Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-26

him be quiet.
But we must not let the poor devil
drown, Bill"
I'VE must do our duty-we must
not expose ourselves IL we can help
it, Porgy. His life is nothing to our
own; and we don't know who comes
behind him"
That's true: d-n the fellow-let
him drowni who cares?"
Meanwhile, swimming feebly, str1k-
ing with one hand while the other de-
rived a feeble support from the rails,
the stranger moved forward. But It
was soon evident that his strength
was that of a child, in opposition to
the current He StroVe desperately
to keep a direct course over the water
but every movement carried him out
Of his line, and the sweeping stream
resisted, and rendered futile, the fee
BILE dash of his hand, with which,
striking with exhausted muscles, but
no little will, he labored, as earnest
ly as vainly, to make his way across.
AS he advanced further within the
current, he found himself still less
able to contend with 1t; and the par
tisans, from their place of watch,
could now see that his almost pow
erless hand was just raised above the
water, dropping into it feebly, at long
and increasing intervals, without i'm
pulsion, and taking no purchase from
the stream. He certainly ceased to
advance, and his movement now was
only with the current.
1--WE must help him Humphries,
my dear fellow, or he will drown and
be i'd" said Porgy.
"Oh, yes, sir-do let us help him."
exclaimed Lance, who had watched
.I. ,,.ftl infu
him starting anxiously, with every
movement of the swimmer.
IF it must be done, Porgy." said
Humphries, in reply, there's only
one of us that can do it. The dug
out won't carry more, and I'm the
best hand at the paddles. So keep
cool and quiet-don't cry out, for we
don't know but the Tories may be af-
ter the fellow, or maybe the British;
and IL they guess at Marion's men be-
ing in the swamp, it'll break up all
our schemes. Lie close, and If the
chap can keep above water till l get
to him, I'll save him.
With the words, descending quickly
from the bluff, Humphries took the
skiff: and the little canoe, under his
powerful arms, soon shot from the
concealing bush where Lance had LETT
it. 1t was not long before the swim
mer saw him, and he shouted JOYFUL
ly, but very family, at the sight. The
tones were so feeble that the boatman
threw all his skill and strength into
his paddle sparing no effort to reach
him, as he felt assured that the man
could not long continue the struggle
with the heavy setting current or the
river.
Keep up, keep up" Humphries
cried out to him in encouragement;
keep up for a little while-only few
minutes more, my poor FELLOW, ana
I'll fish you up like an OYSTER
Words, but so faint as to be undis-
tinguishable reached Humphries from
the swimmer in reply. The sounds
only were audible, but none of the
syllables. The canoe, light as feath-
er, was sent more rapidly than first
towards the speaker, as Humphrles
felt more and more the necessity OF
speed. 1t whirled on nearer and near
er, and Lance started up, and clapped
his hands In delight, as he beheld the
swimmer throwing aside his frail sup
port, and grasping firmly the gunwale
Of the little bark that had so oppor-
tunely come to his assistance. Sup
ported, without effort on his own
part, by holding upon it's little sides,
the man was brought safely to shore;
Humphries, with all the dexterity OF
the Indian, having trimmed and pro-
PEELED his frail canoe, even though
thus encumbered, with little fatigue
and apparently as little effort. The
exhausted swimmer was carried into
camp, and soon recovered sufficiently
to unfold his intelligence to the COM
mander of the partisans in person.