation he vanished
into the shadow Of the woods.
crossed the ravine with reckless
haste, clamberlng up the opposite
bank. and sixty feet beyond suddenly
came into view Of the broad expanse
Of water. Scarcely had I glimpsed this
rolling food, sparkling under the
suns rays, when my gaze turned up
stream, directed by an excited gesture
Of the negro. Less than . mile away.
its rapidly revolving wheel churning
the water into foam In ceaseless battle
against the current, was q steamboat.
A number Of moving figures were per.
ceptible on the upper deck. I stared
at the apparlton, scarcely 'conpre-
bending the reality Of what l beheld.
Eyer bettah stoop down more, sab. /"
Sam urged. "Fer sum O. dem fellars
might see yer yet. All nebber heerd
nuthin' ner saw. no smoke till she
cum a.pufin' round de end o dat pint.
All cudn't dare 60 fer yer then, sab,
fer fear dey'd see me, SO All Jus
nat'arly lay down we're an watched
her 60 BY"
"Is 1t a government boatT
"Ah reckon maybe: leastwise thar's
heap o. sojers aboard her-reglars,
All reckons, fer dey's all in uniform.
But everybody aboard wasn't sojers."
"You know the steamer"
"Yas, sab. Abs seed her face afore
dis down ct st. Louee. She ulster run
down de ribber-she's de John B.
Glover. She amt no great shakes OBJ
boat. sah."
His eyes, which had been eagerly
following the movements Of the craft,
turned and glanced at me. "Massa
Kirby he wus aboard dat steamer.
sah."
"KIrbyi Are you sure about that,
SamT'
"'Course AIRS sure. Didn't All see
him just As plain a. Al see ysu right
now1 He wus forrad By Do rail, near
de pilot house, a-watehin' dis whole
shore like q hawk. Dat sure wul
Massa Kirby al right. but dar want
nobody else Tong wild him."
But what could hs b doing there
on troop boata"
The negro sclatched his head. No
mentarily puzzled by my question.
"Ah sure don't know, sah," hs ID
mitted. "only dat6 perzackly VII II
was. All figure It out bout dis ny,
sab: dat nobody kin tell yit which
way we went-up dc ribbsr er dswA
de ribber. Long cum dc John B,
Glover. an Massa Kirby hs just take
q chance an goes aboard. De sheriff
he goes der odder way, downstream
in a rowboat; an dars how dey aims
ter sure head N off,"
I sat down at the edge Of the blum,
convinced that the conclusions Of the
negro were probably correct. That
was undoubtedly about how it had
happened. To attempt pursuit up.
stream with only oars - propellins
power would be senselsss, but the pas.
sage upward Of this troop boat at.
forded Kirby an opportunity he weuld
not be slow to sccspt. Getting sbs@r1
would present no grsat dimcurt1. and
bis probable, acQlaintancs with the