Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-05-29

when she found herself 80 near the
dreaded scourgers of the country, and
she did not move until she heard the
front door opened by kick, and heav'
ily booted feet in the room below.
Then calm thought of her situation
drove fear from her heart, and Alice
Beauchampe prepared to perform one
of the most daring deeds of the Revo'
lutionary war. :,
The noise in the house increased
and oaths and rude jests preceded and
followed the lighting of fire on the
hearth.
Alice, who had longed for sight Of
the dreaded six, crept to spot near
the bureau where there was crack in
the floor. Then, applying her eye to
the peek-hole, she saw. six wild-look'
ing men directly beneath her.
They were beyond doubt the Aveng.
ers of Ferguson's death, for several
masks lay on the table, along with
three or four bottles of wine which
they had taken from some patriots
cellar. Tall, rough, devil-may-care
looking fellows they were, armed with
pistols, carbines and sabres, the kind
of men who never count the smiles o.
mercy, nor listen to the pleadings o.
innocence. Just such fellows as they
were, Alice had supposed them to be
for she had seen many of the prisoners
taken at Kings Mountain, and she
longed for the presence Of band o.
patriots. There were true men ir
South Carolina at that time who would
have given their right arms for chance
to exterminate the Avengers, and Alice
knew where a little party of patriots
Law, but alas they were not very near
"We'll rest here and finish thai
wine !" said one of the. leaders of the
band, whose face told that already bt
had imbibed freely. "Bring in the
poultry, and on old Beauchampe's
hearth we'll prepare feast"
At his command, one of the men
left the house, but soon returned, bear
ing with him duck and several chick
ems, from whose freshly wrung neck'
the warm blood was dripping.
"How's the horses ?" asked one o
the Avengers, as the man flung th'
poultry on the table.
"Standing like rocks" was the re
ply. "Such horses as they are dom
need watching; and, besides, there IL
not a rebel within 10 miles of this ac
cursed place."
"Why, there's the Widow Hartzell.
"I didn't think of her." was the re
ply. Chow bitterly old Hartzell hateo
US but we caught him at last"
aAnd presented him with breast
pin. Ha ha! !"
And the laugh went round the
room.
Alice Beauchampe did not wait un
til the laugh was ended; while yet il
filled the house with its devilist
echoes, she glided across the room to
a window that looked out upon the
dark pine grove behind the building
There was no sash in the window
and the cool winds of the night kissed
the pallid cheek of the partisan {
daughter. For a moment she tried
to pierce the darkness beneath the
window; but failing in her endeavors
she crept over the sill, resolved te
trust to fortune for success.
The distance to the ground was not
great, and the daring girl alighted
without injury.
Now she was free to make her es'
cape to the friends she had lately left
but immediate flight in that direction
was not her intention.
"Heaven aid me!' she murmured
as she glided around the old house
and approached the horses, which the
Tories had left tethered to the small
trees few yards from the door.
A glance into the room revealed the
forms of the Avengers discussing the
wine with oath and jest, or watching
the roasting of the fowls. They die
not fear danger, for their horrible deeds
had completely terrorized the country
and under the sway ftheir lawless
ness it was fast becoming desert.
Alice counted them before sht
touched a single rein; and then in
brief period of time she lossened the
horses, and quietly led them into
small copse not far away. The steeds
did not refuse to obey her guidance
ship, and when she had reached th'
copse she struck them with whiI
which she had found beneath saddle
| It was smart blow that she admins
tered, and the horses started forward
and disappeared in an instant.
Thus in few moments Ferguson'
Avengers had been deprived of thei
horses.
Flushed with triumph, Alice Beau
champe returned to the house, ant
again looked in upon its hilarious ten
ants.
She now held a pistol in her hand
a weapon which holster had granted
her, and she crept to the edge of tn
porch before she halted. There wa
the flash of vengeance in the dark eye
of the partisan girl while she gazed OF
the party beyond the threshold. Onc'
or twice she raised the weapon, bu
lowered it again, as if playing with tn
life of the leader of the six, whose bur