The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-02-20

to use this boat, and you are going
run it for me, do you understand?
am going to sit down here on TIL
edge of this cockpit and hold thi
loaded pistol just back of your cal
1t might go Off at any minute, an
surely will If you make false NOV
or attempt to foul the engine. An
trick, and there is going to be dea
niger overheard. / know enougl
about engines to tell if you play fair
SO don't take any chances, boy"
"Ah-Ah-reckon as how I wa
goin' fer ter run her all right, sab
she's sum constable contrary ct times
sab, but Ah'll surely run her, if thar
eny run in her, sab. All amt carin
bout bein' no corpse"
81 thought not; you'd rather be {
free niger, perhaps? Well, Sam, il
you will do this job all right for m,
tonight I'll put you where the sheriff
will never see hide nor hair of yor
again-no, not yet; wait moment
there is another passenger"
She came instantly in answer to my
low call, and through the gloom the
startled negro watched her descend
the bank, mere moving shadow, yet
with the outlines of woman. / half
believe he thought her a ghost, for !
could hear him muttering inarticu-
lately TO himself. dared not remove
my eyes from the fellow, afraid that
his very excess of fear might impel
him to some reckless act, but l ex-
tended one hand across the side of the
boat to her assistance.
"Take my hand, Rene" / said pleas
antly, to reassure her. "and come
aboard. Yes, everything is all right.
I've just promised Sam here ticket
for Canada"
/ helped her across into the cock
pit and seated her on the bench, but
never venturing to remove my eyes
from the negro. His actions and what
ever / was able to observe of the ex-
preston of his face only served to
convince me of his trustworthiness,
yet 1 could take no chances.
"She's just real, live woman, sah?"
he managed to calculate, half in
doubt. "She sure amt no ghost, sah?'
''By no means, Sam; she is just as
real as either you or l. Now listen,
boy-you know what will happen to
you after this, if Donaldson ever gets
hold of your"
81 'spects I does, sab. He'd just
nat'arly skin dis niger alive, All
reckon"
every well, then; it is up to you
to get away, and 1 take it that you
this river. We are going
TO head upstream"
''Yas, sir; yer plannin' fer ter go !
nor. WAL sab, dars plenty o. watah |
Ter dis yere boat right now, wild de |
spring floods. Nothin' fer ter be
,feerd of bout dat
"That is good news. Now, Sam, 1
Inn going to cut this line, and 1 want
you to steer straight across into the
shadows of the Illinois shore l be-
ieve you are going to play square,
Tut for the present I'm going to take
10 chances with you. / am holding
his pistol within foot of your head,
md your life means nothing to me if
-ou try any trick. What is the speed
f this boat upstream"
"'Bout ten mile an hour, sah."
swell, don't push her too hard at
rst, and run that engine as noiseless-
Y as possible. Are you ready? Yes
hen I'll cut loose"
I severed the line and we began to
ecede from the shore, cutting diago-
ally across the decidedly swift cur
emit. Once beyond the protection of
ne point the star-gleam revealed the
turdy rush of the waters, OCCASION
lily fecked with bubbles of foam.
am handled the unwieldy craft with
lie skill of practiced boatman, and
lie laboring engine made far less
icket than / had anticipated. Pistol ,
| hand, and vigilant to every motion {
the negro, my eyes swept along that
lgue shore line, catching nowhere a
park of light, nor any evidence that {
lie steady chug Of our engine had Gre :
ed alarm. We were alone upon the
ysterious bosom of the vast stream, ,
ssed about in the full sweep of the i
lrrent, yet moving steadily forward, I
I'd already safely beyond both sight !
i'd sound. ;
Every moment of progress tended to q
crease my confidence in Sans 10y 8
ty. The fellow plainly enough real '
ed the situation-that safety for 4
mself depended on keeping beyond
e reach of hts master. To this end 4
devoted every instant diligently to T
axing his engine and a skillful guild q
ice Of the boat, never once permit n
1g his head to turn far enough to ii
ance at me, although / could occa- a
,nally detect his eyes wandering in O
e direction Of the girl. Il
She had not uttered a word nor Il
anged her posture since first enter
g the boat, but remained Just as l
d seated her one hand grasping the S;
ge Of the cockpit, her gaze on the r
shing waters ahead. l could realize
netting Of what must be passing b.
rough her mind-the mingliDg OF
ubt and fear which assailed her in "
Is strange environment. Up until II
" she had been accorded no oppor- cl
1ity to think, to consider the nature Ia
her position she had been COM n