Show 1 ft Wf tg 11 devils own A romance oe the black hawk war by RANDALL PARRISH author contraband abea of ae irish brigade abea Wilder nf wax KIB etc by irwia myers copyright by A 0 eb fb 1 CANNOT ORDER 1 AM A SLAVE Synopsis In 1832 lieutenant knox of the regular army la on duty it fort rock island in territory threatened by disaffected indiana the commandant sends him with dispatches to st louis he fakes passage on the steamer warrior and makes tho acquaintance of judge beaucaire rich planter and ft joe b arby the devils own notorious gambler knox learns judge beaucaire has a daughter eloise and a granddaughter rene offspring of a son whom the judge has disowned rene a mother Is a sg and she and her daughter never having been freed are slaves under the law although the ears have been brought up as sisters kirby induces the judge to stake his plantation and negro servants on a poker hand unfairly dealt by joe carver kirbye partner kirby accuses the judge ot cheating beaucaire infuriated drops dead knox tries to induce kirby to give up bis stolen winnings kirby and carver throw knox overboard the lieutenant awls ashore and reaches a hut knox lies unconscious for ten days recovering be finds he Is in a cabin owned by pete a tree who had ahot him mistaking him for an enemy his dispatches hae been forwarded recovering from his wound knox sends pete to bring beaucaire 8 lawyer and they arrange with petes help to get the women to the cabin of an amos shrunk before kirby comes at the beaucaire place knox overhears a conversation between the sheriff and his deputy and learns the truth about the situation he Is witness to an interview between kirby and a girl who says he is rene beaucaire harby insults the girl and knox attacks him believing kirby dead knox explains affairs to the girl and she agrees to try to escape with him they fall to find pete where he had been posted so knox seizes the sheriffs keelboat along with sam the slave left in charge and they begin their voyage up the river next day steamer passes and sam recognizes kirby on board at shrunk s place they fand a dead negro treacherously shot down from behind lying in the woods near the cabin it s a stunning surprise CHAPTER VIII continued he was slow la following hanging back as I 1 approached closer to the motionless form and I 1 could hear the muttering of his lips unquestionably the man was dead of this I 1 was assured before I 1 even knelt beside him he lay on his face in a utter of dead leaves and almost the first thing I 1 noticed was the death wound back of his ear where a large caliber bullet had pierced the brain his exposed hands proved him a negro and it was with a feeling of unusual repugnance that I 1 touched his body turning it over sufficiently to see the face all at once I 1 anew him unable wholly to repress a cry of startled surprise as I 1 stared down into the upturned face the dead man evidently mur dered shot treacherously from behind was free pete I 1 sprang to my feet gazing about blindly into the dim woods my mind for the instant dazed by the importance of this discovery what it mean how could it have happened by what means had he reached this spot in advance of us and at whose hand had ha fallen he could have been there only for one purpose surely in an attempt to guide eloese beaucaire and the quad roon delia then what bad become of the women where were they now I 1 stumbled backward fo the support of the log unable to answer any one of these questions remembering only in that moment that I 1 must tell bene the truth tell me please she begged Is the man dead who Is he do you enow yes I 1 replied desperately he Is dead and I 1 recognized his face he Is the negro pete and has been lulled shot from behind pete she echoed grasping at the log to keep erect her eyes oh that dimly revealed figure in the leaves free pete carstons Carl tons pete how could he have got here then then the others must have been with him what has become of them it Is all mystery the only way to solve it Is for us to go on it can do no one any good to stand here staring at this dead body when we reach the cabin we may learn what has occurred go on ahead sam and we will follow dont be afraid boy it Is not the dead who hurt us she clung tightly to me shrinking past the motionless figure she was she clung tightly to me shrinking past the motionless figure not sobbing her eyes were dry yet aery movement each glance exhibited her depth of horror I 1 drew her closer thoughtless of what she was my heart yearning to speak words of comfort yet realizing there was nothing left me to say do not mind me she said pausing before the utterance of each word to steady her voice 1 I I 1 am not going to awak down it it Is the suddenness the shock I 1 I 1 shall be strong again in a minute you must be I 1 whispered for their lives may depend on us it was a short path before us and became more clearly defined as we advanced shary turn brought into full view of the cabin which stood in a s opening bult against the side hlll and so overhung with as to be invisible except from the dl of our approach we could only the side wall which contained one open window and w as a one room affair low and flat roofed built 0 logs its outward appearance was peaceful enough and the swift beat of my pulse quieted as I 1 took rapid survey of the surroundings sam I 1 commanded you are to remain here with rene while I 1 learn he truth yonder yes to her quick protest that w be the better way there Is no danger and I 1 shall not be gone but for a moment I 1 seated her on a low stump and eft them there together sams eyes rolling about in a frightened effort to perceive every covert in the woods but the girl satisfied to watch me in bently as I 1 amov ed cautiously forward A dozen steps brought roe w irbin view of the franf of the cabin the door had been smashed in and hung dangling from one hinge another step now with a pistol gripped in my hand enabled me to obtain a glimpse within across the puncheon threshold his feet even protruding without lay aj mans body beyond him halt con cealey by the shadows of the interior appeared the outlines of another with face upturned to the toof plainly dis because of a snowwhite snow white beard CHAPTER IX the trail of the raiders shocked and unmanned as I 1 was at this discovery to pause there staring at those gruesome figures would have only brought fresh alarm to the two watching my every movement from alie edge of the clearing gripping my nerves I 1 advanced over the first body w ahching for any sign of the presence of bite within the cabin there was none the work of the murder had been completed and the perpetrators had fled the dead man with ghastly countenance upturned to the root rat 1 and the snowy beard was un the negro helper amos shrunk petes description of the appearance pe arance of the man left this identify cation beyond all dispute had been stricken down by a savage blow which had literally crushed in one side of his head but abts dead hands yet gripped a rifle as though he bad fallen fighting to the last the other man the ane lying across the threshold bad been shot although I 1 did not ascertain this fact until after I 1 turned the body over sufficiently to reveal the face this was disfigured by the wound and covered with blood so that the features could scarcely be seen yet I 1 instantly recognized the fellow carver surprised out of all control by this unexpected discovery I 1 steadied against the log wall fully aroused to the sinister meaning of his presence to a degree the corn significance of this tragedy instantly gripped my mind if this fellow carver had been one of the assailants then it was absolutely certain that kirby must also have been present the leader of the attack this inevitably meant that both men had been aboard the steamer and later were put ashore at the mouth of the illinois and now that I 1 thought about it why not it was no accident and I 1 wondered that the possibility had never occurred to roe before the gambler naturally anew alt the gossip of tbt river and beyond question he would be aware of the reported existence of this underground station for runaway slaves it was common talk as far down as st louis and his mind would instantly revert to the possibility that the fleeing ilene might seek escape through the assistance of shrunk ehfe mysterious vanishing of the boat would serve to increase that suspicion even if this had not occurred to him at first the steamer would have brought news that no keelboat had been seen on the lower arver while the captain t the john glover or someone else on board would have been sure to have mentioned the helper and suggest that he might have had a hand in the affair to follow that trail was indeed the most natural thing for kir to do lie had not overtaken kene she was not set there but he iad unexpectedly coine upon the other fugitives and even though the en counter had cost the life of his henchman carver it also resulted in the death of two men who had come between him and his pi eythe negro and the abolitionist the scene cleared in my brain and became vivid and real I 1 could almost picture in detail each act of the grim tragedy the two revengeful trackers if there were only two engaged for others might have been recruited on the steamer must have crept up to the hut in the night or early morning possibly kirby had learned of some other means of approach from the big river anyway the fact that shrunk had been trapped within the cabin would indicate the final attack was a surprise the negro might hare been asleep outside and met his death in an attempt a escape but the old chife man finding flight impossible had fought desperately to the last and had killed one antagonist before receiving his death blow this was all plain enough but what had become of kirby of the two women eloese and the quadroon mother uncertain what to do or how to act I 1 could only turn to the waiting girl and the negro to tell them what I 1 had found they listened as though scarcely comprehending sam uttering little moans of horror and appearing helpless from fright but rene quiet merely exhibiting her emotion in the whiteness of her face and quickened breath ing her ev es wide open questioning seemed to heense my uncertainty As I 1 ended the tale and concluded with my theory as to what had occurred following the deed of blood her quick mind asserted but this must have happened very lately the fire still smoldered iou said hen do you think that steamer could have landed here why perhaps curly last evening and it has not occurred to vou thai the boat might have waited here while the man kirby went ashore I 1 no that could scarcely be true it the steamer was transporting trin sporting troops what was it you were about it Is all dark of course she said slowly we can only gues at what happened but to me it seems imps sible that the min kirby could have accomplished this alaan without as si stance the boat we SAW at the landing wag not his it must have been petes and there is no evidence of any other trail leading here from the river if as you imagine he knew the captain of that steamer and some of the other men aboard w ere massou rians and defenders of slavery he would have no trouble in enlisting their help to recover his runaway slaves they would be only too gla to break up an abolitionists nest that is what I 1 believe has happened they came ashore ln a party and the steamer w acted alted for them and you think the prisoners were taken along yet kirby would not want to transport them up the river As totham she insisted he could not help himself he needed to get awny quickly and there were no other means available he could only hope to connect later with some craft southbound on which to return you may be right I 1 admitted impressed yet not wholly convinced but what can we do she looked at me reproachfully you should not ask that of a girl the words stung me no this Is my task I 1 was thoughtlessly cruel neither can we remain here only long enough to bury those bodies it would be inhuman not to do that sam there is an old leaning against the cabin w all go over and get it lie started on his mission reluctantly enough glancing constantly backward over his shoulder to insure of our presence and carefully avoiding any approach to the open door unpleasant as our task was it proved to be less difficult of accola than I 1 had anticipated there were blankets in the cabin bunks and in these I 1 wrapped the bodies they were too heavy bow ev er for me to transport alone and it ome threatening to bum to give me the assistance sary to deposit them in the shallow grave only the fear that I 1 gouid not have him with us longer compelled ats joining roe lie was fright ened at the thought of being left alone than of contact alth the dead sam filled in the loose airth rounding it into form and the two of us stood above the fresh mound our bent heads bared to the sunlight while I 1 endeavored to repeat brokenly a few words of prayer now our first necessity was food of this I 1 found a fair supply and compelling sam to assist me w e hastily prepared a warm meal over the open fire it was eaten without no one of us desiring to remain in the midst of that scene of death and the very knowledge that the dread burial was completed and that we were now tree to depart brought to all of us a renewed courage it scarcely seemed probable that one man alone or even two had corn this crime and the sole sur alvor disappear so completely with the prisoners I 1 had turned each detail over and over in my thought while I 1 worked yet to but little purpose the only present solution of the problem seemed to be our return to that hidden basin where our boat lay and then remaining there in concealment until the darkness of another night rendered it safe to once more venture the river I 1 spoke of this to her as I 1 finally approached where she rested on the slump eager and glad to escape from all memories of that somber cabin had josf left couyou You you are no longer so confident she sad your plan has failed 1 I am afraid it has I 1 for it was based altogether on the assistance of amos shrunk lie Is no longer alive and I 1 do not know where to turn for guidance there would seem to be danger lu every direction the only question Is in which way lies the least lou begin to regret your attempt to aid me iso impulsively so far as that goes I 1 would do it all over again your safety means more to me now than ever before you mus believe that why should I 1 all I 1 have brought you Is trouble I 1 can read in your face how discouraged you are you must not think I 1 do not understand I 1 do understand perfectly what have done has been only a response to impulse merely undertaken through a spirit of adventure then then why not let it end here and sam and I 1 can go on to to whatever Is before us it is nothing to you you actually believe I 1 would consent lo 10 that I 1 asked in startled sur prise at the vehemence of her words that I 1 could prove such a cur cut not it would not be a cowardly act at all I 1 could not maine vou for I 1 have no claim on your sarve never have had you hive done a thousand times too much already you have risked honor reputation and neglected duty to aid my escape and and I 1 am nothing to you can be nothing nothing to me certainly nol why speak like that have you forgotten again that I 1 am a slave a think lieutenant knox what it would mean to to be caught in my com piny to be overtaken while attempting to assist ne in escaping from ray master isow no one dreama of such a thing ind no one ever need dream iou have had our adventure let it end here I 1 shall be grateful to you al ways but but I 1 cannot bear to drag you deeper into this mire you order me to leave you cannot order I 1 am a slave my only privilege Is to request urge implore I 1 can merely insist that it will be best best for us bothfur both for you to go surely ou |