Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-12-18
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A Romance of the American Revolution
BY w. GILMORE SIMMS

soup which he gives us; and the ugI
moccasin, and the toad, and the frol
the brown lizard and the green-th
swamp spider, with its ropy hous'
and bagging black body-al lthese ar
favorites with thee because thy spiri
Graves for thee a home like that which
they abide in."
1T is goodly place, with all tina
company thou speakest Of the air Il
pleasant to the sense, and the noises
there Is no music like the concert th'
frogs make for one at sunset"
said I not? Why, man, thou quar-
relest with kindness, when thou raw
est at Huck for sending thee to th'
swamp. Thou vert feverish and i'm
patient this morning until thou wer
fairly in 1t, with it's mud and wate
FLASHING around thee; and now thol
are here, with the trees crowding upor
us so thickly that the sun looks not un'
der them once in the whole year, thol
creepest like a terrapin upon thy jour
ney, as II thou didst greatly fear thol
wouldst too quickly get through it. A
barren fear, this, for we see but th'
beginning; the bog deepens, and th'
days grows darker as we go. Thou ar
slow, Travis"
Saint Jupiter, Master Clough
wouldst thou lead? Thou art bet
ter swamp sucker than Ned Travis
and he born, as I may say, in a busf
and Graded in a bog, and his firs
breeches, like mother Ewes petticoat
made out of bulrushes! Go to, friend
and be modest"
"Ay, when thou art wise, and car
go without counsel. Once more, Ira
Wis, but 1 do think thy snail's pace
were better mended."
Teach Goose Creek, would you
Talk not so loudly. Sergeant Clougf
Of running through the Cypress, or the
gray squirrel will look down and laugh
He's up betimes this morning, ant
knows more Of a long leap through
broad swamp like this Of the Ashley
than comes to thy wisdom. Speak be-
fore him with becoming reverence
for he watches thee from the pinetoI
above thee"
The sergeant, who was an English
man, looked upward with due simplic'
ity, and received in his face the dis
membered and decayed branch which
the playful animal threw down, as M
leaped away from the tree they were
passing.
Now, d-n the rebel! That were &
hanging matter for one of Washing
tons cavalry"
"Ay. could you catch him!" replied
Travis, with laugh at the discom-
future of his companion, and busted
himself in freeing his face from the
dust of the decayed branch.
See what thou gettest for thy stu
pidity. Think yon gray-jacket knew
not all you were saying? He did; moi
a word escaped him; and, believe it OF
not, his tribe have quite as much un-
derstanding as we, though, to be sure
they have not the same tongue to make
it known. It's Gods truth, now, thai
squirrel has been outstanding senine
for his company, just as ours watches
for us, and look where they go, al
around us, and in the same direction!
See to yon pine, how full Of them! II
bends and shakes, big as 1t is, as they
leap off to the next tree. They are
all off; just as the sentinel gave then
notice. Every now and then, as we
drew nigh, he barked away-bark af-
ter bark-'bow-w wow though thou new
er heard'st a syllable, all the time q!
good as saying: Now they come
higher, higher, nigher!'-and when ht
thought 1t time to move, he tumbleC
the dry branch into your open mouth
and made off with his last signals"
"Pshaw! what nonsense you talk"
Nonsense! Saint Jupiter, but it:
true as turpentine! There's no truth
if that be not. Why, man, go far
ther: l do believe, in my conscience
that they understand arithmetic anC
navigation. Don't you think he tolC
his fellows how many we were, ant
what route over the water we wert
going to take? You see they have TAX
en- a different direction altogether"
You think I swallow your foopt
stories" said Clough.
Quite as easy to swallow, and bet
ter food than the branch the squire
threw thee: but If thou believe not,
care not. Rot thee, for an infidel
Thou art worse than Turk or Hebrew
and should have no water from M
vert thou famishing."
Thou canSt scare deny II here,
was the reply, as the squad, one afte
the other. struggled through a quag
mire that spread across the path.
Nor would here: am charitable
take thy fill of what is before thee
But hold up, men; we are on the broat
track This tussock runs for a hun
dred yards. widening to fork; an
I've a mind that you shall go through
the worst part Of it, Sergeant Clougt
that you may get more wisdom Il
swamp sucking. Close up, men-clos
up"
They passed over the broad path Il
few moments, until they reached
point from which ran out anothe
route, clearly indicated upon the SIX
by an opening through the trees, whic
let in, for the first time after thei
entrance, the unobstructed sunlight.
ITO the right now, men-to tn
right! It's the worst track but carrie
us soonest to the heart of the swamI
and we can pass it now without swim
ming: the waters are going down, an
it will not be so bad, after all"
us it worse. Travis. than what W
have passed." inquired Clough, rathe
anXiOuSly.
"Worse!" exclaimed Travis, turnin
shortly upon the speaker, with sneer
saint Jupiter! said l not you shoul
| learn swamp sucking? You'll drin
before you come out. But the water
fresh"