The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-04-01
IIlastrsed BY Irwin NgOfT

Abraham Lincoln Of Illinois and Jeffer-
son Davis of Mississippi stood in com
radeship with Clasped hands.
We had unloaded perhaps n quarter
OF our supplies, when an officer sudden
ly appeared over the crest of the bank
and hailed the captain. There was
tone Of authority in his voice which
caused US to knock of work and lis
ten.
rs Captain Corcoran there? l bring
orders from headquarters. You are TO
discontinue unloading, captain, retain
the remainder of the provisions on
board and prepare at once to take on
men"
Take on men7 We are not to return
south, then?"
no; you're going in the other direc-
tlon-up the Rock. You better get
busy"
He wheeled his horse and dlsap-
peared, leaving the angry captain
venting his dlspleasure on the vacant
air Kirby, evidently from some posi-
tion across the deck, broke In with a
sharp question.
"What is that Corcoran? Did the
fellow say you were not going back to
ST. LOUISE
That's just what ne said. We've
got to nose our way up Rock river,
with q lot of those measly soldiers
aboard Here you, Mapes, stop that
unloading, and get steam up-we'Ye
got 10 put in a night of It,"
But" insisted Kirby in disgust
I'm not going up there; aren't there
any boats going DOWN.
How the H. should I know7 Go
ashore and find out-you haven't any
I thing else TO do
The men below knocked off work
Willingly enough and. taking advan-
/ toEe of the confusion on board, I en-
/ deavored TO creep up the stairs and
gain view Of the upper deck. But
both MapeS and the second mate made
this attempt impossible, forcing me
into the ranks of the others and COM
. pel.inE me 10 restow the cargo. So far
as I could perceive, no attempt 10 de
part was made by anyone, excepting
% big fellow with q red mustache, who
swore profanely as he struggled
through the mud dragging a huge
vuliSe.
The situation puzzled and confused
me. What choice would Kirby and the
deputy maFce II once up Rock river
the Adyenrurer might very likely not
return for weeks. and It did not seem
. 10 me possible thar the impatient gam
bier would consent 10 such a delay.
Every advance northward brought
with 1t new danger Of ex-
posure. These were Illinois troops
4 to be ransported-not regulars,
/ but militia, gathered from a hundred
/ hamlets-0nd many among them would
/ be open enemies Of slavery. Let such
men as these, rough with the pioneer
sense of justice, once suspect the stu
/ alton Of those two women, especially
If the rumOr got abroad among them
that EloiSe was white, and the slave
hunter would have a hard row to hoe
And / made up my mind such a rumor
should be sown broadcast; aye more
that If the necessity arose, I would
throw of my own disguise and front
him openly with the charge. I could
20 20 more.
Il was only an accident which gave
me a clue to the real program Mapes
sent me back into the vacant space
JUST forward of The puddle-wheel. seek
ing lost Canthook, and. as I turned
about 10 return, the missing tool In my
hand, l paused a moment to glanc,
Curiously out through a slit I'm tn,
boats planking attracted by the sounC
OF a loud voice utterlng command
! was facing the shore and a body O
men, ununiformed. slouching alouj
with small regard to order but eacl
bearing a rifle across his shoulder
were just tipping the riGge and plow
ing their way down through the slip
, perry clay in the direction Of the for
ward gangway. Although I saw, no
for an instant did my gaze linger oi
their disordered ranks. The sigh
, which held me motlonless was rathe
, that Of a long, broad plank, protecte,
, on either side by a rope rail, stretch
e. ing from the slope Of the second dec
across the narrow gulf Of water. unit
4 ii rested It's other end firmly aga!ns
} the bank.
The meaning of this was sufficient
} apparent. For some reason Of hi
p own, Kirby had evidently chosen thi
.