Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-07-25
CHAPTER Y.

utes, during which time Captain Bran
don and his friends listened in breath.
less silence When the sounds died out,
Alice Blanchard. who was standing be-
side the captain, said to him:
do you think harm can have come
to our friendr"
He told me that if he were attacked
and passed through the line of the out
laws successfully, he would signal me
from the high mountain ten miles to
the south.
"Signal you ten miles away through
the blackness that hangs over valley and
hill?''
"Yes Wait and you can see it If he
has succeeded. said the captain, real
izing that a more than common interest
agitated the girl by his side.
The long minutes dragged by, pain
fully measured by the audible beating
of Alice's heart Nearly an hour had
passed since the fring-to her it seem.
ed an age Her hands were becoming
cold. and she compressed her lips to keep
them from trenlpllnS.
Was that light?"
1t was Alice who cried out She
thought she saw flash-it might have
been a meteor-far away to the south.
But it passed so quickly that she could
scarce say such thing had been.
''Seel There it is, captain There il
,sr exclaimed Howard Blanchard, and,
unmindful of the danger, all rose tc
their feet The light on the distant
mountain side rose and fell, at times
threatening to go out but rising to 9
greater height and burning with create,
clearness after each threatened relapse,
until at length it sent a steady. inspir'
ing glare across the darkness
He has gone through safely" SAID
the captain
Thank Godl" cried Alice.
And the others, according to tempera'
ment. expressed their delight at Louis
Kyle's success
Alice Blanchard forgot the surround
ing danger IN the joyous relief from the
anxiety that had been weightlng hel
heart, and reaction set in that made
her fearless for the time
Haiti Who goes there?" demanded
Captain Brandon in ringing voice az
be saw dusky form moving swiftly be-
tween the corral and the neighborlne
cliff. The figure disappeared. and no re-
DIV came back
"Watch' said the captain "Stano
every man carefully at his post | thins
hear them coming this way"
The neighing of horse and the i'm
patient stamping of hoofs 100 yards Oh
attracted the captains attention
why not challenge them? asked
Howard. who though as brave as steel,
was naturally very nervous in this noVe
situation
We know they are there. They have
no doubt as to our whereabouts. Let us
leave the initiative to them, replied
Captain Brandon.
The wisdom Of this suggestion was
soon manifest. From the cliff above the
spring a voice-it was Bouton 's-called
out:
Hello, down therel'
"Well, what do you want?" asked
the captain.
81 want to know whose camp that
is"
"I am known as Captain Brandon,
and you are known Us the murderer and
desperate Bouton, replied the captain.
IF l come as foe, you will soon
know it. There are men enough with
me to sweep over your work as butfa-
10 herd would over bank Of reeds. But
we want no fight. "
"Ah, now you are getting nearer to
the truth than is your habit! You like
best to rob and plunder where the gain
is great and the danger small. "
"There is not enough plunder in your
outfit to tempt u.s. y
"Then why do you Gomez"
"We come this time as che friends OF
law and justice.
"IndeedW
"We do, sir. You have with your
party a man named DR.. Blanchard.
"What Of that?"
"He and his family are fugitives from
Justice, and we come to demand them
We are working for the reward Now
give these people up and we will &c
away and leave you in peace.
"The man that says l or any OF my
family are criminals or fugitives from
Justice" broke in DR.. Blanchard, who
up to this time had been model OF
coolness, ''lies in his throat!'
Now, it so happened that Tom Bliss
was standing beside Bouton during the
parley and it was he who prompted the
desperate to put the following questions
"Are you DR.. Blanchard"
"I am, "replied the indignant doctor.
"Do you know of any murder in your
family?"
II do not"
"You are sure?"
81 am certain"
"You married John Weldon's grand
daughter, Mary?'
II did"
"Who killed Frederick Weldon?"
IT do not know that he was killed. .
"What has become Of Valentine well
don and his wife and two sons?