Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-12-14

last, pap, ef it is only q dugout," Nancy

last, pap. ef it is only dugout," Nancy
remarked with sigh Of relief as the
tired team halted before the habitation,
followed out of the side of steep bunk.
There was a smooth bank about eighteen
feet wide, hard as floor, right before
the dugout door, and sloping very grad
ually to the little creek bed below.
"Tm afeared yer goin' ter find it
mighty rough livin' in dugout, Nancy"
said Hamlet as he inspected the anything
but cleanly interior.
"Oh, I'll slick it up heap, pap" said
the girl, who had followed him inside,
"till it'll look plumb different. It's
home, pap, an thet means sight to
folks like US, who hain't he'd one O ther
own fur long SPELL"
eyer right, Nancy; an we'll make
regular home Of it eff it is only ole dug
out"
Ned Dugan rode home, leaving the
new settlers alone.
They had just finished their evening
meal, and had started to remove some of
their goods from the wagon into the dug
out, when man rode up and shouted in
loud, harsh voice:
"Hello!"
The bright light of their camp fire
showed Hamlet and Nancy man of
about thirty, with a hard, cadaverous
countenance, pale gray eyes and red,
bristly hair and mustache. He was
roughly dressed, and wore broad belt,
from which protruded pair of large re-
volvers and a huge knife.
1t was plain that he was desperate
character, and as his small, evil eyes fell
on the girls fair face and pretty form
she shrank out of his sight into the
shadow of the covered wagon.
"What yer doin' hyer?" he demanded
of Hamla who faced him unfinchingly.
"rm 'teNlin to my own business, thets
whatg'
"Look hyer, do yer know wot claim
jumpers gifts out on these puraries"
II reckon they git the claim"
"Don't try ter rub any O yer burned
smartness off on me. Answer me
straight"
Call right. Ask questions as eff yer
was addressin' gentleman an will"
"How'd yer git hyer9"
"In thet covered wagon"
"Wall, yer'll 60 erway in it again
sooner'n yer lowed to, reckon. or Dick
Hines is blamed liar!'
"Hines or any other chaps liar who
says I'm goin' off O. this claim. traded
fur it, fair an squar', an I'm hyer to
stayr' .,
II traded TX Pender cattle fur it, back
in Qlinoy. Thet's how I got it,"
"Wasl, yer deceived, stranger, thet's
all. I'm sorry fur yer, but it KANT be
holped. My claims erhead O yer'n.
Yer see TX owed me fur span O mules
wot he got of me, and when he left the
country without payin' fur 'em took
this claim O his hyer on Deer creek"
81 KANT help thet, Mr.. Hines. I'm
not responsible fur TX Pender's debts,
an ther claims mine. an hyer I'm goin'
ter stick"
"Tve been 'bidin' in thet dugout of
an on now fur two months, and l tell
yer ther claims miner asserted Dick
Hines, with an oath that made Nancy
shudder.
"Yers by jumpin', | reckon. But
thet's no right, eff man does owe yer.
Besides thar's nothin' in the dugout ter
prove yerve been stayin' hyer except q
few prairie chicken feathers an rabbit
skins, an sich dirt maybe. The neigh
bors shorely didn't know o yer 'bidin'
hyer on Pender's claim, from what
they've been sayin' ter me. | guess
yer've been keepin' yer claim jumpin'
mighty secret, hain't yerp Maybe yer
afeared O. ther league, fur | hyar it said
over ter Dugan's thet ther settlers mir
pledged ter perfect fellar's claim durin'
his absence. Like rs not yer've been
dreamin' ther claims yern. Ride home,
stranger, an come round in ther mornin'
an tell us yer made mistake" .
With horrible oath Hines snatched
one of the revolvers from his belt, and
pointed it toward Adam Hamlet's heart
"D-n yer! I'll leave yer hyer fur ther
coyotes ter pick" and his fingers touched
the trigger. .,
With a scream that echoed wildly
across the prairie, Nancy threw herself
before her father.
rro NJ coNrII.nED NEXT WEEK