Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-15

seemingly with painful effort, once
more elevated themselves to their old
position. Their sighings, as they did
so. were almost human to the ears Of
our crouching warriors. whom their
movement In part released. Far and
near. the moaning Of the forest around
them was strangely, but not unpleas-
antly, heightened in its effect upon
their senses, by the distant and de-
clining roar of the past and far trav-
cling hurricane, as ploughing the deep
woods and laying waste all In Its
progress. II rush on to q meeting with
the kindred storms that gather about
the gloomy Cape Hatteras. and stir
and foam along the waters Of the At
| lantic.
We'll, I'm glad it's no worse, ma
or" cried Humphries, rising am
| which he was covered. 1.-The danger
is now over, though it was mighty
close to our launches. Look, now, at
this pine. split all to shivers. and the
ters The poor beast would ha' been
in a sad fix a little to the left there"
Extricating themselves, they helped
their steeds out of the brush, though
with some ifficulty-soothing them
all the while with words Of encourage
ment. AS Humphries had already re-
| marked in his rude fashion. the horse.
at such moments, feels and acknowl-
| edges his dependence upon man, looks
to him for the bride, and flies to him
for protection. They were almost pas
sive in the hands Of their masters, and
under the unsubsided fear would have
followed them, like tame dogs, in any
direction.
The storm. though diminished Of its
terrors. still continued; but this did
not discourage the troopers. They
were soon mounted, and once more
upon their way The darkness. In
part. had been disslpated by the hur-
ricane. 1t had swept on to other. re-
gions, leaving behind it only detached
masses Of wind and clouds slug
gishly hanging. or fitfully flying along
the sky. These. though still sufficient
to defeat the light Of the moon, could
not altogether prevent struggling
ray which peeped out timidly at pauses
in the storm: and which, though 1t
could not illumine still contrived to
diminish somewhat the gloom and
forbidding character Of the scene.
Such CLEANS in the natural, are like
the assurances Of hope In the moral
world-they speak Of tomorrow-they
promise us that the clouds must pass
away-they cheer. when there is little
left to charm.
The path over which the partisans
journeyed had been little used, and
was greatly overgrown. They could
move but slowly. therefore, in the i'm
perfect light: and. but for the fire.
quent flashes of lightning 1t might
have been doubtful. though Humphries
knew the country whether they could
have found their way. But the same
agent which gave them light, had
nearly destroyed them. While Hum
phries. descending from his steed.
which he led by the bride. was look
ing about for a by-path that he eX-
pected to find in the neighborhood,
sudden stroke OF the lightning. and
| the overwhelming blaze which SEEM
ed to kindle all around them. and re-
cfa
drove back the now doubly terrified
steeds. and almost blinded their riders.
| That of Singleton sank upon his
launches, while Mossfoot. In her ter
ror. dragged Humphries. who still
grasped firmly his bride, to some little
distance in the woods. Sudden black
ness succeeded, save in one spot. where
4 tree smitten by the fluid, and was
now blazing along the OOZy gum at
it's sides. The line of fire was drawn
along the tree. up and down-a bright
| flame, that showed them more OF the
track they were pursuing than they
had seen before. In the first moment
following the cessation Of the tiercer
blaze made by the lightning. and when
the tree first began to extend q GER
tain light. Singleton thought he saw
through the copse the outline of hu-
man form. on foot. moving quickly
along the road above him. He called
quickly to Humphries, but the lieu
tenant was busy with his steed, and
did not seem to hear. Again was the
object visible and Singleton then cried
out
who goes there?-ho!"
| No answer: and the fugitive only
seemed to increase his speed. turning
asitle to the denser woods. as II he
strove to elude observation. The chal-
lenge was repeated.
What. no! there-whO goes? Speak,
az | shoot"
| He detached one Of his pistols from
the holster as he spoke, and cooked
II To he in readiness. Still no answer,
the person addressed moving more
quickly than ever. With the sight,
with an instinct like lightning. the
partiSan put spurs to his steed. and
drove fearlessly through the bush in
pursuit The fugitive now took fair
ly to his heels. leaping over fallen
tree. fully in sight Of his pursuer. In
a moment after. the steed went after
him-Humphries. by this time in sad
die. closely following on the heels OF
his commander. For moment the
object was lost to sight, but in the
next he appeared again.
stand" was the cry. and with 1t
the shot The ball rushed into the
bush which seemed to shelter the fly
ing man. and where they had last seen
him-they bounded to the spot but
nothing was To be seen.
He was here-you saw him. Hum
phries. did you not?'
"A bit of him. majOr-a small chance
of him behind the bush. but too little
"A mark for them pistols
M m