The Dolores star., 1920-02-13

TO use this boat. ana you are going to
run it for me, do you understand? l
am going to sit down here on the
edge of this cockpit and hold this
loaded pistol just back of your ear.
1t might go OFF at any minute, and
surely will II you make n false move
or attempt to foul the engine. Any
trick. and there is going to be a dead
niger overheard. I know enough
about engines to tell II you play fair
SO don't take any chances, boy"
"Ah-Ah-reckon as how l was
goin' fer ter run her all right, sab; ;
she's sum consid'ble contrary ct times.
sab, but Ah'll surely run her. II thar's
eny run In her, sab. All amt carin'
bout bein' no corpse"
~ thought not; you'd rather be n
free niger, perhaps? Well. Sam, IL
you will do this job all right for me
tonight I'll put you where the sheriff
will never see hide nor hair Of you
ngain--no, not yet; wait u moment,
there Is another passenger"
She came instantly in answer to my
low call, and through the gloom the
the bank, mere moving shadow. yet
with the outlines of a woman. l half
believe he thought her n ghost, for
could hear him muttering inarticu-
lately to himself l 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" l said pleas
antly. to reassure her. land come
aboard. Yes. everything is all right
I've just promised Sam here u 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
preston of his face only served to
convince me of his trustworthiness
yet | could take no chances.
shes 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 /. Now listen,
boy-you know what will happen to
YOU after this, If Donaldson ever gets
hold of you?"
Il 'spects I does. sab. He'd Just
natarly skin dis niger alive, All
reckon"
VERY well. then; it is up to you
TO get away, and / take 1t that you
understand this river. We are going
to head upstream"
"ias, sir; yer plannin' fer ter go
nor. Wal, sab, dars plenty O. watah
fer dis yere boat right now, wild de
spring floods. Nothin' fer ter be
afeerd of bout dat"
THAT is good news. Now, Sam, l
am going to cut this line, and want
you to steer straight across into the
, shadows of the Illinois shore. l be-
lleve you are going to play square,
but for the present I'm going to take
no chances with you. l am holding
this pistol within q foot Of your head,
and your life NEAR nothing to me if
| you try any trick. What is the speed
Of this boat upstr,am?"
Bout ten mile an hour sah."
swell, don't puth her too hard at
first, and run that engine as noiseless-
ly as possible. Are you ready? Yes
then I'll cut loose"
I severed the line and we began to
| recede from the shore, cutting diago-
nally across the decidedly swift cur
rent. Once beyond the protection of
the point the star-gleam revealed the
sturdy rush of the waters, OCCASION
ally fiecked with bubbles of foam.
Sam handled the unwieldy craft with
the skill of practiced boatman, and
the labOring engine made far less
racket than I had anticipated. Pistol
in hand, and vigilant to every motion
Of the negro, my eyes swept along that
vague shore line, catching nowhere q
spark of light, nor any evidence that
the steady chug of our engine had ere.
ated alarm. We were alone upon the
mysterious bosom of the vast stream
tossed about in the full sweep of the
current. yet moving steadily forward.
and already safely beyond both sight
and sound.
EVERY moment OF progress tended to
increase my confidence In Sans 10y.
atty. The fellow plainly enough real.
lied the situation-that safety for
himself depended on keeping beyond
the reach of his master. To this end
he devoted every instant diligently to
coaxing his engine and skillful guild
ance Of the boat, never once permit
ting his head to turn far enough to
glance at me, although / could occa.
sionally detect his eyes wandering In
the direction of the girl.
She had not uttered a word MOI
changed her posture since first enter.
ing the boat, but remained just as
had seated her. one hand grasping the
edge of the cockpit, her gaze on the
rushing waters ahead. could realize
something of what must be passing
through her mind-the mIngling OF