Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-12-11

in our Boa. selfinvited guest, you'll let us
choose our owq time" >. ,
The stranger said nothing; he sat stolid
and silent Tom and Alf set of. rowing; the
stranger steered right across the stream.
"Where are you going ?" said Alt. Keep
us in" ~.
81 am going into the shade; the suns too
strong" .#
He had the lines; we could hardly insist
on his keeping one side if he preferred the
other; he took us right to the opposite bank,
under the shadow of the willow trees. For
some minutes neither of US spoke. With him
examining me on my seat and ramming his
elbows into my side, my position was not
pleasant At last let him know it.
81 don't know if you are aware you are oc-
cupying all my seat"
He turned on me short and sharp. All at
once I noticed his left eye going up and down
like blinking owl his mouth was wide open,
disclosing as ugly set Of teeth as | should
care to see. Like fash DR.. Rawles words.
crossed my mind; tall, strong, about forty
five, iron gray hair, and a habit Of chewing
his teeth aud winking his left eye Gracious
powers! was it possible we had lunatlc with
US unawares? I know the possibility, nay,
the probability of such thing made me feel
more than queer. If there is anything in the
world instinctively fear, it is mad persons.
I know little of them have never been in
their company. Possibly my ignorance ex-
plains my dread; but the idea of sitting in
the same boat and on the same seat with a
man who
DR.. Rawle's warning, "Don't let him lose
his temper, or murder will ensue," made me
bound from my seat like Jack-in-the-box. The
boat tipped right out of the water, but l
didn't care. The man was glaring at me with
cruel eyes; my muscles were strung, my fists
clenched; every moment l expected him at
nv throat?
"What in the dickens are you up to ?" said
Alf. "Whats the matter with you ?"
20, excitable temperament, hot-blooded
youth p said the stranger.
I could have said something had chosen,
but / preferred discretion; I did not like his
eyes. .t..t.,
"N.o.thing," I said. 81 think I'll sit in the
bow" I didn't wait to learn if any one had
an objection, but swinging round, scrambled
past ALT, and tripped full length on to Toms
knees. The boat went up and down like
swing; it was mirace.he wasn't over.
"Is the fellow mad % roared Alf.
At the word "mad," the stranger rose up
straight as post. "Mad !" he said; "do you
know, sir" He checked himself and sat
down. "Pooh he's only boy" ,..>
In passing Tom, l whispered in his ear.
"The lunatic," ," said. ~
"Whatp' said Tom, right out loud.
GLOW your row, you confounded donkey
It's the man from DR.. Rawle's"
"The-" ,....
He was going to say something naug ghty-l
know he was; but he stopped short, and stared
at him with all his eyes, Either Alf over
heard me, or else the same idea occurred to
him at the same moment, for he stopped dead
in the middle of stroke and inspected the
man on the steering seat. Tom and Alt went
on staring at him for minute or more. |
kept my head turned the other way to avoid
his eyes. All at once l felt the boat give
great throb turned there was the stran-
ger leaning half out his seat, looking at Alf
in way shouldn't have cared TO have him
look at me.
. "What's the meaning of this insolence {"
he said
The question was not unwarranted; 1t
could not have been pleasant to have been
stared at as Alf and Tom were staring at him.
81 beg your pardon" said Alf, cool as
cucumber "To what iusolence do you re-
fer p
Tom actually chuckled /; couldn't have
chuckled for good deal ; it seemed to me not
only impudent, but risky; / couldn't forget
DR.. Rawle's words about his homicidal ten
denotes. He turned red as a lobster; nev-
er saw such an expression come over mans
face before-perfectly demoniacal. To my
surprise, he sat down and spoke as calmly
and deliberately as possible.
THANK you," he said, 81 shall not forget
this" =.
There was a sound about his II shall not
forget this" did not relish. Alf said poth
ing. Tom and he set off rowing as coolly as
though nothing had happened. I extempo'
rized seat in the bow, and tried to make
things as comfortable as possible
I noticed, although Alf and Tom were so
cool, they hardly took their eyes off him for
more than a second at time. His behavior
before their furtive glances was peculiar; he
saw he was being watched; he couldn't sit
still; he looked first at one bank, then at the
other; his eyes travelled everywhere, resting
nowhere; his hands 6dgeted and trembled
he seemed all of quiver. | expected him
to break into paroxysm every second. IT.
hadn't called out, he would have run us right
into the shore; when l called, he clutched
the other string violently, jerking the boat al
most round. heartily wished him at Jeri.
cho before he had come near US.
No one spoke. We went slowly. along,
watching each other. At last he said some
thing.
IL will get out" he said, in an odd,
nervous way.
"With pleasure," said Alf Gin few min
utes."
"Why not now? Why not now, sir?' he
said, seeming to shake from head to foot.
"Where are you going to get-into the
river?"
admired Alf's GOODNESS, I envied him.
only hoped he wouldn't let it carry him too
far.
The man glowered at him; for a moment
he looked him full in the face. never saw
look in mans eyes like that in his. Alf
returned him look for look. Slightly, almost
imperceptibly, he quickened his stroke. A
little down was a little hamlet with a we'll
known inn and a capital landing stage.
When we came alongside, the stranger said ::
"This will do; I'll get out here"
He turned the boat inshore No sooner
L., L. s,,k SC