The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-04-16
CHAPTER xIv-continued.
Copyright by A. @. McClurg q Co
IS


"They must have said much to de
ceive you," and bent forward to toucl
her hand. "See, l am very much alive
Let me tell y0u-that will be the quick
est way to understand. In the frs
place / did not drown when the boa
was smashed, but was rendered nelp
less and borne away ON the water. Th'
Adventurer rescued me about daylight
the next morning, and was no sooner
On board than l was told how the keel
boat had been run down below on the
river during the night and that your
party had all been saved-two white
men and two negress slaves. OF course
/ knew you must be one Of them"
"Then-then we were actually to.
gether, on the same boat, all the way
up here?"
Eyes; / tried hard to find where you
Kirby guarded you with great care
from all observation. Do you know
why?'
YES" she answered as though fore
ing herself to speak 81 do know now.
l thought 1 knew then, but was mis-
taken. I supposed it might be because
/ looked so little like negress, but
now / realize it was his own con-
science. He knew / was a white wom-
an; he had become convinced that l
was Eloise Beaucaire. Did you know
that, also?"
II learned the truth on the boat,
from the same source where Kirby OBJ
tanned his information. Elsie Clark
told me-"
''Elsie Clark Who is she? How
did she known
"A free negress, who had been en-
pl0yed by Amos Shrunk. She was the
other prisoner on the keelboat when
you were captured, kept locked below
in the cabin"
''How could she know who was?"
"She did not. Only she was positive
that you could not be Rene Beaucaire,
because she knew that Rene, in COM
pany with her mother, had departed
from Shrunk's cabin before those raid
ers came. The two had already started
for BeardstOwn."
She sat upright, all lassitude gone
from her body, leaning eagerly toward
me, her eyes alight with interest.
"Gone! Rene escaped them" she
exclaimed, her voice choking. "Oh, tell
me that again. Was the girl sure"
"Quite sure. She saw and spoke |
with both the women before they left
in wagon. They were on the Under
ground, bound for Canada, and safety"
Il am so glad-so glad" she said
simply. "Now 1 am strong enough to
hear the rest, Lieutenant Knox You
must tell me-"
'There is not so much to tell, that
am cock-sure about" l began slowly.
Kirby had you securely hidden away
somewhere on the second deck, while
this Clark girl had been locked into a
stateroom above. I possessed such
growth of beard and was altogether so
disreputable looking as to be mistaken
for roustabout by the boats officers
who set me at work to earn my pass
age. In this way 1 managed to talk
with Elsie, but failed to locate your
quarters. The only glimpse L. gained
of you was when you were being taken
ashore. Then 1 followed, and a little
later succeeded in getting you out of
Kirby's hands. That is about ALL"
"Oh, no, it is not-you-you came
too late"
''Too latel Perhaps 1 may know !
what you mean"
do you? Surely not to blame me :!
II wish to tell you, Lieutenant Knox,
but-but l scarcely know how. 1t is
all so dim, indistinct in my own mind
and yet l remember. Have | been
drugged?"
without question. We have been
riding all night and you We're strapped
to your horse. Probably you have no
recollection of this?"
She shook her head in bewilderment.
mo; the last / remember was with
Kirby and another man. He-he was
dressed like minister but-but he
was half drunk, and once he swore at
ne. The place where we were was a
little shack in the side of a hill, with
stone walls. Kirby took me there
from the steamer, together with a man !,
he called Rale-Jack Rale. They
ocked me in and left me alone after I
dark. Then this other man, who
dressed like a minister, came back
with Kirby They had food and some /
thing to drink with them, and lit a r.
amp so that we could see. 1t was
awfully dismal and dark in there" W
She pressed her hands to her head r
Il can remember all II
his, but later it is not so clear; it m
AIDES out, like a dream" ri
TRY to tell me all you can" urged. w
They fed you?" 81
"Yes, managed to eat little, but fl
would not drink. They both became 9,
ngry then and frightened me, but
hey did compel me to swallow some Ir
( the stuff Then | became dazed h,
nd partially helpless. had no will RI
{ my own, no power of resistance" bl
You were married to Kirby" III
"Oh, God was I? I wondered; /
hi nnf rQalIu Eporr. fr111u did