The two or
three buildings Mr. Hicks had erected stood midway of the
clearing and were very modest improvements adapted to their
owner's somewhat flippant pursuit of agriculture. While
Carrington was still staring about him, the cabin door swung open
and a woman stepped forth. It was the girl Bess. She went to a
corner of the building and called loudly:
"Joe! Oh, Joe!"
Carrington glanced in the direction of the keel boat and an
instant later saw Slosson clamber over its side. The
tavern-keeper crossed to the cabin, where he was met by Bess, who
placed in his hands what seemed to be a wooden bowl. With this
he slouched off to one of the outbuildings, which he entered.
Ten or fifteen minutes slipped by, then he came from the shed and
after securing the door, returned to the cabin. He was again met
by Bess, who relieved him of the bowl; they exchanged a few words
and Slosson walked away and afterward disappeared over the side
of the keel boat.
This much was clear to the Kentuckian: food had been taken to
some one in the shed--to Betty and the boy!--more likely to
George.
He waited now for the night to come, and to him the sun seemed
fixed in the heavens. At Belle Plain Tom Ware was watching it
with a shuddering sense of the swiftness of its flight. But at
last the tops of the tall trees obscured it; it sank quickly then
and blazed a ball of fire beyond the Arkansas coast, while its
dying glory spread aslant the heavens, turning the flanks of the
gray clouds to violet and purple and gold.
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