Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-10

A broad brimmed slouched hat con.
cealed the upper part Of his face
land a horseman's cloak claspe6
around the neck performed the same
service for his body. Watching fol
a favorable moment when the crowd
around and in front of him had con.
siderably thinned, he seized the arm
Of the prisoner and said, in a hoarse
Whisper
John Roberts-do you know me"
There was no response; but sud-
den change Of countenance told
plainly enough that he was recog-
nized. Instantly a broad steel blade
glittered in the candlelight-a low
dull sound followed Its descent; the
officer whose hand was upon Rob-
erts's arm felt him shudder, and
heard him family murmur, II am
a dead man." Without another word
he sank bleeding on the floor. Be-
fore those Immediately around COM
pretended the terrible deed which
had been committed, the murderer
bounded from the door, and was lost
amid the crowd.
| 1t was later than usual the next
day when Colonel Burr repaired to
his office. Durand had been for some
time awaiting his arrival. After the
first saIutation was over, he said,-
"I am going beyond the mountains,
colonel, and have come to say good
by"
| Going beyond the mountains.
For what? The evidence Of yester-
day showed you were engaged in a
prosperous business, and you surely
cannot think that 1t will be lessened
by the events of the trial?"
mo, 1t is not that. The fact Is.
the business never suited me. I can
work, and have worked, rather than
starve or beg; but during the seven
years service in the wars man will
acquire habits and tastes not easily
shaken off. 1 am weary and lone
some here in the city, and long 70
be in the free woods, with a knife
in my belt and a rifle on my should
er."
Colonel Burr was not deceived by
the apparently natural reason as
signed by Durand for his sudden de-
termination. He remembered what
Jenkins had said Of a similar pur-
pose, and at once connected them to-
gether. He had scarcely any doubt
as to who had stabbed Roberts In
the courtroom, and felt that IT
would be useless to dissuade Durand
from his purpose.
1T seems to me that you have 9TH
er reasons" he replied, but have no
right to pry into your secrets, and
If your mind is made up upon
grounds that you consider sufficient,
1 will not attempt to change it. Can
1 do anything for you before you
go?"
Nothing that can think Of. Ny
money has been returned to me, and
I have more than enough 10 buy two
good rifles and such other articles as
will be needful in life among the
savages. You must not think, colo
mel, that 1 have any secrets 1 wish to
hide from you. There is something
on my mind that l doubt whether l
ought to tell you; not on my account,
but your own. Nor is it exactly my
secret either, though to a certain ex-
tent 1 am involved in it,
"I expect ! can guess it. Indeed,
1 know enough to be assured can.
You need not, therefore, say anything
about It,"
I'm that case you must know all.
You might guess too much or too
little, and think less Of me, or Of one
who is very dear to me, than 1 would
| have you do. 1t was Bill Jenkins
who killed Roberts last night while
in the hands Of an officer Of the law.
I left the courtroom you remember,
as soon as the verdict was rendered,
and went directly to a tavern to pro-
cure refreshments and a nights
lodging Not long after l got there,
|
came My mind misgave me, and l
determined to hunt up Bill Jenkins.
While in prison he had given me a
clue to all his haunts, and 1 had no
doubt of finding him. The only diff
fculty lay in getting on the street
without attracting observation. /
was known at the tavern, and the
whole trial had been so remarkable,
that l was an object of curiosity to
every one who came in. The front
room was crowded, notwithstanding
the lateness of the hour, and II l
went out 1t would be sure to excite
although I had but little appetite. in
the hope that they would disperse.
Some did go, but many remained.
| had ordered a fire to be lighted
in my room, and was just about re-
uuesting the landlord to show me to
1t, when Jenkins himself walked in.
| had observed him in the court
room, so disguised that no eye but
mine could have detected him. His
L
dress was now so entirely different.
The whiskers, mustache. and wig
were gone-the slouched hat and
horseman's cloak had also disappear
ed His manner was easy and unem-
barrassed, and he congratulated me
upon my acquittal in a voice so per-
fectly natural, that no one, who did
not know him as l did, would have
believed it possible for him to have
been an actor in the bloody scene
which had just transpired. He called
for a glass of rum at the bar, invited
me and others to join him, and be-
haved exactly as a man innocent of
any offense, and rejoiced at the es-
cape of a friend from a great dan
ger, would be expected to behave.
After he had taken another drink. he
said aloud in the hearing Of those
present, that he had come 10 pass
the first night Of liberty with me,
and suggested that 1 must have been
kept awake by anxiety for several
preceding nights, we had better re-
tire. On entering my room, he lock-
| "a tho joor opd oarafully sound ed