Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-10-17

we bowled away down It. I had my
mind made up. At Browner's Fork the
Shore road splits off and bends west. The
angle at the junction is so sharp, the two
roads so nearly alike, that no stranger
could say which was the straight road and
which the branch. When we came to the
fork I held the mares head west and took
the road to Shore. He seemed to doubt
me here. He put his head out and looked
down the other road. Turning again, he
eyed me keenly. 1 chirruped to the mare
and We swept ahead.
SIS this the right roadP" he said, his
eyes upon my face.
''This is the right road" =
Right, yes-but hardly for Caramore.
"Where does the other lead"
I felt that defiance was my only course
now. I pulled up the mare, faced him
full and square.
'Ill drive the other road, If you like"
"Get upr' he called to the mare. '"Let
her go, do you hear?"
He glared at me fiercely; his hand leaped
up to his breast, lifted the flap Of his coat
Dimly I saw the hilt Of q sheath knife un-
der the fold. . 81
"Young man." he said, "if you play me
f sdsst III put my knife through your
I gave him no answer. I gave him
glance for glance, turned my face and
drove on. I understood him. He had
made sure of finding the money upon me.
Failing that, he had thought that I might
possibly drive him right. There was little
danger to him at least, and 1t was his
only chance. He knew that the money
would be put beyond reach tomorrow, If
he should not get his hands upon it that
night. But he was a fool for his pains for
all that.
knew I could not deceive him much
longer. He was plainly suspicious now.
The mare was beginning to flag a little.
She kept her long, rolling gait well up on
the levels yet. But she had not the same
grit at taking the hills, and she shambled
a good deal going down. I saw that she
was tired, that only her tireless mettle
kept her legs up to the pace, and hated
to force her on. But I saw no way out Of
it yet; so 1 kept her up to her work. I
struck in for Burrow Flat. If you have
ever driven through that region, you
know what q labyrinth Of roads and lanes
centers n DIVORCES ut Burrows. They
cross and wind and interlace IN every way,
and at all sorts of curves and angles. l
struck for this point, in through Bracken
Hollow, and then southwest by Poulter's
blacksmith shop. knew every turn and
lane, and I used them with all my
skill. l curved this way and that, wound
and crossed till l had twisted him out
of all sense of direction, edging round all
the while farther and farther west and
north. At 1890 we struck the Ceramore
road at last, and rolled along it, heading
for home.
The parson was plainly uneasy; I heard
the bay horse still galloping behind. The
mare was getting much distressed; her
breathing sounded plainly, quick and
hard. SIS this the Caramore road?' His
face had a baffled, murderous look.
"This is the Caramore road"
"How far is it now?"
"Four miles and q half"
Four miles and a half behindl
He leaned forward and looked in my
face. gave him back as good. Again
his hand stole back to his breast.
"You said it was seventeen miles.
We've come twenty and more. What do
you mean?'
II mean it's five miles to Caramore."
l looked him straight in the eyes
straight and defiant. I never saw such a
look in another face rs he gave me then.
His hand was in his breast.
"If we're not in Caramore in half an
hour''-his words came slow and wickedly
calm-"I'N put you out Of trouble"
He leaned back and I drove on. Inever
wanted to kill but one a I think I
know how n murderer feels who beats and
~tralnrlcs n mans life out in q sudden fury
of hate. | hated that white faced villain
with n murdcrous hate. I longed to have
him alone in some wild place, with only
my hands and his for armor, and none be-
tween lis two.
The end was near. But it was not yet.