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

GS gly. oftener in company. AT
o'clock the last posse passed through
on its return to the county seat, and
after that there was long, complete
silence, while the miry corners were
undisturbed by q single hoof beat. No
unkempt colt nickered from his musty
stall. The sparse young corn that used
to nod and chuckle greenly stood rigid
in the fields. Up the Plattville pike
despairingly cackled one old hen, with
her wabbling, sailor run. smit with
superstitious horror of nothing. She
Lid herself in the shadow underneath
q rickety barn and was still.
Only on the Windy farm were there
signs Of life. The old lady who had
sent Harkless roses sat by the window
all morning and wiped her eyes. watch
ing the horsemen ride by. Sometimes
they would hail her and tell her there
was nothing yet. About 2 o'clock her
husband ratified up in blackboard and
got out the shotgun of the late and
more authentic Mr.. Windy. This he
carefully cleaned and oiled in spite of
It's hammerless and quite useless con-
dition, sitting meanwhile by the win
dow opposite his wife and often look
ing up from his work to shake his
weak fist at his neighbors' domiciles
and creak decrepit curses and denun-
Citations.
But the Crossroads was ready. 1t
knew what was coming now. Fright
ened. desperate. sullen. it was ready.
The afternoon wore on. and longthen-
ing shadows fell upon pcaceful-one
would have said sleeping-country
The sun dried pike. already dusty.
stretched it's serene length between
green borders flecked with purple and
yellow and white weed flowers. and
the tree shadows were not shade, but
warm blue and lavender glows in the
general pervasion of still. bright light;
the sky curving its deep. unburnished,
penetrable blue over all with no sim
gle drift OF fleece upon it to be reflect.
ed in the creek that wound along past
willow and sycamore. dimplcd but un.
murmuring. \ woodpecker's telegra.
ply broke the quiet like volley Of
pistol shots.
But far eastward on the pike there
slowly developed soft, white haze
1t grew denser and larger and grad
ually rolled nearer. Dimly behind 1t
could be discerned darker, moving
nucleus that extended far back upon
the road.
A heavy tremor began to stir the air;
faint. manifold sounds, waxing, in.
creasing, multitudinous rumor.
The pike ascended a long, slight slope
leading west up to the Crossroads.
From thicket Of ironweed at the
foot of this slope was thrust the visage
Of an undcrszed girl Of fourteen. Her
fierce eyes examined the approaching
cloud of dust intently. A redness rose
under the burnt yellow skin and COL
ored the wizened cheeks.
They were coming.
She stepped quickly out Of the tangls
and darted up the road. She ran with
the speed Of fleet little terrier, not
opening her lips, not calling out, but
holding her two thin hands high above
her head; that was all. But Birnam
wood was come to Dunsinane at last,
and the messenger sped. Out Of the
weeds in the corner of the snake fence,
in the upper part Of the rise, silently
lifted the heads of men whose sallow-
ness became a sickish white as the child
flew by.
The mob was carefully organized.
They had taken their time and had
prepared everything deliberately, know
ing that nothing could stop them. No
one had any thought Of concealment;
it was all as open as the light Of day,
all done in the broad sunshine. Moth
ing had been determined as to what
was to be done at the Crossroads more
definite than that the place was to be