The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-03-25

nation thus impaired by Elsie Clark
only rendered the situation more CON
plex and puzzling. Evidently the other
prisoner had not been confined on the
upper deck, but had been more secure
~ 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 a vague fear in Kirby's heart
that, through some accident, her
identity might be discovered, and his
plans disarranged. I 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
put him into, and how desperately he
would strive to retain the upper hand.
II, in very truth, she was Judge Beau
CARES white daughter, and could gain
communication with others of her
class, bringing to them proof of her
identity, there would be real men
enough on board the Adventurer to
rally to her support. We were already
sailing through free territory, and even
now he held on to his slaves rather
through. courtesy than Law. Once it
was whispered that one of these slaves
was white, the daughter Of a wealthy
planter, stolen by force, the game
would be up.
But would she ever proclaim her
right to freedom? If she was indeed
ElOise Beaucaire-and even as to this
l was not as yet wholly convinced
she had deliberately assumed to be
Rene, doing so for a specific purpose
that object being to afford the other
an opportunity for escape. Why, she
had not so much as trusted me. From
the very beginning she had encouraged
me in the belief that she Val a ne
gress, never once arousing the faintest
suspicion In my mind. Nothing, then,
I was convinced, short Of death or dis
grace, could ever compel her to con-
fess the truth yet. Kirby might sus-
pect, might fear, but he had surely
never learned who she was from her
lips-that she was Eloise Beaucaire.
The conviction that this young wop-
an was white, educated, refined, the
daughter of good blood-no fleeing ne
gress, cursed with the black strain of
an alien race, a nameless slave
brought to me a sudden joy in discOv-
cry l made no attempt to conceal.
"Eloise Beaucaire, Eloise Beaucaire"
as though 1t we're a refrain. 1 knew
instantly what it all meant-that some
divine, mysterious hand had led from
the very hour of my leaving Fort Arm
strong, and would continue to lead u
til the will of God was done. 1t was
not in the stars of Fate that such vii
lainy should succeed; such sacrifice as
hers fail of it's reward.
Nevertheless, in spite of this re-
solve, and the fresh courage which had
been awakened within me by the faith
that from now on l battled for the love
of El0ise Beaucaire, no immediate op-
portuhity for service came. I coulc
WHY wall PNLACALlys dlu oUSCl We
was convinced that Kirby, what
rel might be his ultimate purpose
regarding the girl, had no present in
tention of doing her further injury. He
contemplated no immediate attempt at
forcible possession, and would be well
satisfied if he could only continue to
hold her in strict seclusion. The thing
he "a guarding against now, and
while they remained on board, was es-
cape or discovery.
1t was about the middle of the fol-
lowing afternoon when the Adventurer
poked her blunt nose around a point of
land, and came into full view of the
squalid hamlet of Yellow Banks. A
half-hour later we lay snuggled up
against the shore, holding position
amid several other boats made fast
to stout trees, busily unloading, and
their broad g%angplanks stretching from
forward deck to bank. The rOust-
abouts began unloading cargo at once,
a steady stream of men, black. and
white, burdened with whatever load
they could snatch up, moving on an
endless run across the stiff plank, and
up the low bank to The drier summit.
It CHANGED to be my good fortune to
escape this labor, having been detailed
by Mapes to drag boxes, bales and bar
rels forward to where the hurrying
bearers could grasp them more read
lily. This brought me close to the for
ward stairs, down which the departing
passengers trooped, threading their in
secure way among the trotting labor
ers, in an effort to get ashore.
Reynolds troops, all militia, and the
greater part of them mounted, were an
extremely sorry-looking lot-sturdy
enough physically, of the pioneer type,
but bearing little soldieriy appearance,
and utterly ignorant of discipline. The
men had chosen officers from out their
own ranks by popular election, and
these exercised their authority very
largely through physical prowess.
:. We had an excellent illustration of