The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-03-26
r the Black Hawk Wat.
Re,1.slan
pd1.1ssh


( lem, Illinoy, an amt got but just or
: job right now-that's ter make thel
! boys tote this stun, an l recko
, they're goin' ter do it,
With the exchange of another wor
| | or two they parted, and not uRt
/ | thirty years later did l realize wha
that chance meeting meant, there i
the clay mud of Yellow Banks, at til
edge of the Indian wilderness. whe
Abraham Lincoln of Illinois and Jeffer
son Davis of Mississippi stood in com
radeship with clasped hands.
We had unloaded perhaps a quartz
of our supplies. when an officer sudden
ly appeared over the crest of the banl
and hailed the captain. There was
tone of authority in his voice whiSl
caused us to knock off work and lis
ten.
as Captain Corcoran there? brin,
orders from headquarters. You are t,
discontinue unloading. captain, retair
the remainder of the provisions OF
board and prepare at once TO take Oh
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 a
sharp question.
what is that. Corcoran? Did the
fellow say you were not going back 10
ST. LOUISE
That's just what he said. We've
got to nose our way up Rock river,
with lot of those measly soldiers
aboard Here you. Mapes, stop that
unloading, and get steam up--we've
got to put in a 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 | 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. I 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
pelIing me 10 restOw the cargo. So far
as / could perceive, no attempt to de-
part was made by anyone, excepting
a big fellow with red mustache, who
swore profanely as he struggled /
the mud, dragging huge |
va!ise.
The situation puzzled and confused |
me. What choice would Kirby and the |
deputy make? If once up Rock river /
the Adventurer might very likely not /
return for weeks. and ii did not seem
to me possible that the impatient gam
bier would consent to such delay
Every advance nOrthward brought
with it new danger of ex-
posure. These were Illinois troops
to he transpOrted-not regulars.
but militia, gathered from hundred
many among them would
De open enemies of slavery. Let such
men as these. rough with the pioneer
'ense of justice. once suspect the stu
ltiOn of those two women. especially
f the rlImor got abroad among them
hat ElOise was white, and the slave
lunter would have hard row to hoe.
Ind I made up my mind such rumor
hould be sown broadcast: aye. more,
hat if the necessity arose. | would
brow off my own disguise and front
lin openly with the charge | could
10 no more.
1t was only an accident which gave
ne clue to the real program. Mapes |
emf me back into the vacant space
ust forward of the paddle-wheel seek
ng lost caDthOok. and. as turned
bout to return. the missing tool in my
and, / paused a moment to glance
uriously out through slit In the
oats planking. attracted by the sound
f loud voice uttering command.
was facing the shore and body Of
len,. unHDlfOFiieN. SIoufiiln& dioIe
18th small regard to order. but each
earring a rifle across his shoulder.
ere Just tipping the ridge and plow-
IL their way down through the slip
ery clay in the direction Of the for
ard gangway. Although ! SAW. not |
n an instant did my gaze linger on {
,ejr djsordered ranks. The sight
bich held me motionIess was rather G
at of long. broad plank, protected
either side by rope rail, stretch
g from the slope of the second deck i
ross the narrow gnlf Of water. until 4
rested it's other end firmly against
e bank. Il
The meaning Of this was sufficiently
,parent. For some reason OF his o
vn. Kirby had evidently chosen this 6
cans OF attaining the shore. and b
rough personal friendship, Corcoran b
d consented to aid his purpose. The
nson. plainly enough. was that by use a
this stern gangway the landing par J;
would be enabled to attain the bank r
thout the necessity Of pushing their b
" through the crowd Of idle loung- b
1 forward And the passage had just n