Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-02-24


candle in his hand A stalwart, good
| looking Inulatto man. with smooth
| shaven face. stood in the doorway
rs the coast clear" he whispered.
| ".All clear" Samson answered, in
| Il low tone
| "I'll he back III a minute, said the
negro as he disappeared in the dark
ness, returning presently with two
women. both very black They sat
down i'll the dim light Of the cabin.
| Harry, who had been awakened BY
! The alrival.of the strangers came down
| the ladder.
| ''lhese are fugitive slaves on their
| way NORTH" said Samson. Take them
out to the stack. I'll bring some food
| in few minutes
Harry conducted them TO their
hiding place, and when they had en-
tered 1t, he brought a ladder and
| opened the top Of the stack A hoped
shaft in the middle OF it led to p
| point near its top and provided ven
| tilation Then he crawled in at the
entrance. through which Samson
passed pail of food, jug Of water
and some buffalo hides. Harry sat
! with them for few moments in the
black darkness OF the stack room to
learn whence they had come and
! whittier they wished TO go
eve are from St Louis, subj the
mulatt0 answered Eve are on our
way to Canada. Our next station is
/ ShA ~ hn 81 in
we'll county"
'Do you know man Of the mamie
OF Eliphalet Biggs, who lives in ST.
LOUISE" Harry asked
/ ''Yes, sub; / see him often, subj"
the negro answered.
"What kind Of a man is he?"
Good when he is sober, sub but
q brute when he is drunk"
as he cruel to his wife?'
He beats her with whip, sinh"
MY CT" Harry exclaimed. 'Why
don't she leave him?'
"She has left him, sub. She is stay
ing with q friend. 1t has been hard
for her to get away. She has been
slave, too
Harrys voice trembled with emo.
ton when he answered:
II am sure that none OF her friends
knew how she was being treated"
II suppose that she WAS hoping an
praying, sub, that he would change.
II think that one OF us will take
you to Peasley's tomorrow night" said
Harry. Meanwhile / hope you get
q good rest"
With that he left them, filed the
mouth OF the cave with hay and Went
into the house. There he told his
good friends of what he had heard
~ shall go down to st. Louis" he
said. II read in the paper that there
was boat Monday"
1.-THE first thing to do is to go 70
bed" said Sarah. There's not much
left OF the night"
They went to bed, but the young
man could not sleep. BIN had posses
sion OF his heart again.
Fortunately, the springs work was
finished and there was not much to be
done next day. Samson went TO Col
onel' Lukins' cabin and arranged
with him and his wife to come and
stay with Sarah and made other prep
arati0ns for the journey to the north.
Soon after nightfall they put their
guests on small load OF hay, so
that they could quickly cover them
selves, II necessary, and set out for
Peasley's farm As they rode along
Samson had frank talk with Harry.
II think you ought to get over be-
ing in love with Bim," he said.
1--WE told myself that Il dozen
times, but 1t don't do any good" said
the boy.
'She's another mans wife and YOU
have no right to love her."
"She's another mans slave, and
can't stand the thought of it," Harry
answered. 'If mans sister were in
such trouble, / think he'd have the
right to help her: and she's more than
q sister to me-"
'rll stand with you on the sister
platform" said Samson.
At sunrise they stopped TO give
their horses moment to rest. In the
distance they could see Rrimstead's
house and the narrowed fields around
It, The women were lying covered by
the hay; the man was sitting up and
looking back down the road.
They're coming" he exclaimed,
suddenly, as he got under the hay.
Samson and Harry could see horse
men following at Il gallop half mile
or SO down tile road. Our friends
hurried their team and got to Brlm-
stead's door ahead of the horsemen
Henry Rl'iimstead stood in the open
| door.
Take these slaves into the house
and get them out OF sight as quick
as you cam said Samson. There's
going to be a quarrel here in min
ute
The slaves slid OFF the load and ran
into the house.
The team started on toward Peas
ley's farm as if nothing had happened,
with Harry and Samson standing on