Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-01-16

/ hOSSeS. Len Qey uUuC IUulcu me up
fer ter hustle up sum grub
..Sikes; who was Sikes?"
"He lives down by de lower pike,
sab; he's an abolitionist, sah."
ooh, I see; he and Shrunk worked
together. He helped with the runaway
! slaves"
Eyes, sab. Abs bin called up tibet
| way afore. So All just nat'larly went
ter work cookin', an purity soon dey
all ov 'em cum stragglin' in ter de
cabin fer ter eat Oar was four Ov
'em, sah,' her voice husky whisper.
.Bill Skies, totin' gun in his ham, a
free niger whit dey called Pete, an
two wimmin. De bigger one was a
quadroon, maybe bout forty years OF,
an de odder she want much mOre'n
a gal: an dar want nuthin' ov de mig
ger bout her, 'cept it mought be de
hair, an de eyes-dem was sure black
'nough."
h "You learned who they were?'
Course All did. Skies he splained
all bout 'em ter Massa Shrunk, an All
heerl whit he sed All was waitin'
on 'em. We all ov US helped fer ter
put 'em in de wagon, hid lndeh lot O.
truck, an den Skies he done drove 'em
out thrO' de bluffs. All done walked
wifi de gal, an she toP NOR bout her.
self, an whar she cum frum; an dat
wus her name, sah."
"Her name? What name?"
"Rene Beaucaire; de quadrOon wom-
an, She WuS her mother"
I could scarcely voice my surprise,
the quick throbbing of my heart threat
ening to choke me.
"She claimed that name? She actual
ly told you she was Rene Beaucairev'
"She sure did. Why? Want tibet
her name?"
IT do not know" confessed. "Per-
haps l shall understand better, if you
go on. What happened after they
left?'
"Why, we just went back ter bed,
an long bout daylight, reckon, sum
fellars cum ashore off steamboat, an
done broke inter de house. We never
done heerd 'em till dey bust in de dore.
One OBJ dem he knocked me down, an
den All saw Massa Shrunk kill one,
afore dey got him. All don't know
Just whut did cum OBJ de free niger;
All reckon maybe he run away. Oars
a fellar on board yere whit killed
Massa Shrlnk an he's de same one
whit made me cum long wild him. A
ta
dressed up, an who never talks much"
"Kirby-JOe Kirby, river gambler
"Dat's de name--Kurby.' WAL, he's
de one whit was lOokin' fer dis yere
gal. Rene Beaucaire. He wanted her
pow'ful bad. Dey hunted all round
fer ter git hol' her, icussin' an threat
enin', an a haulin' me round; but
'twan't no SOrter use. So finally dey
took me long ter boat in de crick-a
keelboat, run by steam. Most de odder
men disappeared; All never did know
whar dey went, but dis yere Kurby
done shut me up in de cabin. All don't
know much whut did happen after
dat, til bout de time de steamboat
done hit US; an bout de next thing
All wus yanked up we're on deck"
but there was another woman on
the keelboat when it was sunk-a pris-
oner also. Surely you must have seen
her." / insisted.
"Ah saw her-yas," eagerly. "But
All don't know who she wus, sab, nor
whar she ever cum frum."
"Then she is not there with your
mo, sab; Abs yere all lone. All
reckon, tho, she sNre mus be on board
sumwhar. Ali what All does know is.
dat de gal called Rene Beaucaire sure
amt on board; fer she, an her NAH,
am at Beardstown long fore dis, an
headin' right smart for Canady; while
Abs headin' fer down soufe. Abs just
told yer all dis, Mister White Man.,
cause you's frien OBJ de Beaucaires
yer WIS, wusn'i yer"
"Yes," I said soberly, II am; and, Il
I can find any chance to help you, /
am going to do Il, Elsie. Don't talk
any more-the captain is just coming
out of the pilot house,"
AS greatly as this brief, hastily
whispered conversation had served to
clear up certain puZZlsng matters in
nv mind the total result of the infor
nation thus impaired by Elsie Clark
only rendered the situation more COM
pick and puZzling. Evidently the other
prisoner had not been confined on the
upper deck, but had been more secure
| ly hidden away below, where her pres
ence on board would better escape de-
lection. For what purpose? A sinis-
ter one, beyond all doubt-the express
sion of vague. fear in Kirby's heart
that, through some accident, her
identity might be discovered, and his
plans disarranged. cOmprehended
the part he intended Eloise Beaucaire
! to play in his future, and realized that
he cared more to gain possession of
her, to get her into his power, than he
did to obtain control of the slave. This
knowledge helped me to understand
the predicament which this revelation
nut him into and how desperately he