Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-12-28

"At Sparty."
"No."
''Murfreesboro?'
81 don't know"
= '"RecRon thar's powerful sight at
McMinnvilleY'
"a division perhaps"
The man paused a moment and then
went on:
"Thet's an all fired pert rife O. yourn.
Wouldn't mind letten me handle it,
would W"
Mark cooked the piece, took off the
cap and handed it to his interrogator.
He still had his revolver, while the man
had a weapon which could not be fired
without percussion cap.
"Waal, now, thets quar-"
The man looked from the rifle to the
soldier, not knowing which to admire
most-the mechanism of the former or
the coolness OF the latter. Then he
handed it back.
"Ycu amt no Yank."
"Why not?"
"Yanks don't come down hyar all
alone. Besides Yankee sojer wouldn't
ride a blooded mare like that a-one.
Morgan's men rides them kind O critters
and wears them uniforms sometimes"
Mark smiled knowingly.
"You think I'm one of Colonel Nor
gan's men, do your"
"Reckon yer one o ourn anyway"
And the man walked away well satis-
fed with his penetration.
The soldier got up, went into the tav-
ern and paid for his supper with one of
the postal shinplasters used at the time
in lier Of silver; then he came out and
called for his horse. While waiting he
stood leaning against post of the gal
lery, maintaining the same easy conf
dence that had characterized him since
his arrival. Presently negro came
around from the barn, leading the slen-
der legged mare, and the soldier, saun-
tering up TO her leisurely, stroked her
neck; then mounting, without once
looking at his observers, he rode away.
But private Malone's confidence was
all assumed. He did not start on the
road he designed to follow; he trotted
off up the valley, intending later to find
q path or a crossroad which would take
him southwark to the Chattanooga pike.
He suspected that tho group he was
leaving would not suffer him to ride
that night in safety, and he did not care
to let them know his true route.
Mark trotted on up the road while the
daylight was fading. He was musing
upon the difficult, the hazardous task
before him. The road was deserted ex-
eept by himself; the evening was still,
and his horses hoofs beat loud on the
stones beneath him. When he was rid
ing in the open he felt comparatively
confident, but upon entering thicket
be would uneasily reach down and put
his hand upon his rife. he knew the
bushwhacker Of the period, and fancied
that rife or a shotgun lurked behind
every tree. Amid the peaceful quiet OF
q summer evening in the country it was
strange that one should look for death.
None but q practiced scout would have
been thus on the alert.
The twilight was nearly faded. Mark
had gone about three miles from the
tavern when, nearing fork in the road,
he heard:
"Halt, thar!"
Instinctively his hand went to the
handle of his revolver, for the sound
was near enough to indicate that a pis-
tol rather than rife might be needed.
"Air YOU uns the sojer ez TUX supper
ct the tavern at Jasper? asked voice,
singularly soft for bushwhacker.
"Well, suppose amir
81 know y from yer voice
"How's that?" asked the soldier, puz-
zled.
kind O deep and smoothlike. Y
mought as waal put up yer shooten iron.
got bead on y"
Mark could see no one, but judging
from the voice of the speaker his alarm
partially subsidized.
81 reckoned y mought come along
hyar, so jist squatted and waited"
"Well, what do you want with meT
I'm one O the Stacks. We're Union,
we Stacks air. They're goen to drive US
out soon, reckon"
Union, eh? What are you-man,
woman, boy or gall"
"I'm GAL"
"The dickens! What are you stopping
me for at the lnuzzle of gun?'
"Lordy! How'd I know y? Wrought
"a ben bushwhacker. Iwar at the tav-
ern whar y TUX supper. The landlords
wife, she's my aunt. l sor y come in
and hearn y talken to old Venables.
They reckoned y war Confederate till
v paid in Yankee shinplasters; then
they reckoned y mought be Yankee
after ALL"
Mark began to be interested. 1t was
now evident to him that this person en-
sconced behind snake fence, holding
him under cover of gun, was friend
instead of an enemy.
"Well?'
II KEN out hyar to tell y bout it."
"Then let me see you as well as hear
you"
A figure with gun climbed over the
fence and advanced toward the soldier:
When it came near enough Mark saw
girl who might be anywhere between
sixteen and eighteen, for her skirt
only reached to the tops of her shoes,
and her hair was cut square around her
neck. She came very near to him and
spoke in a low tone:
"After y left the tavern some on 'em
lowed y was Union, and some on 'em
lowed " was Confederate; leastaways,
they wasn't sartin. Uncle, he's bad
secesh, and he lowed y was Union and
bound on some errant fur the Yankees.
So he pursuaded several on 'em ter
mount n follow y. They was gitten
ready, and slipped out to the barn and
TUX my pony, what l rode over on this
afternoon, n Jakey's squirrel gun
Gakey's my brother), what allus car
ries when l ride round in these hyar
war times, n makes tracks cross coun-
try by trail allus goes to uncle's n
comes hum agin while the men air
comen by the road. l jest rode Sally
Maria among the trees thar and tied her
and squatted behind the fence till y
come along and-Lordy sakes!"
"What's the matter now?"
"Listenw
They were both quiet for a moment,
the girls two big black eyes denoting
her anxiety. They could distinctly hear
the tread of horses coming on brisk
lope.
Without word the girl seized Marks
bride rein and led horse and rider off