Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-01-02

broken oar at my feet ] had firm
grasp of it quicker than I can tell you,
and warned the man, whose face
could only outline in the darkness, neal
az he was, to advance at his peril He
was more reckless than brave. Steady
ing himself for few seconds, with hil
feet wide apart, he was about to make
dash at me when I brought the oal
down upon his head, and he fell like
log.
I was bit upset by what had CO.
CURED, as stands to reason, but I pres
emily figured that the best way was t.
take the oars and pull up to the inn ant
see how badly the fellow was hurt. OLE
John Hampton, who had kept the place
since was a boy in knee pants, wa
just turning out the lights when en-
tered and told him what had happened
"Bless my blooming soul, but who car
it be!' exclaimed the old man as hi
walked down to the skiff with me. 90
didn't know we had such peppery fel
low in the country hereabouta. Yor
served him right, Ralph, but I hops
you didn't strike too hard, you know
Not that any of us would blame yot
even if you laid him dead, but because
the coroner and police would make yor
no end of bother. Here we are, ant
there lies your man as quiet as a mouse
Well catch him crop and heels and W
to the inn with him."
he was stoutly built chap, and as hi
body was dead weight we had goot
pull for 1t to get him up to the house
and stretched out on his back. Ther
Uncle John brought candle and knelt
down to have look at him. 1t wasn't
five seconds before he lifted his hands
and called to me:
"Why, Ralph, there is a curious bi
of business Upon my word, but
knows him as we'll as my own doorpost
It's a young man named Ben johnson
and he's living with a widowed siste,
at the upper side Of the town"
''That's all right as to who he is, but
how bad is be hurt?" I asks.
"I'm no doctor, and I can't say
Here's cash in his scalp and plenty o.
blood flowing, and take that as sigr
he ism It dead yet. Alb, see him shiver
He's coming to, but sip of whisky viii
make it easier for him"
So f1ercely had the man clutched tht
handle of his knife that the weapon wa
still in his hand. While Uncle JohI
was after the liquor pried the fingers
open and released the knife and laid il
on a shelf About minute after tht
liquor had run down his throat the fel
low opened his eyes and glared about
In another go seconds he sat up, stared
hard at me and fercely muttered:
"Yes, I remember now. Some ont
rap into me ON the river and then triet
Ao.kiA ree en-.---.------>-- "a. .951...
"Look here, Ben johnson, and be
heve that's the name you answer to,
said Uncle John, "what sort Of fish dt
you call this? Seems to me you are bit
too ready with your knife for this local
ity. Is it your play to knife man frs
and then inquire about what's hap
pened?'
"Who are your" bluntly inquired
johnson as he turned to ME.
Ralph Tompkins, sir, whether il
pleases you or no. You keep saying
that some one ran into you. 1t was ex
actly the other way. My boat was drift
ing, while you must have been in great
hurry to have smashed into her az YOU
did"
IT say you are a liarl'' he shouted.
"Come, man, that's going beyond
reason" put in Uncle John. IF you
were on your feet, ! wouldn't take that
from you myself, old as am. Let me
wash off the blood, bind up your head,
and do you go home and recover your
good nature.
The man was still weak and dazed,
but never saw an uglier face even on
a Malay pirate. He got up after a bit,
waving us away when we would have
assisted him, and backing up to one cl
the barroom tables to get support he
looked at me as if he would stamp my
face on his memory forever and finally
said:
"Tompkins or Thompson, I never saw
you before, but I'll take good care not
to lose sight Of you from this time on.
You played me trick tonight which
shall cost you your life. )"
"Why, man, what's come over your
blooming character all at once?" ex-
claimed the landlord as be advanced
step or two. "I've heard of your being
jailed for poaching, and there is them
as has pointed you out for an idler and
a mischief maker, but never suspected
you had the bloody temper Of kaffir.
If that's your little game, then it will
be we'll to drop hint to the police to
have an eye on you.
At that moment, and while the man
was opening and closing the fingers of
his right hand as if feeling for the
knife had taken away, footsteps were
heard outside, and next instant three
police officers entered the bar. johnson
made a rush for the door as they ap-
peared, and had he possessed the knife
it would have gone hard with one or all
of the trio as they piled on to him and
struggled with him OIL the floor. But as
he was unarmed and still weak, they
had him fast in a minute, and then one
of them cried out:
"It's the greatest stroke of luck we
ever had. l thought he was five miles
away by this hour. what's the meaning
of all this blood, Uncle John, and
what's been going on hereaboutsf,.'
lis the man charged" cautiously
asked the landlord.
L. ~ nhnrOa-