The Dolores star., 1920-02-27

NlEor disappear so completely with the
prisoners. ! had turned each detail
over and over in my thought. while
| worked, yet to but little purpose.
The only present solution of the prob
lem seemed to be our return to that
hidden basin where our boat lay. and
then remaining there in conceament
until the darkness of another night
rendered it safe to once more venture
the river.
l spoke of this to her, as | finally
approached where she rested on the
stump. eager and glad to escape from
all memories of that somber cabin l
had just left.
"You-you are no longer so conf
dent" she said; your plan has
failedT
81 am afraid 1t has" I admitted.
'for 1t was based altogether on the
assistance Of Amos Shrunk. He is no
| longer alive, and l do not know where
TO turn for guidance. There would
seem to be danger in every direction
the only question is-in which way lies
the least?"
you begin to regret your attempt
to aid me?"
NO" impusively. so far as that
goes l would do 1t all over again. Your
safety means more to me now than
| ever before-you must believe that"
why should I? All have brought
| you is trouble. l can read In your
/ face how discouraged you are. You
must not think l do not understand.
do derstand-perfectly. What you
have done has been only response
to impulse: merely undertaken
through a spirit of adventure. Then
! then why not let 1t end here, and
Sam and can go on toto whatever
] is before US? II is nothing to you"
You actually believe l would CON
/ sent to that?" l asked in startled sur
| prise at the vehemence of her words
/ THAT I could prove such cur?"
But why not? 1t would not be
n cowardly act at all. l could not
blame you, for | have no claim on
your Service-never have had. You
have done n thousand times TOO much
already; you have risked honor. repu-
tation, and neglected duty to aid my
. L
can be nothing"
Nothing to me?"
"Certainly not. Why speak like
that? Have you forgotten again that
| am slave-a negress? Think,
Lieutenant Knox, what it would mean
to you TO be caught in my company;
to be overtaken while attempting to
assist me In escaping from my master
! Now no one dreams of such a thing,
and no one ever need dream. You
have had your adventure; let it end
here. l Shall be grateful to you al
ways, but-but l cannot bear to drag
you deeper into this mire."
You order me to leave your
Il cannot order: l am slave. My
only. privilege is to request, urge, i'm
plore. l can merely insist that it will
be beSt-beSt for us both-for you to
90. Surely you also must realize that
this is true?'
You have been brooding over all
this l said gently, Sitting here alone,
and thinking while we worked. l am
not going to answer you now. There
Is no need. Nothing can be done until
night, whatever we decide upon. You
will go back with US to the bOat?"
| Yes; l simply cannot stay here
her eyes wandering toward the cabin.
! took the lead on the return, find
ing the path easy enough to follow in
the full light of day. The sincere hon
esty of her plea-the knowledge that
she actually meant it-only served TO
draw me closer, to strengthen my de-
termination not to desert Her face
was ever before me as / advanced-a
bravely pathetic face, wonderfully
womanly in Its girlish contour-ap-
Dealing to every impulse Of my man.
hood. l admitted the truth of what
she said-lt had been largely love of
adventure, the rash recklessness of
youth, which had brought me here,
But this was my inspiration no longer
l had begun to realize thu something
deeper, more worthy, now held me to
the task. What this was l made no
attempt to analyZe-possibly l did not
dare-but. nevertheless, the mere con-
ception Of deserving her in the midst
of this wilderness was too utterly re-
Dugnant for expression. No, not that;
whatever happened 1t would never be
that.
The last few rods of our journey
lay through thick underbrush, and be-
meath the spreading branches of inter-
facing trees. Suddenly I emerged
upon the bank Of the creek, with the
rude log wharf directly before me. II
stopped transfixed, staring at the wa.
ter-nothing else greeted my eyes;
both the boats were gone.
This unexpected discovery came to
me like blow; the very breath
seemed to desert my lungs, as II
stared down at the vacant stream. We
had been outgeneraled. tricked, and all
our theories as to what had occurred
were wrong. The duty we had per.
formed to the dead had cost us our