Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-11
CHAPTER I.
A Night Attack.

agely. Ghostly SHOWS still mantled
those dreary heights, and lent an ad-
ditional chill to the spring night. The
driver Of the Overland Mail company's
stage. and such passengers as had
climbed on the box with him, were
we'll blanketed against the cold. The
great boot was securely strapped down
over the baggage, and as there had
been a change Of horses few miles
back, Jehu, with a loud creaking or
springs, a cheerful rattling Of chains
and harness, was urging on his fresh
animals, and cracking his long whip,
by way of encouragement, over the
sensitive heads Of the leaders.
Inside the numbering vehicle was
we'll filled.
by jovei" muttered Guy Fleetwood,
deep in the fur coat collar, which he
had rolled up about his ears, as a pro-
lection against the cold, "night-travel
in the wilds of the west, afar from
railways and civilization, may be pic
turesque, but it Is also uncomfortable.
1 hope Bob Crawford keeps good fires
and generous larder at his ranch.
A glance through the stage window
revealed to him the old trail, winding
around and among great hills-the lat
ter covered with dwarf cedar and pin
on-and a night sky, pierced here and
there with solitary peaks, over which
the full moon was struggling In torn
gray fringes Of cloud. 1t was des-
olate. dreary picture. A new country
is rarely a cheerful one. Man is es-
sentially a social being, and Fleetwood,
with more interest than he had yet
felt, turned from the prospect without
to look at his fellow passengers.
A young Boston matron going to
join her husband on a lonely sheep
ranch; a severe, not to say. aggres-
sive, Yankee schoolma'am, in glasses
and brown serge; a Mexican trader,
reckless in his display Of flnger-rings
and watch chains; a professor OF geol-
ogy, with his bag Of tools and spec
linens; an Illinois judge; a minor
from Leadville, in a woolen hat and
red shirt, and two or three tourists,
nervous and irritable in their cramped
positions-these made the company.
The Illinois Judge suddenly caught
Fleetwood's eyes, and said:
Are you from the states. sir?"
NO" answered Fleetwood 'T am a
Canadian"
"Ha! a wonderful country this
great resources, undeveloped as yet.
You have some interest in the mines,
perhaps? Our neighbors across the
line frequently have"
Fleetwood shook his head. He was
a handsome young Saxon Of five and
twenty, with fair hair and violet eyes,
and the figure Of Greek athlete.
NO" he replied, Il have no invest
ments Of that sort"
He might have added that he had
come to Colorado to visit an old
friend, the proprietor of a sheep ranch,
and taste the wild freedom Of the
west-perhaps even to locate here,
should the life of a ranchman seem
to meet his requirements. But it did
not suit Fleetwood to make further
communications, so he turned his eyes
again to the distant peaks, and the
cedar fringed foothills, and the strug-
Cling moon in its bank Of cloud.
And then, after the fashion Of all
wanderers to whom home and kim
dred are precious, he began to wonder
If all was right tonight in his own do
main far away-the little Canadian
kingdom where he had always ruled
like a prince. He thought Of his lady
mother, so proud of her one only son.
He thought of his work people, Of
his dogs and horses even, and hoped no
i'll had befallen any Of them since his
departure. Was all right with his pref
ty cousin, Maude LOTUS, in the Yam
kee boarding school where she was
acquiring the womanly accomplish
rnents which would enable her to
shine as the future Mrs Fleetwood in
social circles Of Quebec? Suppose the
western fever which now possessed
him should lead him to pitch his tent
in the shadow Of these Colorado peaks,
would Maud be content with a home
here? Would she leave the luXuries Of
civilization. as his fellow passenger, the
little Boston wife, had done, for Loves
sweet sake? He answered his own
queries with shrug Of the shoulders.
Maude had weakness for the pleas
ant things Of life. He could scarcely
expect a girl like her to take kindly
to a Colorado sheep ranch. At this
juneture the little Boston wife spoke.
Il hope" she said. timidly, to the
schoolma' am in brown serge, II hope,
Miss Grey. that we shall not meet any
Of those dreadful road agents that the
people at Leadville were talking
about"
Miss Grey clutched her big umbrel-
la,
with such q preponderance Of males
In this vehicle" she answered, in a
sarcastic tone. surely you and I have
nothing to fear"
The judge grinned.
There's a fellow working in this re-
gion, madam, who is the king of the
road agents Sometimes he's called
Black Dave, sometimes Tiger Chief
either name suits him. but he never
robs a woman, II is said. Like Claude
Duval Of old. he has a great reputa-
tion for gallantry.'
But God pity the man that falls
into his hands," said a voice on an
other seat, for he shoots to kill, as
they say on the frontier"
A sudden ripple Of excitement SEEM
ed to stir the passengers. The profess
sor shuddered, the dark face Of the
Mexican trader turned shade whittier
and one of the tourists, little man.
half lost in a big gray coat. clapped a
hand to his boot with a motion so sig
nifcant that Fleetwood was fain to
laugh behind his fur collar.
II hope nobody is travelling in this
stage with money about EN-" drawled
the Judge, for Black Dave can scent