Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-12-21

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Nancy had flung her strong young arms
around her fathers neck.
But Dick Hines did not shoot. Either
he was too cowardly or he had large
enough spark of manhood within him not
TO fire at q woman.
Nancy had flung her strong young
arms around her fathers neck, and placed
herself loving screen between him and
danger.
There she stood in the little camp
fre'sruddy light before that isolated dug
out, such brave, sweet picture of pro-
lection for her deformed father that
even Dick Hines, villain and rough char
scter though he was, was struck by it,
and wheeled his horse around as if he
would depart Immediately.
Stranger, I reckon yer kin use ther
dugout ternight, but give yer warnin'
ter git off'n ther claim afore tomorrer
sunset"
eyer very kind, I'm shore" returned
Hamlet with quiet scorn, "ter low me
ther privilege O. 'bidin' overnight On my
own property"
Remember" said Hines, unheeding
the others sarcasm and putting his re-
volver in his belt, Eyer ter be off'n this
hyer claim afore tomorrer sunset"
"Thank yer fur repeatin' it; my MEM
ory's plumb good yit, Hamlet made an
swer, in spite of Nancy's whispered warn
ing to say no more to the armed villain.
s'rve give yer ample warnin'," Hines
concluded. 81 don't want no trouble
with yer, but unless yer off'n ther claim
by tomorrer night yer kin expec' ter be
waited on by committee appinted ter
tend ter sech cases as yer'n."
"Waal, I low yer committee couldn't
wait on er better man than Adam Ham
let" the new settler flung after Hines, as
he put spurs to his horse and rode swiftly
away in the darkness.
Next morning as they ate their break
fast Nancy said:
"Pap, I'm thinkin' maybe yer'd best
quit the claim an save fussin'. Thet
N lo,v,srofa rporO -
eyes, low he is, but / aim ter make
him heap more desp'rater afore I quit
this hyer claim I've come so fur ter gil" !"
replied Hamlet, spreading molasses on
his cornbread, and eating his coarse fare
with keen relish.
81 reckon it would be kinder hard fur
me ter leave the claim now thet I've
been settin' such store on havin' home
of our own, after ivin' on rented place
30 long. It's mighty purity place hyer,
pap, an I'm gittin' 'tached ter ivin' hyer
already" said the girl, as she gased
about her.
The large drygoods box which served
them as table, and at which they now
sat, was placed just outside of the dug
out door, and where they could COM
mand an uninterrupted view Of the sur
rounding country for miles away. It
was wild hut beautiful view indeed.
Miles AMI mics Vi trachiesS piilries,
clothed in richest green and rarest wild
flowers, sloped gently away, until the
eye encountered line of timber, firing
ing some stream in the distance. The
warm amber of glorious sunrise bur-
nished the landscape and increased its
natural loveiness to great degree.
On some of the little ''swells" in the
plain focks of cattle and ponies Of all
colors could be seen grazing on the be-
dewed grass of early morning, while q
spiral wreath of blue smoke here and
there, outlined against a cloudless sky
and appearing afar OF, maried the loca-
ton Of a settlers cabin.
It was the Kansas Of nature, before
the settlers had turned her broad acres
into the fertile fields of corn and wheat,
as the traveller sees them today.
"Ain't it purity, pap% asked the girl,
too deeply lost in admiration of the scene
to eat.
"Too purity ter be scarf from by q low
down critter like that sneakin Hines,
answered Hamlet, finishing his coffee
and rising from the table.
"No, Nancy" he said, after a pause,
81 think you an me an our traps will
'bide hyer at the dugout spell spite o
that varnint's threats. His talks too
thin fur me ter swaller. He just aims
ter scar me off ther claim. but he'll be
plumb disappointed, low. Nancy. yer
kin jest 90 erhead an fix up ther dugout
ter suit yerself, while l hammer up some
kind O brush shed fur the beasts. Well
not spare ther time ter ask Hines eff he's
willn'."
So saying, Adam Hamlet took spade
and az and walked short distance down
awide ravine, where he found load of
poles and heavier timber which TX Pen
der had cut and hauled from the woods
but had not used. With this timber he
began the construction Of rude shed,
which would serve as shelter for the
animals when itstormed.
While Hamlet worked away on his
shed down the hollow Nancy was not
idle. She was o skillful housekeeper,
and she had soon put the dugout through
process of complete renovation. The
underground apartment was not very
generous in its dimensions, but their
household goods were not very numer-
GUS, and there were but two persons to
become inmates Of it, so they could
easily manage to exist there until they
were able to build more comfortable
quarters. How many of our brave
pioneer folk like them have patiently
borne with hardships, and lived in dug
outs or uncomfortably cramped and
wretched cabins, that the untamed prai-
ries might be reclaimed from the savage
and the wilderness, and made, after
many struggles, fruitful and fitted to
the needs of civilized humanity. They
are real benefactors, and the world owes
,hem such a great debt Of gratitude that
will never be redeemed. But their deeds
of valor and noble sacrifices are recorded
on the scroll of history, and we cannot
utterly ignore them, should we have the
disposition to do so.
Before night Hamlet had his shed
completed, even to covering one side and
the end and top with brush and dead
sunfower stalks gai.ered from the ra-
vine; and Nancy had made the dugout
as habitable as it was possible to make it.
They had received no visits that day
from any of their distant neighbors, and
had almost forgotten Dick Hines
threats, when Nancy, who had been
down to the creek for a bucket of water,
heard through the darkness of the night
the rapid approach of several horsemen.
There was no moon yet, so she could dis
tinguish nothing in the starlight but