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

the parson. They called the rough one,
with the brutal face and slouched hat,
Jiber, and the other Chisel, as 1 said.
.sChisel," he said-his voice was clear
and calm-"Chisel, hold the lantern.
Jiber, cock your pistol. Put 1t to his
head. Are you ready?'
"We're ready, Parson."
It was Jiber who spoke. The other
held the lantern between my face and his.
Jiber cooked his pistol, examined the cap,
and put the muzzle close to my head. l
felt the cold iron touch my skull. A
strong, %convulsive shiver went through
me, shook ME from head to foot. knew
there was little danger-that it was not
to their interest to peril their precious
necks. But I saw the ruffian's villainous
face, and I knew that q single twitch of
the brutal fellows hand was all that
stood between me and the awful mys-
terry beyond. In broad day, when there
is no present danger, when life swells
strong in pulse and limb, when the
pale horse gal1ops far off beyond the sun
set hills of hope, I take as calm a view of
that certain but shadowy contamination
as the rest, I suppose. But when the
Rrisly phantom comes quite close-when
you feel his terrible numbing touch and
his blasting breath on your cheek-well,
mot all the preaching since Adam has
made death aught but DEATH"
'If he makes any trouble, Jiber," the
parson said, elbow out his brains"
He loosened his hold. The tramp Of
the flying mare had died away over the
hills. I had not IS about Inc I lay
--.kz .k;11 T6,o -orcNr oaorchoI mn thor.
oughly. He took my pocketbook, took
out the money and threw away the book.
His face grew terrible to see when he be-
gan to be convinced that r had not the
bonds about me. He pulled off my boots,
examined the lining of my cap. He gave
up the search. He turned to Jiber.
"Could he have thrown away the pack
age?"
O"Didn't throw away nothin' arter I
blinked him, 'cept it was his shooter"
answered Jiber, doggedly.
The parson turned to me.
sect up" he said.
He spoke as he might to a dog he had
kicked. That woke the devil in me. /
lay still and glared back at him. l
his perfect teeth set hard between .
thin white lips.
He took out a pistol, cooked it.
"Look here" he said, "where is tn
money!
I sat up and gave him stare for stare.
"What's that to you?"
One second I thought he would kill me.
Then he governed himself and turned
away. He spoke to Chisel apart; then he
turned back to me.
"Look here, you what's-his-name," he
said, "three miles from here there's a
little house, at the fork Of Carrom lane
and the south road. There's a little
woman in that house tonight, and she's
a handsome little woman, and she's all
alone"
He saw me shudder. I had forgotten
Nell for one moment. He went OH:
"I'm going to ask you some questions.
# you answer square, all right. If not,
we tie you up, carry you into the woods
and make her a visit. Do you under
stand?"
81 understand" 1 said. lie went on:
tLast Friday night you put 10000 in
Bath & Westbury's safe, in Caramore.
You put in more on Monday. Ion was
to have taken it out tonight. Where
is it!''
81 haven't seen a dollar Of it since Bath
put it into the safe," I answered.
I had not. I counted it over to Bath
when 1 left it. He made a package OF 1t
for me. 1 saw only the wrapper. Was
it, morally, q lie? Well, as you will. DR..
johnson held that one might be justified
in denying the authorship Of "~Junius,"
whether he wrote the letters or not.
"You say you did not take it out of
their safe tonight"
eyes"
did not. I took it out of Baths hand.
He turned to the others-talked hur-
riedly apart. l made out that they did
not know the roads across the plains.
They had, without doubt, come out from
the city on the middle turnpike. The
parson turned to me.
81 have q wagon close by. You must
drive me to Caramore. Will you promiseP"
'I'n drive you," I said.
I did not say where or how.
"How far is it,"
''Seventeen miles"
He turned to the others.
'Bring out the horses"
He held the lantern-stood by me care
lessly, turning his pistol in his baud.
They led the horses out Of the wood
through q length of fence thrown down.
Jiber brought out a buggy with a fine
black mare before it. Chisel led out O
stout bay cob and leaped lightly into the
saddle.
sect in" said the parson
I stepped in-took the reins.
He whispered to Jiber, then he jumped
in.
"Drive on" he said.
"Not if that man stops behind"
'What do you mean? Look here,
young man, I'll have no tritling. How
can he go when you have his place? Jiber,
make straight for the castle. Tell TIE
king. If we're not in by 7 come to the
cave. The words sM%avoureen.' Now,
sir, drive or, or I'll drive you home"
''Get up" I said.
I knew what I had to do. l made my
plan. I sent the black mare down tho
road at a swinging gait. She was n beau
tiful mare-coal black, graceful. spirited,
yet nowise nervous or tlighty. l never
saw q better to trot and endure. She
took a long, smooth, rolling stride, with
out Jerk or break, never squirting or fur
rying, except ut any steep rising ground,
which she always took with ashort, quick
charge below, and passed with a strong
swing. After a mile or two he spoke:
Elbow quick car she make itF"
"Seventeen miles? Two hours"
I knew she could do it in half ar hour
less.
He looked round-a sneering, scornful
glance.
sI've driven her nine miles in half an
hour. Shake her out.\
81 quickened her pace. We made a
four minute gait on the levels. He leaned
back and smoked his cigar. I watched
him askance. You could read no more in
his face than in this blank page before I
scrawl it over. Chisel galloped the bay
close behind.
"Can you strike the Caramore road
without passing Brame's tavern:"
81 can"
elbow much farther"
'Half u mile longer to the Ocean road"
"Do it, then"
I couldn't have asked for a better
chance. The straight road to Caramorc
runs past Brame's door. You would
strike the Ocean road ut Bradley's, four
miles north of Caramore. BY turning off
to avoid the squire's, you must take the
Lindcsley road, which is half n mile
longer to the Ocean road, but strikes it
ten miles northeast of Bradley's at Look
out hill.
We took the Lindesley road, s~weptaway
east, the black mare t~rotting smooth and