| Show r T F I 1 F 01 H plat bm OD RYAL wt 0 O E J u D F R adz fla P r owea A co SYNOPSIS the scene at the opening of the story is 1 laid in III the lie library y 0 of r an old 01 worn out southern plantation I 1 n known know n an u the barony the pine aluce 0 lj Is to be sold hold and its lt history an and that of tile the owners the quint ads i in the subject of discussion by Jon jonathan crenshaw a business busl man a s known as bladen bidden and dob bob yancy taney a farmer when hannibal wayne bazard fa zard a mysterious child of the old family maken hla film appo appearance arance yancy tells tell how he the boy nathaniel perris I buys the hie barony but the Quintar deny any knowledge of nt the boy yancy to keep Il hannibal annibal captain murrell mirrell a friend of the Quin tards appears appear and asks questions qin alon about the liar ilar ony trouble at scratch when ilan Is lf by vave pave mount blount captain blur lla agent yancy overtakes Ulo uni given elves film a thrashing and secures th the ein boy yancy appears appeal a before squire lit lla am and is in discharged with costs coet for or the plaintiff plaintiff lain tiff betty malroy At alroy a friend of the the rises hart had an encounter with cap iraln etain blu murrell rrell who forces hla his attentions atten tlona on per her and Is 1 rescued by bruce carrington hetty sets out for her hee tennessee Ton home carrington takes dikea the same ame stage taney and ana hannibal disappear witti with murrell on theia trail arrives nt at the homo home of judge price the judge lecog dizes in tile the boy the grandson of an old me alend murrell arrives at judges lionie to to cavendish family faintly on raft rescue yn yancy n wh who 1 apparently dead price break j jall all betty anti anil carrington arrive nt fit belle bella plain rifle disclose orne irne startling things to the judge ilan han fitial and betty ineat again clurrell AIu rrell ar rives in belle plain in I 1 playing tor for big bli taken stakes yancy vancy awaken from long dream ilesa aw lepp P on board the raft judice price makan alien wart linc discoveries in looking up land titles charley norton a young planter ian or who assists the judge la in mys my OT louly assaulted norton informs inform car rankton that betty has haa promised prom laed to mary marily mar y him norton in shot hot more light on murrells plot ito ho plans aprim in ina of Ile groes judge audne price with a int bal finito betty anil and she athe keeps the boy da as a companion in a stroll hetty baites oath alth they meet boss daughter an ug h ter or of tho overseer who warns 1 I tty of danger clangor and counsels her to cave I 1 hello i elle plain main at once hetty betty terrified ai ac t ta s on oft uns advice and on their way 1 la a by mosson Blo aon athe tavern keeper and a conf aej and hetty and hannibal ure are made prisoners wiio pair taken to flicks cabin in an spot and were mur trell vialla hetty and reveals hla his part in aitho plot mid and tn kiln object icetty spurns hla film proffered tove love and the interview la in and d ky by the arrival of ware varo terrified it pos possible mille outcome of 0 tile alia cr crillie illic judge price kcf heni ing liris of the abduction plana ao uon alon tile judge takes taken charge of tile lh thuraton tHu aton and search for the ones carrington visits the judge ind anti allies are ellla fl lla colonel fentress where tie in toots T anti cavendish becoming enraged ia h e a of w hisky into tho the faco an and u dui dini Is a arranged mur ell la turreted ed for or ne r stealing and liln its aubbie aul the lud audna ge ania Wali arty tin tile coming coining duel dai l CHAPTER continued lie ho waited now for the night to come and to him tho the sun seemed scorned fixed in tho the heavens he avena at belle plain rout rom ware was watching it with a shuddering sense of the swiftness ot of ilta flight out hut at last the tops topa of 0 tho the tall all trees obscured it it sank quickly thea thenn theland and nd blazed a ball ot 0 fire beyond the arkansas coast while its ita dying ato glory ri spread aslant the heavens ne avens turn ing ineitha aitho flanks of the gray clouds to violet and purple and fold with tho the first approach of darkness carrington made his way way to the shed Jl lildon in tho the shadow he ha paused to and fancied he be heard beard difficult breathing from within the door creaked ed hideously on its ita wooden le es when he pushed it open but as aa it at asung back thelast remnant ot ol llie kho days bight showed him some bome dark object lying prone on tho the dirt floor iho reached down and his hand rested iona on a mans booted toot deorge george spoke softly but the man on the floor floon gave no sign ath at ae heard board and ona ons questioning touch stealing higher he found that georgo if it were ceorge was lying on his side with hla his arms and lego securely bound thinking he bo the kentuckian Kentuck lan shook him gent fly to lo arouse him ceorge Oe orge he repeated still bending above him this time an murmur answered him at the baino instant th the woolly head of the negro canio came und andor hla his lingers and he discovered tha tho reason of hla his silence lie he was as securely gagged backed as aa he was bound listen george its ita carrington 1 am going to take off this gag but dont acine speak above ri whisper they may hear bear us and he cut the corda that abhat hold the got gag in place allow how yo get here bore maar cahng ian tont asked the negro guardedly as aa aho gag tell fell away around tho the head of the bayou Law landl dl exclaimed georgei george tn in a tons tone of wonder wheres miss dotty betty T shea in the cabin yonder to ane me love ot of god out cut these hero here other ropes with yo knife nasr ca ington im pe with 1 ernt carrington old did aa he bo asked anil and groaning groan laff george sat bat erect rin im like alk I 1 was waa boue tn in iltem all over he bo bald aid youl reel feet better in a moment tell ime cie abut miss malroit Mal royt they done fetched us here hera last igat I 1 was dravin alessy into hal flat 0 i iH faw ilir har and loun maar hazard rj n flomen to men stop us tn in the road inho were hey do you knoby tafe d Carrl ngon is that hatt 1 l knife in hand band swung lori his ha heel lattern lao tern a 40 V tl in acts faceIn nd liess yn 1 hh fh akew kat w r ajl ka it ii 1 i fra anro inthe doors door i s wl P 1 11 nn i apri rp 11 ri iu I I 1 f tl f ewt ile 1 25 P f zug f y i WWI erlie was as securely gagged as he was bound hush I 1 ho he grimly warned what are you doln doin here demand ed cl the sir girl as she ehe endeavored to shake off his hand but carrlton Carr luon lugton drew her into the shed and closing the door set his back against it there was a brief silence luring during which bess regarded tho the kentuckian Kentuck lan with a kind or of stolid fearlessness she was the first to speak 1 I 1 reckon you all have come after miss alias malroy the eho observed quietly then you reckon right answered anaw ered carrington Carrl neton the girl studied him from her level brows and you all think you cart can take her away from here she speculated 1 I aint afraid of yo knife you all might use it fast enough on a man but not on me ill help you she added carrington gave her an incredulous glance you dont believe me that would fetch our men up from the keel boat no yo alls alla knife stop niel fuel dont be too sure of that said carrington sternly the girl met the menace of hla his words worda with soft full throated laughter why yo hands sti altin now mr Carringto nl you know met yia yes I 1 seen you once at boggs sho she made an impatient movement you can cant t do nothing against them to fo men unless I 1 help you miss alias mal roys to go down river tonight only waiting toa pilot you alls alla got to net act quick 1 carrington hesitated why do you yow tyant miss malroy to ea escape capet he said the girle mood changed abruptly 1 I 1 reckon a private matter aint it enough to you all to know that I 1 do im showing how it can be done them tour four men on the keel boat are strangers in ibele parts waiting to toa a pilot but they dont know who hell bo be ive heard you all was a liverman liver man to hinder binder yo tatting taking tho the pilots place looks looka like yo was willing to risk yo life to fw miss malacy or you bo be hero here im ready said carrington his hand on an tho the door no you aint jest yet interposed the earl hastily listen to me birst theys a dugout tied up bout a bun dred yards above the keel boat you must get bettt tt a to cross in to the other side of lot tho the bayou toes ther when yore realy reay to como come back yoro yore to whistle three times tta its thy the were wera ex pectin gand and iu ill row across to fol you in one of tho the skills skiffs can you see miss malroy in the I 1 meantime mean timeT if I 1 want to theys colbin to hini bini hinder binder der dec vie me responded aiss sullenly sul tonly tell hor her then began carrington 1 but vess cesa him 1 11 I know what yo want bhe ahe aint to cry wa oa or when she seea yon alt all I 1 got sense bon se enough to fo that carrington looked at nor hor curiously wr this his may to a v du louit business ifor for your ic opte he aid and watched hir bar narrowly and you toil allway got get ailed I 1 reck to in it yo want wan i to do anything baa enough you doret dont mind much what comes after she ati answered with a bared bard little laugh as she went from the shed come said carrington to the negro when he had seen tile alio cabin door close on bess uess and her lantern and they stole across the clearing reach ing the tha bayou side they began a noise legs lea search forthe for the dugout which they quickly found and carrington turned to george can you swim he asked yes madr then godown into tho the water and drag the canoe farther along the shore and for gods sake ro la l a sound lie ho cautioned they placed a second hundred yards beewen themselves and the keel boat in this manner then he had bad george bring the dugout dug out to the bank aud they embarked keeping within the shadow of the trees that fringed tho the shore carrington paddled silently about the head bead of the bayou george ho at length said bending toward the negro my horse Is tied in the woods on the right hand band side aide ol of the road just where you were taken from the carriage last night you can be at belle plain inside of an hour look here her maar camington Ca Ington those fo folks I 1 k a yonder to is kin to doss boss hicks ir he ha gets his bis hand band on me first dont you reckon hell stop my mouth T I 1 been hero here heaps of times fot botchin chin let tore tora to madr tom added george who were the tha letters tor for asked the greatly surprised they was to fo that captain murrell seems seema like him anu and maar tom was mixed up in a sight eight of business when was this recently inquired carrington lie waa turning over this astonishing statement of the slave over in his mind well no maar seems wro they aint so thick here recently 1 I reckon better keep away from tho the big house yet a while said carrington instead of going there stop at the hello delle plain landing flud a raft tied up to the tha shore it belongs to a man named cavendish tell him what you know that ive found miss alias malroy and the boy tell him to cast ok oft and drift down here ill run the tha keel iceal boat aground the tha first chance I 1 get so tell him bim to keep a sharp lookout chapter the tha keel boat A few rat minutes later they had separated george to hurry away in search of the horse and carrington to pass back along the shore until he gained a point opposite the clearing he whistled shrilly three times and alter after an interval of waiting heard the splash of oars and presently saw a skiff out of the gloom chos there it wat bess who wb askea aan ed the question carrington ho he answered lucky you aint mot the tha other maul she ho wd ald aa esho swept her skiff alongside the bank lucky for haw you mean IU take tho oars cars added carrington as ai na he entered the skiff slowly the clearing lifted out ot of the darkness then the keel boat became distinguishable and carrington checked the skiff by a back backward stroke of the oars dellol Hel lol he called there was no immediate answer to his hall ball and ho he called again as ho he sent ont tho skiff forward what do you want asked a surly voice you want Sl nl quickly prompted the girt girl in a whisper 1 1 I want to see nl said eald carrington glibly and with contI confidence dence who be you murrell sent bent you prompted the girl again in a hurried whisper murrell and in his astonishment carrington spoke aloud murrell cried the voice sharply sent mel me said carrington quickly as though completing an dished dished sentence the girl laughed nervously under her breath row closter came the sullen command and the kentuckian Kentuck lan did as aa he bo was bidden four men stood in the bow of the keel boat a lantern was waa raised aloft and by its light they looked him over there was a moments silence broken by carrin carrington a ton who asked askell which one ot of you Is im answered the man with the lantern the previous night mr Sl ossion had been somewhat under them the enlivening and elevating ln in fluence ot of corn whisky but now he was waa his own cheerless self and rather jaded by the passing ot of the hours which he had sacrificed to an irksome responsibility what word do you fetch etch from the captain brother he be demanded miss malroy Is to be taken down river responded carrington swore with surpassing fluency say were five able bodied men risking our necks to oblige himl him you can get married a damn sight easier than this if you go about it right ive done it lots of 0 times not understanding the significance ot of sona allusion to his bis own matrimonial career carrington held his peace the tavern keeper swore again with unimpaired vigor find mighty few men with more experience than me ha be asserted shaking his head ead but it you say the word im all tor for getting shut or of this answered carrington promptly with a sweep of his arm 1 I call tebesa pretty close quarter quart erst sl still shaking his head bead and muttering the tavern keeper sprang ashore and mounted the bank where his bla slouching figure quickly lost itself la in the night carrington took up his station on the flat fiat root roof of the cabin which tilled the stern stein ot of the boat he was remembering that day in the sandy candy barony road roaland roa dand and during all the weeks and months that had intervened murrell working in secret had moved stead lly toward the fulfillment fulfilment ot of his bis do de sirell unquestionably he had been back of the attack on norton had in his bis subsequent murder and the mans sinister and mysterious power had bad never been suspected carrington knew that the horse thieves and slave steamers stealers ste alers lerf we were supposed ased tomain to main tran a loosely knit association he be wondered it murrell word were not the moving spirit in some such organization it if id only pushed my quarrel with him I 1 he thought bitterly ito he heard Blob sion sons shuffling step in the distance a word or two when he spoke gruffly to some one and a I 1 moment later he be saw betty and the boy their forms darkly silhouetted against the lighter sky as they along the top of the bank without any superfluous gallantry helped his bis captives down the slope and ana aboard the keel heel boat where he locked them la in ithe the cabin the door of which fastened with a hasp and wooden peg youre boss bass now pard nerl he said joining errington at the sar ins ing oar well cast ott off then answered carrington thus tar far nothing had occurred to mar his plans it they could but quit I 1 the bayou baiyou afore the arrival ot of tho 0 man whose place he be had taken the alio ggs rest |
