Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-28
and don't forget, If anything happens


thought to be overcautious.
The sun had sank beneath the rim
of the mountains when I reached the
deserted diggings and caught sight Of
q thin, blue smoke curling upward
from one of the cabins that was scat
tered about, which had once sheltered
the miners, and knew 1t to mark the
abode of Old Sharkey. It was still
some distance off. and made my way
slowly over the ground that much re-
sembled a mole-hill; for there were
shafts and tunnels and piles Of dirt
thrown up In every direction. Appar-
entity claims had not been given up un-
til every inch of ground had been dug
over, and every hope OF labor being
repaid. AS passed the black, yawn-
ing mouths Of these shafts that were
scattered plentifuHy on either hand, I
could hardly repress shudder when 1
thought of the story Mason had told.
Surely, IL Sharkey was the villain he
had pictured him, he could not ask for
a better place to deposit the bodies Of
his victims than casting them there
in, where 1t would defy the sharp
eyes of the law to ferret them out.
I had been so brave In the face Of
the warnings Of my friend that 1t
would never do to turn coward now,
and at that moment catching sight Of
a man sitting just outside the doorway
of the cabin from whence the smoke
was rising, smoking his pipe and
watching my advance, 1 hurried my
steps, and in a few minutes stood face
to face with the stranger, who, from
the description 1 had received, knew
could be no other than Old Sharkey
himself
People who had described him as al
favored had not done him injustice;
from the first glance I thought had
never seen a more repulsive coun'e-
nance in my life. His eyes were deep
set, and overhung by a mass Of huge,
bushy eyebrows; a forehead low. and
sloping abruptly backward, and crown
ed by a nondescript sort of an article
that might be called by courtesy q
hat: a long hook nose, a cavernous
mouth, in which a solitary fang-like
tooth alone was visible, and a chin
on which a scanty beard. nearly white.
served only to add to his general II,
favor: and before he spoke had rap
idly come to the conclusion that peo-
pie had grounds for distrust-that
though a man with such a counte-
nance might be honest, ten to one he
was the villain his looks showed him
to be.
He removed his pipe from his lips as
came up. and bade ME good-evening.
in a voice harsh and discordant as
were his features, and motioned me to
take a seat on a bench that was
standing against the side Of the cabin
close beside him.
where from, stranger" he asked,
as he gave me a rapid glance from be-
meath his huge eyebrows.
told him. and asked him II he could
accommodate me with the shelter of
his cabin that night.
Certainly. stranger. There ain't
much here to tempt fellow to keep
company but then, perhaps It's better
than camping out and no telling what
sort Of company you may have before
morning"
To this 1 assented, though thought,
as I noticed the leer that accompanied
1t, that could not have any worse
company than I was favored with now.
II suppose you are hungry, so come
in, and we'll see what we can find to
stow away inside and drive out the
cold. I wish we had something to
drink, but just now my cabin happens
to be as dry as a bone"
The old man rose from his seat at
my replying in assent to his first OBJ
servation, and as I followed him into
the cabin, could not help seeing
that his gait was about in keeping
with his face, but then, without doubt,
both were his misfortunes. He prob
ably could not help his looks, and one
leg seemed at least a couple Of inches
shorter than the other, and I was
forced to admit that people In de-
scribing him had done him no In
Justice.
The cabin was divided into two
apartments, and In the outer one, that
contained a rude bed, table, and few
rough benches, 1 took a seat, while
Old Sharkey hustled round, and soon
had quite a substantial supper placed
on the table, to which I did ample
Justice; and when the meal was over,
and my companion was so cheerful
like, almost imperceptibly my distrust
of him began to vanish; and when the
time had come for retiring, I had ar
rived at the opinion that I had been
guilty Of suspecting my host, and that
he had been unjustly accused Of the
high crimes that people laid to his
charge.
HOW near tight was, was oShioh
strated before morning dawned.
It was between nine and ten that
I expressed a wish to retire, and was
shown by my host into the other
apartment, where, sitting down the
light and wishing me good night, he
left me, going out and closing the
door behind him.
I hardly know how it was, but no
sooner was 1 left alone, than a por-
ton of suspicious were aroused, and
remembered, with chagrin, that 1
had intimated to my host the nature
of my errand to town, and also that
I had been very successful at the
mines.
The words had seemed to have es-
capped my lips against my better judg-
ment. and before was aware that 1
had admitted so much. However.
there was no help for It, and striving
to return to my late conclusion that
had nothing to fear. I placed my
pistols carefully beneath my pillow,
where I could lay my hands on them
at a moments notice, and then throw
ing myself on the bed, essayed to
sleep.
The room was as dark as pitch, for