Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-05-01
AN HUMBLE HERO.
BY THOMAS p MONTFORT-

and day and night he had been haunt
ed with dread that that man would
hunt him out and kill him. He had
covered his flight we'll, he knew, but
he was also aware Of the tireless ener
CIV and set determination of young
Marchand, and this, added to the anx
iety a criminal always experiences
kept him in q continual state Of un
easiness.
His purpose in going to jenkins was
TO discover, If he could, without max
ing his own presence known. whether
the man giving his name as Waite had
stopped there and whether or not II
was Robert Marchand. The way he
had planned to do this was very sim
pie and at the same time comparative
ly safe to himself.
He proposed to tie his horse some
where in the woods near Jenkins
house, then creep cautiously forward
under the cover Of the fences and
shrubbery until he reached position
commanding view Of the house and
its surroundings.
He was we'll aware that it was uni
versal custom among the people OF
Possum Ridge to sit out in their front
yards after supper on hot summer
evenings, and he felt assured that he
would find jenkins and Waite SO sit
ting If the latter was there. In this
way he could satisfy himself as to
whether Waite was the man he feared
then steal softly away again.
And If that man should prove to be
Robert Marchand there was but one
thing for Melvin to do, and that was
to flee from the section. He had that
all planned out too. He would return
to Turner's for his things. claiming he
had received letter calling him back
home, and he would 60 that night
There would be no waiting for the
morrow, not an hours delay. if Robert
| Marchand was there.
However. he was saved all the trou
BILE Of putting his plans into execution
for as he passed along the road mile
from his destination voice hailed him
from the woods. and. looking around
he saw old Hi Jenkins sitting on log
"My Lord. young feller." jenkins said,
'but I'm pow'ful glad to see you shore.
been settin here for two mortal hours,
an l got to thinkin thar want nobody
| never gOin to come along"
"Why have you been sitting there all
that time" Melvin asked.
"'Cause couldn't do nothin else
Reckon was doin 1t for fun?"
"Why can't you do anything else?"
"'CauSe can't git a-loose from this
dad burned log, an amt big enough
to walk off with it."
"Are you fast to the log?"
"Waal. sorter. guess. Leastwise
been kinder under that impression the
last two hours"
Melvin rode over near the old man.
"How did you happen to get fast to
the log?" he asked.
"Why, | was fixin to split it up for
rails" jenkins replied, "an I'd drove a
wedge in. startin right smart crack
in one eend. Feelin sort Of tired,
lowed I'd set down on the log to rest,
an like burned fool set right on that
crack. I'd been settin thar little bit
when the fust thing | knowed that mis-
able sneakin wedge flew out. an the
crack closed up. a-ketchin the seat of
my pants an a-holdin me thar so fast
an tight that couldn't move"
Melvin laughed. The situation was
so ludicrous that he couldn't help 1t.
He would have laughed If jenkins had
been dying. There was nothing funny
In the situation to old Hi. however,
and when Melvin laughed 1t made him
angry.
"Reckon you think it's burned smart
to stand thar that Away an laugh like
blame fool at poor. helpless, suffer-
in feller critter but I bet If was out
of this I'd make you laugh out of 10th
er side of your mouth"
81 can't help laughing" Melvin re.
piled. "The idea of man getting into
such q pickle as that! It's the most
ridiculous thing ] ever knew"
"Waal. you'd soon hear Of somethin
a doggone sight wuss ridiculous" Jen'
kins said. "if was jest loose from here