Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-02-19

but none too strong for the long ride
yet before him.
AS he mounted the box and pre-
pared to depart, the keeper of the
station slipped from his dugout and
drew near.
"There's an old pard down the road
apiece III want a ride. He war here
bout two hours ago. He'll beal
watchin'."
And the rough frontiersman touched
the pistol.butt which protruded from
his open shirt-front to emphasize his
warning.
Jake nodded.
"Thanks, Tom. III keep my eyes
open. So long!"
The fresh steeds in harness sprang
strongly forward, and the empty coach
whiled away.
"It's Old Jim, sure" half whispered
Pool to himself, as his trained eyes
searched the winding road before him.
"The old scamp wants to ride, so he'll
be on hand when Copper Tom turns
up in the pass. I see it ALL
The teeth closed with snap.
"Good !" he continued, a moment
later. "He shall ride"
Some fye miles were passed, when,
in the shadow of q great pine that
grew near the trail, Jake espied his
prospective ,,.saenger, prone upon the
ground at the foot of the tree, appar.
rently resting. AS the rattling coach
drew near, the man bestirred himself
and slowly rose.
"Hulla, driver! Kin ye favor an
old begger with lift? I'm played
fer I'm too old to tramp as l used to,
an too poor to pay for a ride. Kin
We give me one?
He stepped forward as he spoke.
Poor he was, if tattered garments be-
token poverty, for his clothing was
but single patched rag from head to
foot. Old he surely was, for the with
cred skin and scanty gray locks, the
claw-like hands and sunken eyes, could
not we'll be disguised.
Half in scorn and half in pity, yet
with a brain awake to his danger,
Jake drew rein and replied to his petit
toner:
ayes; be lively and climb up here.
| I'm behind time now. Where do you
60 ?"
The old man answered, as he strug-
gled to seat at the drivers side:
"Dickson's."
A touch of the whip, and the horses
were again upon a quick trot. Pool
eyed his companion as they rode on.
ward, and almost unconsciously drop
ped his hand to his boottop and loos-
ened the revolver carried there.
"Cold day for May" said the new
conner, shivering. "This yer winds
sharp, too."
eyes" responded the other, men
tally wondering where about his rag,
ged clothes the scoundrel at his side
had concealed his weapons sit is
cold; but you'll find it warmer in the
Pass"
"Sure ?" said the old man, leering
in Jake's face.
"Sure |" responded that worthy, his
blood chilling with the covert hint in
the word; and he urged his horses to
yet greater speed.
The grade was sharply descending
now, and the road rocky and rough.
A mile more and the pass would be
reached. The coach fairly swayed
under it's rapid motion.
Old Jim was forced to cling to the
seat with both hands, in order to avoid
being hurled to the ground. This
was as Pool desired, and he smiled
grimly as he noticed the others action.
oyer a-drivin' - purity - fast "
screamed the gray-haired desperate,
the words fairly jerked from him as
the coach sprang forward, rocking
from side to side. "Ye'll-hev-to-
.-the-gass--1--reckon -
Jake set his teeth.
The granite walls of the pass were
now Just before them, and the road
way, descending and steep, ran into
the shadow of the coming night and
the gloom of the gravelike opening
a narrow path, but little wider than
the coach itself.
The roar of the angry river far be-
low knelled a never-ending warning
as it ran, ragged and torn, among the
Jagged rocks, and the deathlike mist
that crept upward was damp and
chill.
81 won't hold up!" and with these
words the driver struck his horse
sharply, and, snorting, they sprang
forward into the DEVILS Pass.
At the same instant, halfway
through the terrible gorge, standing
motionless in the centre of the road.
way, a beetlng wall of rock upon the
one hand, a chasm of unknown depth
upon the other, was seen man
Copper Tom was awaiting his quar-
ry.
The old man at POOLS side uttered
a cry, and loosening his grasp of the
seat with one hand, he would have
thrust it into his breast {; but the other
leaned suddenly toward him, and,
pressing revolver muzzle against his
forehead, whispered, hoarsely: