Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-12
CHAPTER XXXVI.

TOO long a laggard, he hath stood,
Until the hearth was drenched In
blood,
Until the tyrant grew
All reckless, in his bloody game;
The cities proud, he wrapped In
flame,
Their brave defenders slew"
The young partisan, Frampton, to
whom Singleton had intrusted so lead
ing a part in the enterprise, had well
fulfilled the duty assigned him. He
put himself in readiness with the first
appearance of the marauders; ana,
with a heart throbbing with anxiety
all the while, witnessed impatiently
the progress of the preceding scene,
until broken by the emphatic utter
ance of the signal, and his own
prompt obedience to its dictates.
Then, with an instinct, which in that
moment silenced and stilled the quick
pulsations of his breast, he raised the
deadly weapon to his shoulder: and,
with determined GOODNESS that arose,
as IL were from a desire to convince
himself, not less than his commander,
that he could be firm, he twice varied
his aim, until perfectly assured, when
he drew the trigger, and most oppor-
tunely singled out a different victim
from the one whom Gaskens had con-
templated for the fatal sisters, in the
person of that foul murderer himself.
There was a moment of dreadful
pause after this event. The rope fell
from the hands of the executioner,
and his eyes, and the eyes of all, were
turned in doubt and astonishment up
on the quarter from whence the dead
ly missile had proceeded. The con-
demned man seized the opportunity to
throw from his body the lifeless car
case of the slain Tory; and not doubt
ing that further aid was at hand, and
looking for q closer struggle between
the parties, in which his condition did
not suffer him to hope to share, he
crawled along the hill for shelter to
the neighboring tree. His effort was
interrupted; for, in the next moment,
another and another shot selected
their victim; then came the full VOL
lev: and then the loud voice of Single
ton, as. plunging through the copse,
he led the way for his men, who
charged the confused and terrified To-
ries on every side. They scarcely
showed sign of fight. One or two Of
fered resistance boldly, and with as
much skill as resolution; but they
were soon overpowered, as they re-
ceived no support from their COM
rades, who were now scampering In
the bushes in every direction. The
surprise had been complete; not a
man was seriously hurt among the
Wings, while every rifle, fired In the
first of the fray, had told fatally upon
its victim. Seven were slain outright,
few more sabred, and some few were
made prisoners-the rest took the
back track into the woods, and though
pursued, contrived, with few eXcep-
tions, to make their escape.
The boy, Lance, meanwhile, had
we'll performed the other duty which
had been given to his charge. The
conflict, pellmell, had scarcely begun,
when, slipping noiselessly round to
the hollow where the prisoners were
confined, so as not to arouse the no.
| tice of the two SentinelS who had them
| in custody-and whose eyes were now
turned in surprise upon the unlocked
| for contest-he cut the cords which
bound them: and, prompt as himself
they were no sooner free, than they
seized upon their guards and disarmed
| them. The ropes were transferred to
other hands than their own. This was
all the work Of an instant; so, indeed
was the affray itself; and the first OBJ
ject that met the eyes Of Singleton as
he returned from the charge to the
spot where it first began, was the per-
son of the boy, Lance, bending over
the man he had shot. and curiously In
specting the bullet-hole which he had