Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-03-10
"But how?" said the Colonel, in intense

had better let me have the men, and order
US off, and iii tell you the whole affair at
terwards. l promise that not one shall re-
ceive single scratch, that is if they follow
my directions implicitly"
"You are strange man" said the Colonel,
"but think will let you have your way
this time. When do you intend to start? ?"
ain about an hours time," answered the
elate Death.
"Very we'll, will give necessary orders,
so that you can start when you think proper.
And what is more, if you perform all that
you have promised and don't cause me to
repent having honored you, you shall have
poor Campbell's place.
Hector Campbell was brave but very
head strong young Scotchman, who had oc'
cupied the post of Lieutenant at the fort.
In sudden freak of daring he volunteered
to stand sentry at the fatal spot where three
sentries had already mysteriously disappeared,
and he paid for his rashness with his life
"Now my lads" said Death, "as in about
an hour after his conversation with Col. In
mis-, he approached the deserted posts at the
head of dozen rifemen who had been tenn.
porarily placed under his command, 81 will
tell you what we are going to do. The long
and short of the affair is simply this: it's
gang of them cussed thievin' Iroquois that
have circumvented and carried off our four
men-shooting them with their rifles"
Tonight as was returning to the fort, l
suddenly thought I heard the sound of sew:
eral voices, and creeping on my hands and
knees towards the spot, got near enough to
hear and see that about dozen lroquois
we're then and there arranging their plans to
surprise the fort to.night-intending to steal
in upon it by the point which their cussed
deviltry had rendered so easy of access. l
only stopped long enough to learn this, when
I hurried off to the Colonel and asked him to
place you at my disposal; and here we are:
did not say word to him about what had
learned, being determined that if possible
the "rifes" should have the honor of exter-
minatipg the varlets. And now ask you, are
you willing and ready to follow my ordersT
Every man cheerfully answered in the at:
frmative; and with quickened pulse, and
sanguine hopes, the little company moved for
ward again.
The post consisted of long narrow space,
bounded on each side by rocky shelving
bank, while its extreme end was closed in by
dark and impenetrable looking forests.
The bank on each side Of the pass was COW
cred thickly with brush and underground, and
among these Death now carefully concealed
his men taking care to arrange them so that
their fire would cross each other, and bidding
them not to fire until he had given them the
signal, and after they had fired not to stop to
reload, but clubbing their rifles, to jump down
and finish the struggle in that manner.
With steady alacrity each man took up the
post assigned him and in another moment
the spot presented the same lone, still and
solemn appearance it had worn previous to
their arrival.
The little company had begun to grow very
and Death himself feared they had
either abandoned the attempt, or else changed
their plan of attack, when suddenly his quick
eye detected the form of one of his crafty foes
issue, in crouching position, from the deep
shadow which the lofty trees threw far up the
pass.
"Three, six, nine, twelve, thirteen" counted
Death, as one after another they emerged, in
single file, from the wood, and with quick,
cat-like steslthiness of movement. advanced
up the pass, their rifles in trail and their faces
and bodies rendered still more hideous and
ferocious looking by the grotesque markings
of their war paint. On they come, swiftly
and silently, and all unconscious of the fate
that was in store for them.
The foremost of the band, whose command
ing stature, wolf teeth collar, and eagle tutt,
at once proclaimed him as the chief, had ad
vanced until he was directly opposite the bush
in which Death was hid, when the latter, with
startling distinction, suddenly initiated the
cry Of night owl, and discharged his rifle
Eight ofthe Indians fell by the volley now
poured in upon them, but strange to say one
of the FIVE that did not fall was the chief that
Death aimed at This unusual event was
owing to the following cause: the branch Of
the bush on which he had steadied his aim in
firing had suddenly yielded at the moment he
had discharged his piece, rendering harmless
his otherwise unerring aim.
Uttering an imprecation at his i'll luck,
Death sprang down the bank with the rest of
his companions, and with one bound reached
the side of the Iroquois chief. They grappled
and both fell heavily to the ground, clasped
in fearful embrace, and darted glances of
savage hatred at each other beneath their
knitted and scowling brows.
Keep off, shouted Death, as he saw one
or two of his companions in the act of stoop-
ing down to assist him, Keep off! and if
he masters me let him co.
Over and o7er they rolled, writhing and
straining, bu' seemingly neither obtaining
any advantage over the other. At last the
head of the Iroquois suddenly came in con.
tact with the point of rock that protruded
from the bank, stunning him so that he re
leased his wise grip of Deaths throat; and
the latter, thus released, springing to his feet
finished his career by bringing the heavy
breech of his rifle with sledge hammer force
down on his head.
The remaining four Indians had been like
wise dispatched and the victorious riaemen
(none of whom had received any wound
worth mentioning,) now set up such shout
of triumph for their victory that the echoes Of
the woods rung it for minutes after.
As Col. Innis promised, Death was promo
ted to the vacant post of Lieutenant ; and
now dear reader, we beg to inform you that
our hero and the uncompromising veteran
General Morgan, of revolutionary notoriety,
we're one and the same individual. About q
fortnight after this eventfu night, Stanhope's
farm became the scene of as much mirth,
good eating and dancing, as could be posi-
bly, disposed Of during twenty-four hours, and
although we think it will be almost superfuous
to do 50, will add, that the cause of all this
merry making was the marriage of the beau
teous Hester Stanhope to Lieutenant Henry
Morgan.
Ham Ct1,sroMER=A friend who has