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

nor heat behind. He worked till the
sweat poured off him like rain-all
with the same result. The fire began
to die out.
Then strange, fearful shadows took
shape around him. Overhead his own
dead face glared down with fixed,
CLASSY eyes. AS the blue blaze below
lessened the gaunt limbs Strengthened
rigidly out on the fork, and swinging
slow in the currents Of air, stretched
its long palsied arms to the luckless
wight below.
Human nature could endure this no
longer. Kendall looked at the scarlet
men. They lay motionless, breathing
heavily. With one desperate kick that
scattered the remnants Of the brands
and sent the dead man on the fork
flying into empty space, Kendall made
for the door. 1t opened and closed
upon him. For the third time that
night he fled away, for life itself.
Through the dark and the storm.
Away! away He scurries over
lonely miles Of rain-beaten fields again,
full of the very blackness Of darkness.
Again the awful faintness and exhaus-
tion creep upon him. He stops to lis
ten. His foe Is baffied. There Is no
sign Of pursuit All is still. All? He
is standing in a highway bordered by
a deep hedge. From under this faint
stir of animal life greets him-a muf-
fled grunt deep down in the sheltered
leaves. He looks over and sees be-
meath him the warm bed Of litter of
young pigs and their mother, nesting
together there in sweet repose.
Kendall staggered over the hedge
and crawled on hands and knees into
this humble shelter. He lay down,
giddy and sick. The warmth Of the
nest struck gratefully to his wet,
numbed body. Gradually sleep began
to steal over him. His eyes closed.
Tramp, tramp, tramp! above there
in the open highway. The noise awoke
him instantly. 1t drew nearer and
nearer, and stopped beside the hedge.
"Comrade," said a voice that turned
the blood to ice in Kendall's veins, "you
must take this coffin now-it Is grow
ing heavy. 1 will carry 1t no further"
mot II" answered the other, with a
laugh. Here is Kendall under the
hedge. Call him out and let him car
ry it."
A pang Of despair smote the hunted
man, as, looking up, he saw the two
pale faces, under the scarlet cooked
hats, leering down at him from the top
of the hedge. With shouts Of laughter
they dragged him into the road. A
sudden blue glare Of lightning lit up
the scene then, and Kendall saw, lying
at his feet, black coffin, the lid
thrown back, and within, his own dead,
clammy face staring blankly up at
him.
Pick that up!" said one Of the scar
let men, "and come with us, Dave
Kendall"
Kendall, with a groan, shouldered
the coffin. It's enormous weight bent
him nearly double. One of the scarlet
men went before and one followed be-
hind.
Let us hasten,' they cried, "for the
night is far spent"
With legs tottering under him, and
back bent to breaking, Kendall toiled
on with his frightful load. When he
Jagged the scarlet men behind gave
the coffin a tip forward, and the one
in front tipped it to the rear, and the
live and the dead Kendall fell into the
mud together. Wild, ribald songs rent
the thick darkness as they went on.
Mile after mile of rainy wood and field
the horrible procession dragged past.
Presently, the scarlet man In front
stopped and called to the other:
"Comrade, have we arrived? Com
rade, Is this the placer?
And the other answered.:
"Comrade, we have arrived. Com
rade, this is the place."
| They opened q gate that creaked on
q rusty hinge.
| Kendall followed them through with
his burden. Strange hillocks spread
out under his feet. He stumbled over
the low stones at the head Of the
graves. Presently the two scarlet men
stopped under a spreading tree.
"Set down the coffin here" they
| said. and Kendall nut ii down.
Then the two men took up from be-
meath the tree a sections shovel and
spade.
Take these, Dave Kendall they
said, "and dig us a grave"
Kendall took the spade and began
to dig. On either side stood the scar
let men, pale and alert. The wet
dropped softly from the boughs above;