Evening star., 1924-03-02
Continued 7rom Yesterdays star.)

CONTINUED from Waterways star:l
He lay here for two days, restless.
sleepless. But at length. having IN
the meantime scarcely tasted food, he
Have you horaes for the journey?"
Arc You sure. goyernor. that your
strength is SUFFICIENT" Nicely hesitated
a. he looked at the wasted form before
|. him. at the hollow eye. the fevered
face.
1T 10 not a question Of my personal
convenience. major" said Meriwether
Lewis. "Time presses for me. 1 must
go on!"
AT least you shall not 60 alone"
! said Mai. Neely. you should have
some escort. Doubtless you have i'm
portant papers"
MeTiwether Lewis nodded.
my servant has arranged everything.
I fancy. Can you get an extra man or
swoT. Tho Natehez Trace is none TOO
That military road. as they both
knew, was indeed no moro than horse
path cut through the trackless forest
which lay across the states OF Missis-
sippi. Tennessee and Kentucky. Its
trader passing north from New Orleans
| with coin, many q settler passing west
with packhorses and household effects,
had disappeared on this wilderness
road. and left 40 sign. 1t was GUS
,ona5y s for parties Of any consequence seeHs
1t was considerable cavalcade.
| therefore. which presently set forth
from Chickasaw Bluffs on the long ride
! eastward to cross the Alieghanies.
which meant some days OF weeks spent
in the saddle. Apprehension sat upon
[ O
! eyes rested upon the wasted form of
| their leader. the delirium OF whose
fever seemed still to hold him. He
nuttered TO himself as he rode. re-
sented the near approach Of any
travelling companion, demanded to be
| alone. They looked at him in silence.
| He talks 70 himself all the time,
| said one Of the party-a new man, hired
by Nicely at the army post He rode
| with Peria now; and none but Peria
knew that he had come from the long
| barge which had clung to the governor s
| craft all the way down the river-and
| which, unknown to Lewis himself, had
tied up and waited at Chickasaw Bluffs.
1 He was a stranger to Seely and to all
| the others. but seemed ready enough to
declaring that he himself was intending
| to go that way. He was q man we'll
dressed. apparently of education and Of
| some means. He rode armed.
think your" inquired this man once
| more Of Peria. Lewis servant. ;.
lit is his way" shrugged Peria.
| I'VE leave him alone. His hand Is
heavy when he is angry
He rides always with his rife across
his saddle?"
| Always. OH the trail.''
Loaded, l prssume-and his pis-
| tols?"
you may we'll suppose that said
Peria.
"oh, we'll" said the new member Of
| l lifted his saddlebags and the desk.
! or trunk. whatever you call it. that is
/ on the pack horse yonder. Heavy. eh? ?''
| ''Naturally." grinned Peria.
They looked at one another. And
! thereafter the two. as was we'll noted.
| together az the, journey progressed.
| Now It's an odd thing about his
coat" volunteered the stranger later
in that same day. He always keeps
1t on-that ragged old uniform. Was 1t
a uniform. do you believe? Can't the
governor Of the new territory wear a
coat that shows his own quality? This
ones q dozen years old, you might say"
He always wears it on the trail
said Peria- al home he watches 1t as
/, treasury" The shifty eyes of the
new man flashed in sudden interest.
What treasure? Papers. perhaps
| bills-documents-Inon His pocket
bulges at the side. Something there
yes. eh?''
know that man. the governor. He has
the eye of hawk tha ear Of a fox
you can keep nothing from him. He
fears nothing IN the world, and in his
moods--youd best leave him alone.
! Don't let him suspect. Or" And
OH
The cavaIcade was we'll out Into the
! wilderness east Of the Mississippi on
| that afternoon Of October 8, in the year
1909. Stopping at the waystde taverns
| which now and then were found, they
had progressed perhaps hundred
| drawing toward its close when Peria
| rode up and announced that one or two
OF the horses had stfayed from the trail.
Il have told you to be more care
fuh Ps,is srs espos.Tlased sr,,I1ss on Coy tr.
paskhorse eIis wsseh ars need al at night on whe
! is this new. man that is so careless?
i Why do you not keep the horses up?
Go. then, and get them. Maj. Neely,
would you be so kind as to join the
men and assure them Of bringing on
| the horses?'
"And what Of you, GOVERNOR
g! shall 60 on ahead. II you please.
Is there no house near by? You know
| the trail. Perhaps we can get lodgings
not far on"
here" answered Nicely. belongs to an
old man named Grinder. 'Tis no more
than a few miles ahead. Suppose We
| Join you there?
agreed" said Lewis. and setting
spurs to his horse, he left them.
length Meriwether Lewis reined up in
front Of the somewhat unattractive
Grinder homestead cabin, sQuatted
down alongside the Natchez Trace; a
place where sometimes hospitality Of a
| sort was dispensed. 1t was an ordinary
| house apartments with q covered space
between such as might have been found
anywhere for hundreds Of miles on
either side OF the AlleShanies at that
| time. At his call there appeared a
| woman-AIrs. Grinder, she announced
Madam he inquired. could YOU
entertain me and my party for the
night? I am alone at present, but my
| servants will soon be UP. They are on
the trail in search Of son'e horses which
have strayed.":
"My husband is not here said the
| woman. I'VE are not we'll fixed. but I
| reckon If we can stand It all the time
you can for a night. How many air
! there in your. party?
"A half-dozen, with an extra horse
| or two"
II reckon we can fix We up. Light
She was noting well her guest, and
her shrewd eyes determined him to be
no common man. He had the bear
| ing Of q gentleman. the carriage of q
\ man used to command. Certain of
his garments seemed to show wealth,
| although she noted. when he stripped
! on his travelling smock, that he wore
not q new coat, but an old one-very
I old, she would have said, soiled:
| stained, faded. II looked as IL 1t had
| once been part Of a uniform.
Her guest whoever he was-and
| she neither knew nor asked, for the