The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-10-09

best way for us to go, up the IllinOiS?'
He was slow to answer, evidently
turning the whole matter over i'm his
mind. / waited impatiently, feeling
the delay to be a serious loss of time.
swell then, let M put this differ
emily. Have you ever assisted any
slaves 20 run away from Missouri"
well, Massa Knox, i reckon tibet
maybe / knew'd bout som gittin'
away-'pears like I did, sah."
"And these escaped by way Of the
Minois?"
His dumb, almost pathetic eyes met
mine pleadingly. but some expression
of my face served to yield him cour-
age.
bout all dis, Massa Knox" he STAN.
mered doubtfully. his hands locking
and unlocking nervously, 81 sure
dom; an fer de mattah o. dat, Their
amt no body whut does, sab. All l
does know, fer sure, is dat If a niger
net gets as fer as a certain white
man up de ribber, bout whar de
mouth OBJ de Illinois is, he's got a
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 toll me, sab"
about this first white mantle
One near the mouth of the nlinois-do
| you know his manner"
Pete rose to his feet, and crossed
the room to where / stood, bending
down until his lips were close to my
ear. His answer was spoken in q
thick whisper.
"Massa Knox, / never did 'spect to
say dis ter no white man, but 1t seems
just natlarly got fer ter tell yer.
He's got a cabin hid way back in de
bluffs, whar nobody don't go, 'cept
dem who know whar 1t Is. / 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, sab, sorter thin, with
a long beard, an his name wus Amos
Shrunk. / reckon maybe he's a Black
Abolftionist, sah."
Quite likely, / should say. And you
could take a boat from here to his
placer"
"Sure, the darkest night yer ever
see.'
This knowledge greatly simplifed
matters. If there was already in OPP
Grafton an organized scheme by means
of which fugitives from this side Of
the great river We're 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 pr~airies, until be-
yond all danger of pursuit. The dis
lance 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
could prove any charge against us.
The only important fact fronting us
was that we must act quickly, before
Kirby and his aides, armed with legal
authority, could return-this very
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
hardest. is to explain to those women
the situation, and persuade them to
accompany us. They may not believe
my story; that was why / was so anx-
ious to have Haines go to the house.
They would have confidence in him.
Do they know your"
Lord love yer-ob course dey do.
Use knowed all OBJ 'em for a long
while, sab. Dey'n sure believe OF
Pete"
well, we can only try our best.
Have you any conveyance here?"
"Any whit, sah?"
Amy wheeled vehicle in which we
can ride to Beaucaire. and by means
Of which we can bring the women
back? The distance Is too far to
walk"
Use got a sorter khart, an an oi'
mule, sab. Dey's out yonder In de
bush."
Hitch them up at once while / rut
a few things we may need In the boat
Show me how to find It,"
He pointed out the path, with the
directions necessary, and disappeared,
while / returned to the cabin, dragged
a blanket from of the bed. and filed
it with whatever miscellaneous ar
ticles of food / was able to discover
about the place. My wound, now that
I was busily engaged, troubled me
very little, and l easily transported
this stock of provisions to the river
bank, and safely slowed them away, In
the boat found there. I returned to