Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 292 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

be aoe og e+ > ss Moke Horner, the Bo “Dat easy fin’ out,” was the prompt reply. **T call dem in so you kin see fo’ you’ own se’f, missy !” ** No!” as she grasped his arm with desperate energy. ‘‘ Not for the world! My eyes are open now! Ican see him in all his hideous de- formity! I would rather die a thousand deaths than return totbat boat to meet him again! | You must not bail the yawl—or if you do, you must not mention my name! Let me go and hide myself in the wilderness, and then, when | But promise | Iam gone, you can call them here, me, by your bopes of a blessed bereafter! that you will never mention my name—never speak of baving saved me from the watery death to which his cruel arms burled me!” ** But, missy, you die in here!” expostulated the bewildered negro. j de painters t’ar you to liNy bits—you nebber lib to see de day come ef | leabe you here— "deed an’ double ’deed I’s tellin’ you true, missy |” A hard, bitter laugh from her ashen lips startled him. ‘**] would welcome death, after all I have en- dured! And yet—if I could only get aboard the steamer for a few minutes, without his knowl- edge! If Icould only sea and put her on her guard more completely against him! But that would be impossible! He would be sure to see and recognize me, and then—God forgive me if I wrong him! I believe he would again attempt to murder me! Oh, Marcus!” Moke Horner stood silently by, closely watch- ing, closely listening, striving hard to see a ray of light through the dark mystery. He started at the repetition of that rame, and the slight ejaculation which escaped his lips proved sufficient to bring the woman out of her ab- stracted fit. **'You know him—my husband?” she abrupt- ly demanded, ‘‘*Ef you say so, missy,” meekly bowed the black giant, halt-contiaed in his belief that at the very least this strange being was a crazy woman, “If I could only trust you!” and there was a piteous earnestness in the gaze which she bent upon him that mads the blood in his veins tingle and flow more rapidly. He took the precious rabbit-foot from. his paotaloons pocket, pressing it to his Jips with the reverence of a religious devotee, then ut- tered with a quiet dignity that powerfully im- pressed the friendless creature beside hith: ‘Missy, I only po’ ign’ant niggah, who hab to wuk fo’ he hbbin’ like a slabe, dough, fank de good Lawd! I’s bin a free man fo’ dese ten y’ars gone by! I’s only a common niggah, but fo’ alldat I kerry heart dat is white as any man, You's a proud lady, but you’s in trouble, an’ dat gibs me de heart to say dat I'll holp you all I kin, See! I tek oat’ on de rabbit-foot to do des what you say, an’ no mo’ dan dat!” He touched his lips to the charm, then drew it in the shape of a cross over his heart, And as he folded his arms and stood quietly before her, Rose Enright knew tbat she could place implicit reliance on bim through thick and thin, ‘*T will trust you!” she impulsively cried. ‘*To prove how woolly Oy husband— Marcus Dingeon, tried to murder me by casting me into the river from the stern of the Water Witch ”? ‘*Dr—GOOD—LAWD!” was all Moke could ejaculate, CHAPTER XVI. MOKE EXERCISES BOTH WIT AND MUSCLE, THis was the capsheaf, and literally feeling that he was without ground to stand on, Moke Horner staggered back a pace and squatted down, resting bis chin on his joined palms as he azed fixedly, curiously into the dimly-visible ace of the women whem he bad been the means of rescuing from a watery grave. It wasalla bewildering puzzle, and the more he tried to seve it, the more intricate grew the tangled not. Rose Enright failed to comprehend the full meaning of his action. She thought it only another whimsical method of expressing his humble submission to her will, and she rapidly outlined the complicated events which finally culminated in that dastardly attempt at murder by her husband. She feared to dwell at length on any particular point, for she could see the yawl rapidly rowing around in quest of the missing negro, the mate now and again lifting his voice in a prolonged halloo, then bending his ear as the oarsmen ceased rowing for the moment, to hearken for an answer. Tbe current was steadily carrying the boat down-stream, and it would long ago have become invisible, only for the light of the lantern which Mate Devlin carried on high. Yet ske trembled with dread lest they should discover the present whereabouts of the negro and hastening thither, bear him off, with herself, to the steamer where her cruel husband would surely complete his dastardly work, before she could warn Drusilla Ward of her great peril. - The Boss Roustabout listened to her without once breaking the silence which had fallen over him when he heard his white friend, Mareus Dingeon, accused of foul murder. For a time P» ef z a" = *‘De snakes bite you— | his eyes were steadily fixed upon hers, but then, as he detected traces of uneasinéss and embar- rassment in her face and voice, he slightly alter- ed his position and gazed out on the swiftly- flowing river. He could see the yawl, still engaged in hunt- ing for him, and a little smile of triumph faintly curled his lip at this evidence of the high estima- tion in which he was held by the officers of the Water Witch. Not for every bumble roustabout would they be taking so much trouble and spending so much valuable time, The smile faded pits 4 and gave place toa look of surprise as Moke glanced up-stream, where he expected to behold the Water Witch just holding ber own against the swift current, waiting for the return of her boat, Instead, she was just vanishing from view around the point, more than a mile up stream! Apparently she bad abandoned, not only the two roust- at but the mate and his boat’s crew as well! ““De good Lawd!” ke muttered, vigorously scratching his head as though in hopes of there- by brightening his befogged wits. ‘‘Dar’s a nudder knock-’em-stiff, an’ double-come-twist- ’em-all-up! Nebber see sech a ’funnelly muxt-up a’fa’r as dis, in all my ’sperience afo’—nebber! ’Clar’ to Moses in de bullrushes! I mighty good min’ fo’ hunt out a woodcbuck hole an’ des crawl in dar an’ lay low ontel de a’r cl’ars u enuff so a body kin tole w’edder he his own se’f or somebody else—I des is !” Though unconscious of the fact, Moke had given audible vent to his thoughts, and now was startled again by the piteous, appealing tones of Rose Enright: “You will not desert me now? You will aid meé as you promised? I am not rich, but I can pay vou for your trouble.” ‘*?Deed, missy, you. bin pay Moke a’ready, when you say he you’ frien’ an’ you ax um to help Pees quickly replied the Boss Roustabout, all of his wondering Aoubts taking flight before the sight of her distress, ‘‘ He only common niggah, but mebbe he done help you bettah dan most white mans des now,” “If you only could! If you could only suc- ceed in helping me on board that steamer again without letting him suspect my return alive! But I fear that is impossible!” Moke caressed the tip of his bruised nose thoughtfully, as he manfully tackled this enig- ma. Rose watched him for a brief space, then her burning impatience broke the silence: ** Could we not bribe those men in the boat Would they not agree to keep our secret, and generously aid me in preserving a pure and noble-hearted woman from the cuoning snare of an unscrupulous man? If I could only get back without his seeing me!” ‘“* He sart’in sua see, if go in de yawl. De crowd all be watchin’ fo’ see wedder dey sabe de fool’ Irisher an’ de bigger fool niggah dat jumped ober a’ter him, an’ you be found out mighty soon, ray, dey all try fo’ hide you. An’ den de ole Water Witch done gone—de good Lawd! what a ’funnelly fool you be, ole niggah! I punch youw’ fool’ head fo’ two cent!” he ejaculated, with a sniff of supreme self- disgust, Rose Enright stared at him as though it was her turn to entertain doubts or suspicions of in- sanity; and Moke, noting this, put the curb on with promptitude, “Tsay I ole fool, missy, ’ca’se I fo’git dat de boat gwins stop fo’ wood des’ a little way "bove here. I heah de mate say so fo’ we hab dat row. I finked it mighty cur’ous de ole boat go on an’ leabe de .nate behin’, but dat’s it. She go on to wood-landin’, an’ dar she tie up an’ wait fo’ mate to row back, It tek long pull, but it safer dan fo’ de ole Water Witch to go backin’ an’ foolin’ ’roun’ here whar de trees an’ snags come a- boomin’ all de time, an’ mebbe’mash a wheel all to pieces. Dat’s it, an’ ef missy say so, we it dar fore de yawl—git abo’d wivout anybody kin’ who you is!” **Oh, if you could only manage it!” ““Sart’in suah we kin ef missy des say de wu’d!” grinned the Boss Roustabout, nodding bis head so violently that it seemed as though it must fly off his shoulders, ‘* Moke know de lay of de groun’ des like he know he own face when it got on he Krismuss rig! He kin shut he eye an’ lay a straight co’se fo’ dot wood-landin’ in de brackest night ebber was, an’ nebber trip nor *tumble once while he done it!” “If we could!” repeated Rose Enright, her eyes glowing with a feverish light. ‘If we only could—but it seems impossible! It is so dark and dismal under these trees, and there is no road—you would lose your way in the dark!” Moke uttered a little chuckle. “De ribber won’t ‘low git los’, mi Keep by dat, an’ we boun’ to go yight. We ketch ole Water Witch "fore day, suah!” “Tt will not wait so long—it will think you lost, and leave on its journey before we can reach the landing.” : Anxious as she was to see Drusilla Ward in time to put her thoroughly on her guard che the man who had wedded only to cruelly dis- own her, now that there seemed a faint hope of doing so without his knowledge, Rose dreaded SS Roustabout. 19 = — to make the attempt, Bitterly as he had wrong- ed her, she still loved the villain whom she only knew as Marcus Dingeon. She was almost cer- tain that he bad attempted to murder her, though that dastardly blow bad fallen so swift- ly that she bad not bad time to fairly realize his | purpose; she knew in her heart that he would. | not shrink from repeating that attempt on her life, even while she kept repeating to herself that it was all false—all a wild fancy of her disturbed brain, Yet she shrunk from putting it to the test, Moke was not capable of understanding these: sudden and subtle changes, and so he did bis. best to convince her that she was borrowing un- necessary trouble, ** You see, missy, dough dis cullud pusson is a mighty common ole niggah to sech qu» lity as you-dem, he somefin’ mo’ dan dat on bi d de ole Vater Witch. He kerry de rabtit-foo', an’ he pow’ful hoodo ’coon, Dem ign’ant nigg: hb han’s dey lay yight down undab Moke’s tum. Ef anyt’ing Py to him, dey know bad-luck come to de boat, an’ dey yun off to de swamp, jump in de ribber—do anyfing des so dey git away from dat ole Water Witch ‘fore dey coteb in de ’tarnal smash, No use tell ’um dey foolish, Dey know dat trouble boun’ to come when any- fing happen crooked to de hoodoo-man. An’ de cap’n he know des what dey fink, too! **Fo’ dat reason de mate keep huntin’ for. Moke out dar in de ribberso long. Only fo’ dat rabbit-foot, he tarn back long ’go; dey don’ waste time ober common rovster. Fo’ dat same reason the cap’n he keep de Water Witch at de wood-lancin’ tell it sart’in suah Moke lost fo” good. An’ so you see, missy, we bab plenty time to ketch de boat ef we mek haste an’ don? go to sleep on de yoad,” Moke saw that his rapid speech had not quite convinced her, but he believed that the plan he roposed was the best for all concerned, and. biowing that there was no time to be lost if it. wasto be carried into successful execution, he turned toward the river, far adown which he could distinguish the lantern in the bands of Mate Devlin, and hollowing his palms, he emit- ted a long, shrill screech that would not have disgraced a steam-whistle, Rose Enright uttered a startled cry and caught him by the arm, fear rendering her speech almost inarticulate: “No, no! I dare not return with them in the boat! He would see me—he would kill me!” ‘* Den dar’s des one udder way, yr Ae quick- ly returned the Boss Roustabout. ‘ We got. to tote ‘long de bank on foot. We kin beat dem in de yawl, anyway.” As he spoke, Moke kept his gaze fastened on the distant boat, and with an inward chuckle he saw by the sudden flashing of the lantern and the stopping of the oars, that his hail bad been heard, Straining bis mighty lungs to the utmost, putting a brief pause between the words, emphasizing each syllable to the best of his ability, he shouted; ““Hellow de boat! Heah I is! down!” With bending head and hollowed palm back of his ear, the Boss Roustabout listened, a broad. grin overspreading his face as a faint shout came back to him, and the yaw! shot suddenly in toward the bank, as though to get out of the swiftest current as quickly as possible, Then he turned to Rose Enright, oe dal “Now, missy, it fo’ you to choose. Dar dea boat, Dey soon come up heah, an’ you kin go in it an’ yide easy to de ole Water Witch. Des let Moke say de word, an’ dar ain’t a rouster on bo’d but what fight fo’ you like wile cat! Dey ain’t no one man kin hu’t you, ef you want to truss we-dem,”’ , “TI dare not!” with a shudder, hiding her eyes, “Take me the other way—get me a without the possibility of his discovering my return until after I bave had time to do my duty, and I will forever bless yeu! If you can- pe ae leave me here to die, and save your- self, ‘*Den heah we go, missy! Tek de ole man’s: han’, missy, fo’ ho p you git along. It honest, ef itam brack an’ hard,” Her own will so sorely shaken, her brain in a dizzy whirland all ber reasoning faculties be- numbed, Rose obeyed, yielding to his guidance like some little child. Moke started up-stream, walking as rapidly as the tangled way and the powers of the trem- bling woman whom he so strangely had flung: upon his care, would permit. He soon foun that the task promised to be an almost hercu- lean one. He feared to keep too close along the You too fur bank of the river, for the sandy soil was | steadily being eaten away by the ceaseless waves and swirls of the flood, and he dreaded being: caught by ove of those miniature landslides, Further back in the forest, the interlaced tree- tops shut out every glimmer of light from tho. moon and stars, rendering it impossible to see arod in frontof them, The ground was rapid- ly soaking full of water, and Moke knew that: it would not be long before the flood and the backwater which he felt confident lay not far away inland, would gofn their forces. It was ossible that they m from the wood landing by the rising water, ht find themselves cut off” comicboo KS z