Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-04-24
"Boy! boy" called the uncle from be-

"BOy! bOy!" called the uncle from De-
low, "what are ye whostling about?"
"I'm nae whostling, UNCLE" quoth young
John, ''the apple has drawn my mouth up
So"
After the war, Gen. Lacy, John Adair,
and Johnny Service were elected to the
General Assembly. The name of the latter
was put up as a joke, and the people elected
him for fun. He was highly elated at this
honor and aDrote q letter to his kin:fotk, tell
ing them he was elected to the "HOuse of
Lairds."
Poor Johnny was not allowed to serve,
though; for John Adair, when they went
to Columbia to take their seats, moved that
Service should not be allowed seat, as he
was non coDlpos nae'atis, and explained the
circumstances of his election. The motion
was carried, and Service, to the day OF
his death, never forgave Adair.; and no
the "House of Lairds."
I will close this desultory number with
a ghost story of which the above John
Adair was the hero.
Gen. Adair was returning home one night,
accompanied by his body servant, both on
horseback. Their way was by grave
yard. Egyptian darkness reigned, relieved
now and then by flashes of lightning. The
gloom of the night increased, and the light
ming began to flash in quicker succession !;
but the General was glad of the frequency
of the lightning, as a glimpse thus gained
of familiar objects by the Wayside assured
him that he was still on the right road, e,
while without the lurid light he could not
see his hand before him. The rain had
somewhat abated, when above its still pat
tering drops his ear caught the sounds OF
mourning, accompanied by harsh, grating
noise. He checked his horse to listen and a
flash of lightning revealed the immediate
vicinity of the graveyard, from which he
was convinced the mourning sound proceed
ed Full of curiosity and desiring to un-
derstand what the sound could be, he turn
ed to his waiting-man and bade him to 60
and see. But the Garkey, wise in his gen.
Grafton, declined so awful an undertaking.
"You cowardly scamp! !" said Adair !;
"hold my horse, and 1 will go myself"
Dismounting, he proceeded to execute his
design. The servant soon found hltchlng
place for the horses, not daring to stay alone
in hearing of the haunt, and at his masters
heels sought safety, thoug IN doubtless he
could have run.
Gen. .,Adair groped his way towards the
spot whence proceeded the sound, as well as
IG COulu, lGS o1oVlhSShS''o 81 b
his approach. The sound was jarring
noise, as of the saving of board, with an
occasional moaning accompaniment. AT
length the sound seemed under his feet, and
he was convinced that it came up out of the
earth. He discovered that he was standing
by a grave, at the head of which was hole,
and through this hole plainly came up the
mysterious sound. Not wishing, as he af-
forwards explained, to put his own arm IN
the muddy hole, he again ordered his SER
want to investigate the mystery by insert
ing his hand to feel for any object that
might be in it. The negro's superstitious
instinct was too strong for him to yield
ready obedience, and Adair, impatient at
his servants terror, thrust his arm at full
length into the hole. His hand came in
contact with and grasped an object having
fur or hair. He quickly withdrew his arm,
and at the same moment vivid flash of
lightning revealed to each other master and
man, in the hand of the former a grinning
O'pOsSuna!
The animal was gnawing at the boards of
the coffin and giving an occasional groWl,
which produced the singular combination
of sounds, the subterranean location adding
to their dismal effect.
A less resolute man than General Adair
would have permitted the enigma to re-
main unsolved land the circumstance would
have remained one of the most mysterious
kind, numbered among those we often hear
Of as defying explanation.
Not one man in hundred, think, would
have possessed the nerve to fathom the mys-
terry as did Gen. Adair; for many who would
fight to the last a veritable foe, would
have ridden quickly by the graveyard and
"whistled to have kept his courage up"