Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-11-12
The Stnrp TeHer.
4 BLACK MARE WITH A WHITE STAR,
CHAPTER l.

A. ,,~o,sol, Sro ,,,;n,too 20 fuolvn n 'clnck m
o-..;p Oo.oh., n;oh. i; ths loo, 5aosds of the las
80. - 49, ohe;o. d,o.s ~ m nm IN ths doo- ~ n
Rro,,n Rear a welIknovn fm;iv botal and posl
inc house intbe ancient town Of DERBY. 80
"Another touch Of the high toby again. Jim,
remarked the position con6dentialy 10 his friend
the hoster as he slid his foot off the stirrup, an
dismoupted. "Gemmen inside has had his pun
and watch faxed, and nice temper he's in. -
"Where did It happen this timer asked Jim.
"Just t'otber side of .Spopdou You kno,
Deadman7s Lane? Well, that were the exac
SPOT" - S''' ''S'
CAV, ayl And was it TEE one this time again P
''Who else should it be in this part of the coun
try? 1t were the same black mare with . whit
star, that I've seen twice afore, and with the SIN
black fellow astride her-ss black as 0ldNick him
self he is, from top to toe and rare good rider
too" ,-rs.. ...z ,.s.s. -s-..l i5j
Jim powers of conversation being Of . innite'
order, he resorted to long. low whistle, BY th
way of expressing his interest aud surprise At tn
news told him by his friend, and then went onwitl
his work. u.,..,tigl
Meanwhile, the stranger inside the chaise hat
been released by an obsequious waiter, and usher 50
ed into the shut-up cofee-room, in the gsfso
which remnant of FIRE still fingered tIhsean
dies were re-hghted, and then the landlord came amt
in person to take the orders Of his guest r. "
"Would the gentleman ike to have q fire light
Cd in a nrivate sitting room? It could be done ir
five minutes. he said.
.1bank vou not tonight" said the stranger
en-
the present this will do excellently. Supper did
YOU say? Yes; bring me crust of home made
bread and mug of your best old ale. And ther
to he'd" -. .... s.,rs
By this time be had laid aside his long, blue,
f,r.collared travelling and his fur travelling
ran and stood revealed as brisht-eyed, fresh,
coIorad mniddle.aped gentleman. with the MOTTO
ho-rn;stslen air Of military man. although hi hi
.-ason, dre.s vas that of civilian: with mon
ha;r nnnovdered hair. cut short in front, but
worLod into . onene behind. and With small, gray
mn,,on-cbon wl;skers Judging bv the frown on
his otberv;se nleasant-lookipc face, he was unmis
t.Ishlv an, of temne,. but s was;not till he had
hrnken the smoulderine lump of coal in the grsts
;nto minnie fragments. and thereby relieved BIZ
overcbargea feelinps that he youched an explana
t;on to the landlord. ~ 'Ha-.-+' ...r.'
"a nrettv welcome indeed after an absence Of
svs ond tb;rtv wears to he set nnon by a ruffiau
.nd have to decide At q moment s notice between
a;vinU IN ones nnrsa and having bullet through
ones brain I had better never have left the
Canadas" He smoke in a capt;ous high-pitehei
voice. and as if he were more annoyed than an
eered at what had befallen him-less troubled By
the loss of his purse than BY the fact Of his hav
ing been compelled to yield it up without strug
gle.
The landlord and the waiter exchanged looks
"Sory, I'm sure, sir, to hear of your accident,
said the former in tone Of respectful sympathy.
For the last three years the neighborhood OF this
town has been infected by one of the biggest vii
lians unhung; and you, sir, are neither the frs,
nor the second that has suffered in like manner al
his hands. A clever william he is. too; and, sotar
has set all the constables in the country at defiance
Did you notice, sir, whether or not Als race wa
blackened?" -. q sic
81 did, said the stranger. "He wore nomass
of any kind, such as have heard that highway
men customarily wear by way Of. disguise. Hn
face vas perfectly black either naturally or artih
cially So. ''''-' ''.' .'s''''
"And be rode black horse, did he not sir E
Either black or a very dark bay one; horse
with large white star in the centre Of its forehead
That much / conld see BY the light of the chaise
lamps" ,..,a- .... ..,gF
1.-THE very same man." said the landlord, EN-
phatically. -..-..-....
The stranger drew chair up to the FIRE, and sal
down. He vas evidently interested "You say.
landlord, that am not the first who has beer
robbed by this fellow?'' ---.a- -.rt,. -,
uNo. indeed. sir; not BY dozen, or more thar
that Hardly a single menth has passed during
apy winter these three years, without our hearing
tell of at least one person meeting the same fate
that befen you, SIR, tonight. One time it, Tas
one of our most respected merchants returning
home from party with fifty guineas in his pocket
which he had won at whist. Another time it was
the Dean of Ech6eld who was stopped. ,: Mr..
Dean was eased of watch, snuff.box and purse.
Next time, it was Lady Knutsford and her two
daughters, who were stopped as they were on theil
wav home from ball at the assembly-rooms. He,
Ladyship's necklace and rings were, said to be
worth six hundred pounds. These, and q doser
other robber;es of less note ali perpetrated by thu
come man with blackened face. and mounted OF
= nooL more that hos a large white star in tn.
middle of its forehead. have kept our little towr
IN ou;te q ferment for some time past, and hav,