Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-09-11

heard faint breathing outSlue iny
door, and with a view of gaining as
much time as possible, I cleared my
throat slightly and turned over in the
creaking bed. The breathing stopped,
and 1 heard sligh. r,;stle pass down
stairs.
waited minute, and then got off
the bed and looked round the room for
some weapon of defence. There was
not even poker, and the flimsy fur.
niture put all ideas of barricading the
door out of the question. My sole
weapon was tiny pearl-handled knife,
my fighting weight about 135 pounds:
For some minutes I was half mad
with the horror of my position as l
sought wildly for some plan of escape.
1 tried the window, but even if I could
have undone the rusty fastenings with
out noise and got my body through it,
| 1 should only have tumbled on to the
hard ground outside the tap.room.
Then I went to the door and listened.
All quiet below. They were evidently
waiting. At the risk of being detected
by anybody lurking at the foot of the
stairs, crossed the landing and en-
tered the room opposite in quest of
poker.
The bedroom was az dreary as my
my own, with a huge 4.post bedstead
in the centre, but large lamp was
burning, presumably to warm the
room. Fire.irons there were none.
As 1 stood there, shivering with cold
and fear, 1 heard them moving in the
room below, and set my teeth, as l
thought the time had come. Then all
was silent again, and as I stood there
one desperate means of escape occurr-
ed to me. I crossed over to the lamp,
and with trembling fingers began to
unscrew the top. Twice it squeaked.
Another turn, and the burning wick,
protected by the chimney, was loose
in my hand, and taking up the reser-
voir poured the oil into the centre of
the bed. Then I removed the chin
ney, and throwing the lighted wick on
dry part of the bed, softly closed the
door, and hastily retreated to my own
room.
heard the saturated bedding catch
with mufled roar, and from my win
dow saw reflection in the darkness
outsids. Still all quiet below. went
to my room; thin streaks of smoke
were pouring out from the cracks of
the door opposite on to the landing,
and beneath it I could see red line.
Then I heard a startled cry from
down stairs, and with no need to feign
agitation, raised the shout of "Fire
Fire ~
It was answered from below, and
the landlord and his brother rufians
came rushing up the stairs. With a
powerful kick the landlord burst the
door open, and a dense volume Of
smoke and flames came pouring out on
to the landing. There was no facing
it. I rushed down stairs; the lamb
with the wolves.
"Get some water!" shouted.
"Where's the water?"
They were all bewildered, but the
landlord caught up pail and, shoot
ing back the bolt of the door, rushed
into the yard tc the pump. He came
back with it half full, but by this time
the landing itself had begun to catch.
The smoke filled the house, and we re-
treated to the yard as the flames burst
from the window. Then the landlady
clutched her husband 6ercely by the
shoulder and, glaring at me. whisper
ed in his ear. That her words boded
no good to me I knew, and trembling
with excitement played my last card.
"HelpT" 1 cried, wildly "fetch my
overcoat! $500 to the man who gets
it,"
I ran toward the house, follow by
them all, and, at a push from The land
lady, Jem dashed up the stairs and
disappeared in the smoke. gave my
self up for lost, but the next minute he
was back again, BACKED and scorch-
ed-and empty-handed.
I felt safe then, and safer still when
sturdy farmer came galloping up and
drew rein in the yard. He was Joined
in short time by others, and we stood
in knot watching the blazing inn.
One by one the spit kegs burst and fed
the roaring flames, and in marvel
lously short space of time all that was
left of the inn was a smoking, black
ened ruin.
/ The farmer took me in for the night,
but kept my own counsel, for arson
is an ugly word, and l had no witness
rs to bear testimony to my extremity.
rode over to Hazelton in the morn
ing, and handed over the money safe
ly, returning to town in the afternoon:
l did not tell Fogson plainly what |
had done, as l did not wish to make
him party to it, but I have always
thought that the inkling l allowed him
to have was directly responsible for
IN rnoI hookc onH the