Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-29


blue, continual glare Of the lightning
played on the dead face Of the Kendall
in the coffin with wicked brilliancy.
The task of digging the grave was
a long and laborious one. Before 1t
was ended a streak of gray dawn be-
gan to show in the bleak east. At sight
of this the men in scarlet grew impa-
tient.
Hurry. Dave Kendall!" they shout
ed.
1T Is finished!" answered Kendall,
throwing down shovel and spade be-
side the new-made grave
"That is WELL" said the scarlet men.
Now take up your coffin and lower
1t in"
Groaning aloud, Dave Kendall knelt
on the edge Of the grave and strove to
obey. There was no rope for the cof-
fin, and half way down, against some
projecting rock, it stuck fast and re-
fused to descend.
THAT will never do" said one Of the
scarlet men. "Comrade, you must go
down and set 1t Alright"
mot l." answered the other; here
Is Kendall; let him go! 1t Is his grave,
and in it he shall lie, and in 1t he
shall rot. Ha! hal"
With yell they rushed together up
on him. Kendall caught up the spade
from the side of the grave.
Now, forgive and help me, Oh, Lord
Jesus!" he screamed.
At sound of that name, a shrek OF
baff1ed rage broke from the scarlet
men. Kendall smote once with the
spade to the right and to the left. The
cooked hats went whirling into the
open grave together; the two scarlet
figures tumbled after. Dave Kendall
dropped his weapon and tearing across
the little hillocks and the low head
stones, banged to the creaking gate Of
the churchyard, and ran wildly across
the fields.
All through the gray day-dawn he
wandered on. Gradually all fear left
him. A feeling of peace and security
and deep repentance took Its place.
That he had seen the last Of his mer-
ciless enemy he felt and knew. And
then, lifting up his eyes, Dave Kendall
beheld, close before him, two lonely
cross roads and an old inn standing
in their fork, its gables reddenins with
the first light of the rising sun.
The innkeeper received him at the
door.
"Come in, Dave Kendall" he cried;
come in; the paymaster's money Is
waiting for ye, thank the Lord
1.-The paymasters money" echoed
this poor, jaded, repentent sinner.
Don't joke with me, for Gods sake!
What do ye say?"
The old man dragged him into the
room beyond, and showed him lying on
the table there, amid the wreck Of the
last nights orgie, the knapsack, and,
within it, the paymaster's money, safe
and sound.
Then Molly appeared. and with eyes
red from weeping ran up to him and
clasped him joyfully round the neck
Sitting down betwixt the two, Ken
dall related the adventures Of the
Hight
EaThey showed the money into the
knapsack and flung It down there"
said the innkeeper, "just as ye see.
Dave Kendall, who do ye think 1t was
that came here to gamble with ye last
night?"
1.-The devil" answered Kendall.
"Just so; and dear enough ye've
paid for it."
Then the poor fellow, holding his
sweetheart to his breast, knelt there
on the hearth of the inn, and swore
mighty oath that no drop Of strong
drink should ever pass his lips in life
again, and no card taint his hand.
This oath was most righteously kept.
Such was the story Kendall lived to
tell for a half century after. The pay
masters wife received her money;
Molly married her penitent lover; but
the mystery Of that night was never
cleared away. The incredulous called
1t an attack Of delirium tremens, or
practical joke, shared, perhaps. with
the old innkeeper; but, to his dying
day, Kendall stoutly declared that a
man lived who had looked upon the
devil, and beaten him. too, in hand
to-hand encounter, and that that man
was himself.