Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-10-12

nephew in the east, With the exception
of $50, 1000 in greenbacks then deposited
in the Coyote County bank at Salt Lick.
The testator had reason to suspect
] that a desperate named Hickory Sam
(real name or designation unknown)
had designs OH the testator's life. In
case these designs were successful the
whole of this money was to 90 to the
person or persons who succeeded IN re.
moving this scoundrel from the face OF
the earth. In case the sheriff arrested
the said Hickory Sam and he was tried
and executed the money was to be di-
vided between the sheriff and those who
assisted in the capture. If any man on
his own responsibility shot and killed
the said Hickory Sam the $50, 600 he
came his sole property and would be
handed over to him by the bank man.
ager, in whom Mr.. Butler expressed ev.
ery confidence, as soon as the slayer OF
Hickory Sam proved the deed to the
satisfaction of the manager. In every
case the bank manager had full control
of the disposal of the fund and could
pay it in bulk or divide it among those
who had succeeded in eliminating from
contentious world one of it's most con-
tentious members.
The amazed silence which followed
the reading of this document was bro.
ken by loud jeering and defiant laugh
from tile man on the barrel. He laugh
ed long, but no one joined him, and as
he noticed this his hilarity died down,
becoming in measure forced and me-
chanical. The lawyer methodically fold
ed up his papers. AS some of the jury
glanced down at the face Of the dead
man who had originated this financial
scheme of post mortem vengeance they
almost fancied they saw q malicious
leer about the half open eyes and lips.
An awed whisper ran around the assem-
blage, each man said to the other Under
his breath, Fifty - thou-sand-dol-
lars, as if the dwelling on each sylla-
BILE made the total seem larger. The
same thought was in every mans mind
"a clean, cool little fortune merely for
the crooking of a foreinger and the cor
rect leveling Of pistol barrel.
The lawyer had silently taken his de.
parture. Sam, soberer than he had been
for many days, slid down from the bar
rel, and with his hand Oh the butt Of
his gun sidled, his back against the
wall, toward the door. No one raised
finger to stop him. All sat there watch
ing him as if they were hypnotized. He
was no longer man in their eyes, but
the embodiment of sum to be earned
in moment for which thousands work.
ed hard all their lives and in vain to ao-
cumulate.
Sans brain on problem was not so
quick as his finger OH trigger, but it
began to filter slowly into his mind that
be was now face to face with danger
against which bis pistol was powerless.
Heretofore, roughly speaking, nearly
every body had been his friend; now the
hand Of the world was against him,
with most powerful motive for being
against him-a motive which he him
self could understand. For mere frac-
tion of $50, 900 he would kill anybody,
so long as the deed could be done with
reasonable safety to himself. Why,
then. should any man stay his hand
against him with such reward hang
ing over his head? AS Sam retreated
backward from among his former
friends they saw in his eyes what they
had never seen there before, something
that was not exactly fear, but look OF
iurtive suspicion against the whole hu-
man race.
Out in the open air once again Sam
breathed more freely. He must get
away from Salt Lick and that quickly.
Once OH the prairie he could make up
his mind what the next move was to
be. He kept his revolver in his hand,
not daring to put it into its holster.
Every sound made him jump and be was
afraid to stand in the open, yet he
could not remain constantly with his
back to the wall Poor Buffers horse,
fully accoutered, cropped the grass by
the side of the road. To be horse
thief was, of course, worse than to be
murderer, but there was no help for 1t;
without the horse escape was impossI-
ble He secured the animal with but
little trouble and sprang upon its back.
AS he did so shot rang out from the
saloon. Sam whirled around in the sad
die, but no one was to be seen nothing
but thin film of pistol smoke melting
-, 81, nlo I,n
rider fired twice into the empty door
way, then with curse turned toward
the optn country and galloped away,
and Salt Lick was far behind him when
night fell. He tethered his horse and
threw himself down OH the grass, but
dared not sleep. For all he knew, his
pursuers might be within few rods OF
where he lay, for he was certain they
would be on his trail as soon as they
knew he had left Salt Lick. The prize
was too great for no effort to be made
to secure it.
There is an enemy before whom the
strongest and bravest men must sue
cumb. That enemy is sleeplessness
When daylight found the desperate, he
had not closed All eye all night. His
nerve was gone, and perhaps for the first
time in his life he felt Il thrill Of fear
The emptiness of the prairie, which
should have encouraged him, struck a
chill of loneliness into him, and he
longed for the sight of man, even
though he might have to fight him
when he approached He must have a
comrade, he said to himself, if he could
find any human being in straits as ter
rible as his own some one who would
keep watch and watch with him through
the night. But the comrade must either