Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-05-29

Cfll SSutuS VI ILCll ioSC-lu iuSIl uulCul VI
vengeance sent by the Great Spirit Their
timidity in facing so terrible an enemy was
the cause of an irresolution in their attacks
which usually brought defeat, and facilitated,
of course, the means of escape for the conquer
Or Sometimes unexpectedly on the rear Of
his enemy, at others ahead of them, or incom-
prehensibly in the very midst of the fray, it
seemed indeed as though the warrior had a
"charmed life." True it was that spell
hung on the existence of this extraordinary
man, who lived under the shadow of a great
and inextinguishable sorrow. The bitter re-
membrance of this it was, which, melting a
ceaseless desire of revenge, was the secret of
his relentless and sanguinary career. The
blight Of misery as plague-tiant separated
him from his fellow men. Stern and isolated
he lived, forever hunting the war-path or the
hunting trail of the Indians, from which
their bravest leaders disappeared.
Few among the Border people approached
or ventured to address the dreaded chieftain.
A mystery surrounded him, which was the
course of perpetual conjecture, increased by
the very circumstance which appeared to
render it improbable it should ever be solved;
for this singular being maintained silence
as unbroken as though he was dumb, through
which he was commonly known as the "Si-
lent Hunter" This appearance of sullen
reserve distanced all, and those who other
wise would have compassioned his sorrows,
or perhaps even willingly have shared his
singular fortunes, now denounced him as a
ruthless and reckless adventurer. Very diff
ferent would have been their judgment could
they have penetrated the enigma of his soli-
tary life, and known how cruelty Scared had
been heart once quickened by the kindliest
and liveliest emotions. Misfortune, which
at one dread stroke had deprived him Of his
realization of happiness on earth, seemed to
have deadened every human hope and SYM
pathy, and crushed every social instinct with
in his heart.
The son of obscure emigrants from the
Old World, his first unhappiness was to be
left an orphan at an early age. The next,
to be apprenticed to a farmer in North Caro-
lima, miserable miser, who not only subject
cd the poor boy to deprivation and the most
arduous tolls, but proved traitor to the
conditions of the indentures by which he
was bound. These included the privilege
of receiving general school education, in
stead of which young Smith was not taught
its merest rudiments. Will, owing in great
part to his capacity and inclination for study,
combined, doubtless, with the combativc i'm
pulse often accompanying it, resolved never
theless to become q scholar Happily, to
aid his good intention, he found an instruc-
tress, whose amiability and skill rendered
the task of learning rather pleasure than a
toll.
This was Matte Saunders, the farmers
daughter. Often Wills eyes would uncon-
sciously wander from the page to her earnest
blue eyes, and then would come such sweet
gentle tones of remonstrance, that he really
could scarcely be sorry for the offence. In
this studious companionship, as time went
on, more than letters were learnt, though
little did Matte or Will imagine how i'm
portant an influence would be exercised on
their destinies by the hours which glided so
swiftly and carelessly by. They loved un-
consciously, and the sweet secret of their
breast, first made known to them by the faith
er of Matte, who perceived the condition of
affairs, was revealed to their mutual misery.
From the time of its discovery, direct tyran-
ny, not to say atrocity, was practised by
Saunders towards the poor boy.
Deprived of the very necessities of exis-
tence, he was driven in the midst of winter
to sleep with but single threadbare cover
ing, on some hay, in barn! Such was the
endurance to which he bravely submitted
for his dear companions sake. His sole con-
ISOLATION was the sympathies expressed by
Matte during his stolen interviews with her.
She, no longer permitted to see poor Will,
had her gentle heart lacerated by the knowl-
edge of the persecution he suffered, without
ability of alleviating the misery, of which
she knew herself to be the innocent cause.
Meek-spirited and tender, she was but little
fitted to oppose the unremitting severity of
her father, who, having amassed for her a
considerable fortune, imagined he did sufi-
ci at for her happiness by zealously guard
ing it. His daughter, even on the approach
of womanhood, was vigorously watched, for
the idea of moneyless suitor was distract
ing to him.
His malignity, awakened by the affection
subsisting between Matte and Will, was
mercilessly visited on the forlorn orphan boy.
The patient heroism of love alone could have
induced Will, naturally of bold and def
ant temper, to yield to the degrading servi-
tude he owned. But to break from it was
to part with Mattie-that thought was more
grievous than all. So he endured and hoped
long, till the increasing severity of the bon
dage became unbearable. Incited by burn
ing indignation, he resolved to escape, and
stealing to Mattie's room one night, he told
his intention. The child lovers had little
time to indulge their grief-one burst of
tears-one claspcd embrace, and they parted:
Mattie's only consultation, the last words of
her lover, that, ''when he was great man,
he would come back and make her his little
wife"
With few crusts and some scraps of
clothing, Will set forth on his journey to the