Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-09-10
8tabing
A REVOLUTIONARY LEGEND.

1t was here in these wilds of the Wissahi.
kon, on the day of the battle, as the noon.
day sun came shining through the thickly
clustered leaves, that two men met in deadly
conflict, near rock that rose, like the huge
wreck of some primeval world, at least one
hundred feet above the dark waters of the
Wissahikon.
The man with the dark brow, and the
darker grey eye, flashed with deadly light ;
with muscular form, clad in the blue hunt
ing frock of the Revolutions Continen-
tai named Warner. His brother was MUIR
dered the other night at the massacre of the
Paoli. That other man, with long black
hair, dropping along his cadaverous face, is
clad in the half military costume of tory
refugee. This is the murderer of the Paoli,
named Dabney.
They had met there in the woods hy acci-
dent; and now they fought, not with sword
or rife, but with long and deadly hunting
knives, they 60 turning, twining and twist
ing over the green sward.
At last the tory is down down on the
turf, with the knee of the continental upon
his breast-that upraised knife quivering in
the light-that dark eye flashing death into
his face
"Quarter! yield" gasped the tory, as
the knee was pressed upon his breast; "spare
mel yield! !"
"My BROTHER, said the patriot soldier, in
that tone of deadly hate; "my brother cried
for quarter on the night of Paoli, and, even
as he clung to your knees you struck that
knife into his heart. Oh, will give you
the quarter of Paoli"
And as his hand was raised for the blow,
and his teeth were clenched in deadly hate,
he paused for a moment, and then pinioned
the tory's arms, and with rapid stride drag
ged him to the verge of the rock, and held
him quivering over the abyss.
"Mercy!" gasped the tory, turning black
and ashy, by turns, as that awful gulf yawn-
ed below. "Mercy have wife, a child
spare me1'
Then the continental, with his mustered
strength gathered for the effort, shook the
murderer once more the abyss, and then
Kissed this bitter sneer between his teeth
"My brother had a wife and two children.
The morning after the night of the Paoli,
that wife was widow-tbose children Or
phans Wouldn't you like to go and beg
your life of that widow and her children ?"
The proposal made by the continental, in
the mere mockery of hate, was taken in Sc.
rious earnest by the horror stricken tory
He begged to be taken to the widow and her
children, to have the painful privilege of
begging for his life. After moment of Sc
rious thought, the patriotic soldier consented
He bound the tory's arms yet tighter, placed
him on the rock again, and then led him up
the woods. A quiet cottage embosomed a.
mong the trees, broke on their eyes.
They entered that cottage. There beside
the desolate hearthstone, sat the widow and
her children. She sat there, a matronly
woman of about thirty years, with face
faded by care, deep dark eye, and long black
hair hanging in a dishevelled state about her
shoulders
On one side was a dark haired boy, of
some six years; on the other, little girl
one year younger, with light hair and blue
eyes. The Bible-an old and yenerated VOL
ume-lay open on the mothers knee.
And then the pale-faced tory flung him.
self on his knees, confessed that he had
butchered her husband on the night of Paoli,
but begged his life at her hands ?"
"Spare me for the sake of my wife, my
child "
He had expected that this pitiful moan
would touch the widows heart; but not one
releDting gleam softened her pale face
"The Lord shall judge between US :" she
said, in cold, icy tone that froze the mur-
derers heart "Look the Bible lays open
in her lap; I will close that volume, and
then this boy shall open it, and place hisfn-
ger at random upon line, and by that line
you shall live or die |"
This was strange proposal made in good
faith of wild and dark superstition of the
oden time. For moment, the tory, pale
as ashes, was wrapt in thought. Then in a
faltering voice he signifed his consent.
Raising her dark eyes to heaven, the moth
er prayed the Great Father to direct the fin
ger of her son. She closed the book-she
handed it to that boy whose young cheek
Redeemed with loathing as he gazed upon his
fathers murderer He took the Bible, open
ed its holy pages at random, and placed his
finger upon verse.
Then there was silence The continen-
tai soldier, who had sworn to avenge his
brothers death stood there with dilating eyes
and parted lips. The culprit kneeling on
the floor, with face like discolored clay,
felt his heart leap to his throat
Then, in clear, bold voice, the widow
read this line from the Old Testament. 1t
was short, yet terrible
"That man shall die !"
Look the brother springs forward to
plunge knife into the murderer's heart
but the tory, pinioncd as he is, clings to the
widows knees. He begs that one more trial
may be made by the little girl, that child of
five years old with golden hair and laughing
eyes.
The widow consents. There is an awful
pause. With smile in her eye, without
knowing what she does, the little girl opens