Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-20
CHAPTER XII.
1T was a dreamy mountain land,


And Murder, with his purple hand,
Reign'd sovereign Ger the bloody
ground"
From the lines of Westchester Col
onel Burr repaired to Newberg, where
he remained for some time the honored
guest of General McDougall. Oppressed
by mental anxiety even more than by
physical suffering, he fingered for
weeks on the very verge of the grave.
At last his temperate habits triumph
ed, and the healthy current began TO
creep slowly back to his shrunken
veins. In the month Of June the Brit
ish, in large force, made threatening
demonstrations against West Point,
and General McDougall, justly alarmed
for the safety Of the place, sought by
every means to open communications
with General Washington; but this
was a work of no ordinary difficulty
for the British had so posted bodies OF
Tories on the roads and among the
mountain passes as to render the de-
struction of any small party or the
capture of a single messenger almost
certain. General McDougall made re-
peated efforts to convey intelligence TO
the commanderin In chief, but all proved
abortive. When these facts came TO
Colonel Burr's knowledge, feeble and
emaciated as he was, he volunteered
to undertake what so many had failed
to accomplish The general at first
demonstrated, but finally yielded to
Burr's urgent solicitations, and, giving
him only verbal instructions, dispatch
ed him on his journey. Well armed,
and mounted on a good strong horse,
he set out early in the morning on his
dangerous mission. Toward nightfall,
when approaching one of the most diff
ficult passes of the mountain, he OBJ
served a man step from the bushes
few yards in advance of him and turn
leisurely up the road, giving, apparent
ly, little heed to the horseman of whose
presence he could not fail to be aware.
He was dressed in the common garb OF
the country, and carried no visible wea-
pom of any kind. Those were days
when prudent men seldom went abroad
unarmed; but Burr inwardly thought
that If any one was justifiable in neg
lecting that precaution, 1t was the pow
erful figure before him. Not more than
five feet six inches in height, his should
ers were Of herculean breadth, and
over his ample chest the bones were
laid in thick curved plates that would
have bid defiance to the hug of a Nor
wegian bear. His thigh was so long as
almost to amount to deformity, and
over it was twisted a network OF
muscles as hard and much more elas-
tic than steel. The short space be-
tween the knee and the ankle Joint was
almost entirely filled by the swelling
calf; and the broad feet looked like pc
destals to a mighty statue. He raised
his head when Colonel Burr rode up
alongside, and exhibited a countenance
that would have been singularly pleas
ing but for the fierce light which flash
ed from his dark hazel eyes.
Good evening"" he said in natural,
unaffected tone. DO you travel far on
this road?
Perhaps So" was the reply. Per
haps not"
Shy, eh! Shy and skittish! That
looks bad"
why so? These are not times, nor
is this a country in which man can
safely tell his secrets to every person
he may chance to meet on the high
way"
We'll, there is some truth in that;
and il was none of my business, any
how
But although thus disclaiming any
interest in the motions of his compan-
ion, the sturdy footman kept within
grasp of the bridle-rein, quickening or
slackening his pace to suit the gait Of
the animal Burr could not fail to no
tice that, move as he would, the rela-
tive distance between them was always
the same. His quick eye, too, had de-
tected the butt of a heavy pistol be-
meath the coarse frock- coat worn by
the countryman, and he doubted not
that other weapons were concealed by
the same friendly cover. Believing
from these indications that the pur-
noses of his new acquaintance were In
nowise friendly he thought it more ad-
yisable to bring on the struggle at
once than to allow his adversary the
selection of his own time and place.
What is that" he suddenly asked,
pointed to a stunted beach-tree on the
mountain side. The man turned his
head for a moment, and only for mo-
ment. but it was enough. The steed
was reined sharply back, and snatch
ing a pistol from his holsters, Burr lev
eled it full at the head of his peril
nacious companion, at the same time
sternly demanding
WHO are you? and for what are you
dogging my steps,"
The pistol was double charged; 1t
was held by a hand never known to
tremble in the hour of danger; the least
motion of his arm the scraping even
of a foot, and the giant pedestrian
would have been launched into eter-
nity. His eye caught that of Burr as
he turned, and his own fierce gaze sank
under the overwhelming power of that
steady look which no living thing ever
encountered unmoved. 1t was not an
ger that flashed from those large orbs,
nor courage, nor determination merely,
but all these combined; and added to
them was a nameless spell which carried
with it an irresistible conviction that
whatever they threatened was certain
to be performed You felt that it was
the glance of doom-that there were
no chances to take, no wavering, no
hesitation to hope for. You saw that
the mans whole soul was aroused that
all his energies were alive and active
and you knew that it would be as safe
to play with the lightnings torKeo
dart. The bold strong animal qualieo
in the presence of a master-spirit' and
IN a tone resembling the winning
erowl of a chained and conquered
hear. he answered.
.DE,, mama ic AleXiS Durand.