The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-01-01

uuInOTeuly. Il III AUG Lincoln OF Sa-
lem, Illinoy. an I amt got but just one
| job right now-thats ter make them
boys tote this stuff. an / reckon
they're goin' ter do It."
With the exchange of another word
or two they parted, and not until
thirty years later did l realize what
that chance meeting meant, there In
the clay mud of Yellow Banks, at the
edge of the Indiap wilderness, when
Abraham Lincoln OF Illinois and Jeffer-
son Davis Of Mississippi stood In COM
radeship with clasped hands.
We had unloaded perhaps a quarter
of our supplies, when an officer sudoen-
ly appeared over the crest of the bank
and hailed the captain. There was q
tone OF authority in his voice which
caused us to knock of work and lis
| ten.
rs Captain Corcoran there7 / 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 men? We are not to return
south, then?"
mo; you're going In the other direc-
tion-up the Rock. You better get
busy"
He wheeled his horse and disap-
peared, leaving the angry captain
venting his displeasure on the vacant
air. Kirby, evidently from some posi-
ton across the deck, broke In with q
sharp question.
what is that, Corcoran7 Did the
fellow say you were not going back to
ST. LOUISE"
That's just what he said. We've
got to nose our way up Rock river,
with a lot Of those measly soldiers
aboard. Here you. Mapes, stop that
unloading, and get steam up-we've
got to put in 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 l know? Go
ashore and find out-you haven't any
thing else to do"
The men below knocked off work
willingly enough and, taking advan-
tage of the confusion on board, l 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
polling me to restow the cargo. So far
as / could perceive, no attempt to de-
part was made by anyone, excepting
a big fellow with a red mustache, who
swore pcOfanely as he struggled
through the mud, dragging a huge
vaIise.
The situation puzzled and confused
me. WHAT choice would Kirby and the
deputy make? If once up Rock river
the Adv enturer might very likely not
return for weeks. and II did not seem
to me possible that the impatient gam
bier woulC consent to such a delay.
Every advance northward brought
with IL new danger of ex-
posture. These were Illinois troops
to be transported-not regulars.
but militia. gathered from a hundred
hamlets- and 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 rumOr
should be sOwn broadcast; aye, more,
that If the necessity arose, I would
throw off my own disguise and front
him openly with the charge. l could
do no more.
1t was only an accident which gave
me clue to the real program. Mapes
sent me back into the vacant space
just forward of the paddle-wheel, seek
ing q lost canthook, and, as l turned
about TO return, the missing tool in my
hand, / paused a moment to glance
curiously out through slit In the
boats planking, attracted by the sound
of loud voice uttering a command.
I was facing the shore and a body Of
men, ununiformed slouching along
with small regard TO order, but each
bearing rifle across his shoulder,
were just tipping the ridge and plow-
ing their way down through the slip
perry clay In the direction Of the for
ward gangway. Although l saw, not
for on instant did my gaze linger on
their disordered ranks. The sight
which held me motlonless was rather
that OF a long, broad plank, protected
on either side by rope rail, stretch
ing from the slope OF the second deck
across the narrow gulf of water. until
IL rested Its other end firmly against
the bank.
The meaning OF this was sufficiently
apparent. For some reason of his
own, Kirby had evidently chosen this
means OF attaining the shore and
through personal friendship Corcoran
hod oonoontad IN old hfe nurnoga The