The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1919-12-18

Is TO trust eHCn OtneT. NOW nfra EU-
ing to ask you questlon-is that the
best way for us to go. up the nlinois"
He was slow to answer, evidently
turning the whole matter over in his
mind. 1 waited impatiently, feeling |
the delay to be serious loss Of time.
swell then, let me put this differ
emily. Have you ever assisted any |
slaves to run away from Missouri"
"Well, Massa Knox, / reckon thet |
maybe I knew'd bout SOM gittin'
away-'pears like did. sah."
"And these escaped by way OF the
Illinois?"
| His dumb, almost pathetic eyes met
mine pleadingly, but some expression
of my face served to yield him coui-
age.
W-I reckon IL don't know much
bout all dis, Massa Knox" he STAN.
mered doubtfully, his hands locking
and unlocking nervously, 'T-I sure
dom; an fer de mattah o. dat, ther
amt no body whut does, sab. All 1
does know, fer sure, is dat If niger
onct gets as fer as certain white
man up de ribber, bout whar de
mouth oh de Illinois Is, he's got q
mighty good chance fer ter reach
Canada. De next place whar he's
most likely ter stop is Beardstown,
long wild SOM sorter preacher whut
lives thar. An thet's as fer as dey
ever done tor me, sah."
about this first white man-the
one near the mouth of the nlinois-do
you know his name?"
Pete rose to his feet, and crossed
the room to where I stood, bending
down until his lips were close to my
ear. His answer was spoken in
thick whisper.
"Massa Knox, I never did 'spect to
say dis ter no white man, but it seems
just nat'larly got fer ter tell yer.
He's got cabin hid way back in de
bluffs, whar nobody don't 60, 'cept
dem who know whar it is. l reckon
he don't do nuthin' but hunt an fish
nohow-leastways he don't raise no
corn, nor truck fer ter sell. He's a
tall, lanky man, sah sorter thin, with
a long beard, an his name wus Amos
Shrunk. / reckon maybe he's Black
Abolitionist, sah."
"Quite likely, should say. And you
could take boat from here to his
placer"
"Sure, the darkest night yer ever
see"
This knowledge greatly simplified
matters. If there was already in op-
GRAFTON an organized scheme by means
of which fugitives from this side of
the great river were taken through to
Canada, protected and assisted along
the way, then all we would be required
to do in this case would be to safely
convey the unfortunate Rene and her
mother in Pete's boat up the river,
and there turn them over to the care
of this Amos Shrunk. Undoubtedly he
could be trusted to see to it that they
were promptly forwarded to others,
fanatics like himself, who would
swiftly pass them along at night
across the Illinois prairies, until be-
: yond all danger of pursuit. The dis
tance to the mouth of the Illinois
could not be far, surely not to exceed
fifty miles as the river ran. 1t ought
not to prove difficult to battle Kirby
!, for that short distance, and then we
would be free to return, and no one
1 could prove any charge against US.
The only important fact fronting us
was that we must act quickly, before
q Kirby and his aides, armed with legal
!. authority, could return-this very
J. night.
"Pete," I said shortly, my tone un.
{ consciously one Of authority, 1--WE must
be out of here before daylight, and
{ safely hidden somewhere up the river.
) The first thing to be done, and the
Il hardest, Is to explain to those women
Il the situation, and persuade them to
Ii accompany us. They may not believe
. my story; that was why was so anx-
y iOus to have Haines go to the house.
L They would have confidence in him.
Do they know you?"
u "Lord love yer-ob course dey do.
Use knowed all OBJ 'em for long
V Pete"
o "Well, we can only try our best.
i" Have you any conveyance here"
;, "Any whut, sah?"
II "Any wheeled vehicle in which we
/ can ride to Beaucaire, and by means
Of which we can bring the women
n back? The distance is too far to
% walk"
use got sorter khart, an an oil
mule, sah. Dey's out yonder in de
% BUSH"
l. Glitch them up at once, while put
+ few things we may need in the boat
- Show me how to find it,"
u He pointed out the path, with the
g directions necessary, and disappeared
IL while I returned to the cabin, dragged
'e blanket from off The bed, and filled
&c it with whatever miscellaneous ar
le ticles Of food l was able to discover
" about the place. My wound, now that
', / was busily engaged, troubled me