Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-14

IWnlcn l am gong 10 SEM you, III,
friend you will be obliged to keer
your discovery to YOURSELF
"And then he gave the signal, ano
the next instant, war swinging in the
lair, and every man leaped into his
saddle, and like the wind the whole
lgang went Gathering back toward the
lgulch, and left me to the crows and
lbuzzards
"Well, sir, you must know that
wasn't hung, from the fact that I'm
a-sitting here by your bunk this bless
ed minute, alive and hearty-all OF
(which happens because Mr.. Robert
Crawford went down to New Mexico
one day, to buy sheep, and on the way
home, some OF the drove went astray
and in searching for 'em with his herd
er Mexican Juan, 10 and behold! the
two came upon what they thought wal
a dead man, swinging from the
branch Of a tree. OF course, they
whipped out knife and cut me down
and they poured brandy into my
mouth, and worked over me, master
and man, till they brought me back to
life: and when my wits came again
sir, and l thought over all that had
happened, and felt the marks OF the
lariat around my swollen and black
ened throat, / war reformed man, and
I went down on my knees to Robert
Crawford in gamma grass. and made
clean breast of everything, and beg
ged him to hide me for a while, and
give me honest work. 1 had got my
fill of Black Dave, and Of evil courses
generally. And Robert Crawford be-
ing a merciful gentleman, took pity on
me, and disguised me in some OF
Juans clothes, and he made good speed
away from the vicinity Of the gulch;
for If the robbers had caught us there
we would all have shared one fate, and
Mr.. Crawford brought me along to this
ranch with him as herder, and here
T have lived like an honest man ever
since"
Hoxie stopped to take breath. 1t
was evident that the narrative had af-
fected him deeply-great drops OF
sweat stood on his leathery forehead
he put his hand unconsciously to his
throat, as if he still felt Tightening OF
Black Dawes lariat there.
Theirs one thing more, SIR" he said,
at last, with slow, solemn emphasis:
"Tve got a conviction that Black Dave
knows l escaped him that day-knows
1 wasn't hung-knows some body saw
ed me, and he'll kill me anywhere, and
any time at sight. If I'd have opened
the door to him the night he dropped
you at this threshold. that would have
been the last Of Hoxie. I've never got
over my terror of the man, l never
shall get over it-perhaps it's because
he was born to kill mel"
| Fleetwood, deeply impressed by the
herders story, answered, with assum-
ed carelessness:
| Pooh! the chances are very small,
Hoxie, that either you or I will ever
encounter the scoundrel again. The
career Of such a man is never long. A
rope in the hands Of the vigilants Will
sooner or later put an end to his ex-
ploits. But the thing which interests
me deepest in your narrative is that
letter from the girl in Maine. What a
pity that you didn't have the time to
read it all! BY Jove! a queer sort OF
person the daughter Of such man
must be! 1t makes one shudder to
think Of It! OF course Dave must be
eastern born himself"
That's what l alters said, sir"
Look here, Hoxie, do you remember
the girls address? You said Black
Dave had written it on his letter. you
know?"
Il re" m! Dave came within an
ace Of strangling me; but that didn't
destroy my memory, SIR and then, TO
make sure that I'd never forget 1t,
went and wrote it down in black and
white, and a thousand times I've sworn
to myself that If ever l should go east
would hunt out that air town and
that air woman, and see for myself
what both were like"
by Jove! Hoxie, l wonder you
haven't done it before this time"
Hoxie shook his head gloomily.
81 shall never go east, sir-I shall
live and die on this ranch; but smil-
ing a little as sudden thought struck
him, whats to hinder you, sir, from
looking up the person? Mr.. Crawford
sez you won't be content here in Col
orado-sez you'll be going back to
Canada as soon as you git strong
again; and Canada, as every scholar
knows, is nigh to Maine"
Fleetwood's blonde face grew blank
then he laughed.
"Hoxie, that is brilliant idea!
have a passion for mysteries, even
when they come in the form Of disrep-
utable people. wonder what deal
papa had given the girl on her birth
day, and with whose money the gift
was bought? Hoxie, where is that ad-
dress?"
Hoxie thrust a hand into the pocket
Of his deerskin shirt, fumbled there
for a space, and finally from wrapper
of sheepskin, drew forth and unfoldeo
a bit of dirty paper. Fleetwood snatch
ed it with strange eagerness, and read
these words:
Miss Concordia Tempest, Cinderville
Maine"
Isn't that a rum sort of name, sir?'
said Hoxie.
Are you sure you have it right?'
said Fleetwood. After the choking yor
got, Hoxie, your mind might have gone
astray."
NO" protested HoXie, that's 1T, sir
letter for letter. l can read as we'll a:
the best of folks, and l swear to yot
that's the address as Dave had it wri
on the envelope, ready to post when ht
should get the chance, sir"
"Oh, this is too much!" cried Fleet
wood. gayly "Concordia Tempest!
rose by any other name would smel
49,