Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-03-25

enough; the details were quite certain
to occur. They were all on foot, march
ing In fairly regular ranks. In front
| walked Mr.. Watts, the man Harkless
had abhorred In public spirit and be-
friended in private. Today he was
hero and leader, marching to avenge
bis professional oppressor and personal
brother. Cool, unrufled and to out
ward vision unarmed, marching the
| miles in his brown frock coat and gen.
erous linen, he led the way. On one
| side of him were the two Bowlders, on
the other was Lige Willetts. Mr.. Watts
preserving peace between the young
men with perfect tact and sang froid.
They kept good order and simili-
tude of quiet for so many except far to
the rear, where old Wilkerson was
bringing up the tail Of the procession,
| dragging q wretched yellow dog by q
rope fastened around the poor ours
protesting neck, the knot carefully ar
ranged under his right ear. In spite Of
every command and protest Wilkerson
had marched the whole way uproari-
ously singing John Browns Body"
The sun was in the west when they
came in sight Of the Crossroads, and
the cabins on the low slope stood out
angularly against the radiance beyond.
As they beheld the hated settlement
the heretofore orderly ranks showed
disposition to depart from the steady
advance and rush the shanties. Will
let's, the Bowlders. Parker, Ross Scho-
| field and q dozen others did, in fact,
break away and set sharp pace up
| the slope.
Watts tried to call them back.
"What's the use your gettin' killed"
he shouted.
"Why not?" answered Lige. and, like
| the others, was increasing his speed
when old "Wimby" rose up suddenly
from the roadside ahead Of them and
motioned them frantically to 60 back.
They're laid out along the fence wait
In fer ye," he warned them. "Git out
the road. Come by the fields. Fer the
| Lords sake, spreadw Then as sudden
| ly as he had appeared he dropped down
into the weeds again. Lige and those
with him paused, and the whole body
came to halt while the leaders con-
suited. There was q sound Of metallic
clicking and thin rattle Of steel. From
| far to the rear came the voice Of old
Wilkerson:
John Browns body lies a-moldering in
the ground,
John Browns body lies a-moldering in
the ground"
A few near him as they stood wait
ing began to take up the burden Of the
song singing it in slow time like
dirge. Then those farther away took
1t up. 1t spread. reached the leaders.
They. too. began to sing, taking off
their hats as they Joined in, and soon
the whole conc0urse, solemn, earnest,
uncovered, was singing-a thunderous
requiem for John Harkless.
The sun Vas swinging lower, and
the edges of the world were embroider-
ed with gold, while that deep volume
of sound shook the air, the song Of
stern. savage, just cause-sung perhaps
as some Of the ancestors Of these men
sang with Hampden before the kris-
tling walls of hostile city. 1t had
iron and steel in it. The men lying on
their guns in the ambuscade along the
fence heard the dirge rise and grow
to its mighty fullness, and they shiver-
ed. One Of them, posted nearest the
advGL& had his rifle carefully leveled
at Lige Willetts, fair target in the
road. When he heard the singing he
turned to the man next behind him
and laughed harshly, 81 reckon we'll
see a big jamboree other side Jordan
tonight, huh?"
The huge murmur Of the chorus ex-
panded and gathered in rhythmic
strength and swelled to power and
rolled and thundered across the plain.
John Browns body lies a-moldering in
John Browns body lies a-moldering in
the ground,
John Browns body lies a-moldering In
the ground.
His soul goes marching on!
Glory. glory. halleluiah!
Glory. glory, halleluiah!
Glory. glory. halleluiah!
His soul goes marching on!"
A gun spat fire from the higher
ground, and Willetts dropped where
lie stood. but was up again in a second,
with red line across his forehead
where the ball had grazed his temple.
| The mob spread out like fan, the
men climbing the fence and beginning
the advance through the fields. thus
closing OH the ambuscade from both
sides. Mr.. Watts. wading through the
high grass in the field north Of the
road. perceived the barrel of a gun
shining from the fence some distance
in front Of him and the same second,
although no weapon was seen in his
hand. discharged revolver at the
clump of grass and weeds behind the
gun. Instantly ten or. twelve men
leapcd from their hiding places along
the fences of both fields and firing
hurrcdly and harmlessly into the scat
tered ranks of the oncoming mob,
broke for the shelter of the houses,
where their fellows were posted. TAX
cn on the TANKS and from the rear,