The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-03-04

1t might go off at any minute, and
surely will if you make a false move
or attempt to foul the engine. Any
trick, and there is going to be dead
niger overheard. l know enough
about engines to tell If you play fair
so don't take any chances, boy"
"Ah-Ah-reckon as how l was
goln' fer ter run her all right, sab
she's sum considble contrary ct times,
sab, but Ah'll surely run her, If thar's
eny run in her. sab. All amt carin'
bout bcin' no corpse"
81 thought not; you'd rather be a
free niger, perhaps? Well, Sam, If
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
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 I 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. "and come
aboard. Yes, everything is all right.
I've just promised Sam here a ticket
for Canada"
l helped her across into the cock
pit and seated her on the bench, but
never venturlng to remove my eyes
from the negro. His actions and what
ever l was able to observe of the ex.
preston of his face only served to
convince me of his trustworthiness
yet I could take no chances.
She's just z real live woman, sab p
he managed to calculate, half in
doubt. "She sure amt no ghost sab p
"By no means, Sam; she is just as
real as either you or l. Now listen
boy-you know what will happen tC
you after this, If Donaldson ever gets
hold of your"
81 'spects l does, sab. He'd JUS
nat'arly skin dis niger alive. AL
reckon"
=, Every well, then; 1t is up to yOl
to get away, and l take it that yol
understand this river. We are goint
to head upstream"
! "Yas sir; yer plannin' fer ter g,
nor. Wal, sab, dars plenty O. watal
fer dis yere boat right now, wild d,
spring floods. NothIn' fer ter b.
! afeerd of bout dat"
G THAT is good news. Now, Sam,
. am going to cut this line, and l wan
7 you to steer straight across into tn
shadows of the Illinois shore. l be
q lieye you are going 10 play square
/. but for the present I'm going to TAX
q no chances with you. l am holdin
h this pistol within a foot of your head
o and your life means nothing to me
: you try any trick. What is the spec
Of this boat upstreamW
4 Bout ten mile an hour, sah."
" 'Well, don't push her too hard n
+ first, and run that engine as nOiseless
4 ly as possible. Are you ready? Yes
q then I'll cut loose"
9 l severed the line and we began
4 recede from the shore, cutting diagC
. nally across the decidedly swift cul
2, rent. Once beyond the protection c
h the point the star-gleam revealed tn
sturdy rush of the waters, occasion
a. ally hecked with bubbles Of foam
"A Sam handled the unwleldy craft wit
the skill Of a practiced boatman, an
10 the laboring engine made far les
,a racket than l had anticipated. Pist'
If In hand and vigilant to every motto
u Of the negro, my eyes swept along thu
IS vague shore line, catching nowhere
"a spark of light, nor any evidence thu
the steady chug Of our engine had or
~ ated alarm, We were alone upon ii
mysterious bosom Of the vast strear
70 tossed about in the full sweep Of II
!? current, yet moving steadily fOrwar
lt and already safely beyond both sigi
and sound.
v Every moment Of progress tended
eft increase my confidence In Sans To-
atty. The fellow plainly enough rea
lied the situation-that safety fl
IS himself depended on keeping beyor
the reach Of his master. To this eI
he devoted every instant diligently
sa coaXlng his engine and skilful gul
Mt ance Of the boat, never once perm
| ting his head to turn far enough
glance at me, although l could Occ
is siOnally detect his eyes wandering