Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-12-08
CHAPTER VII.-Continued.
ESTABLISHED 1868.

more became aware Of the ureless
chorus of the frogs, the hooting Oh
the owls, and the melancholy and OFT
repeated call Of the whippoorwill'
But where was his Uncle Bob? why
didn't he come to bed? And whose
was that cry for help he had heard
Memories of idle tales Of men foully
dealt with in these lonely taverns. OF
murderous landlords, and mysterious
guests who were in league with them'
flashed through his mind.
Murrell had followed them for this
and had killed his Uncle Bob, ana
he would be sent back to Bladen! The
law had said that Bladen conid
have him and that his Uncle BOD
must give him up. The law put men
in prison-it hanged them sometimes
his Uncle Bob had told him all
about it-by the neck with ropes un-
til they were dead! Maybe tney
wouldn't send him back; maybe they
would do with him what they had al
ready done with his Uncle Bob; ne
wanted the open air, the earth under
his feet, and the sky over his heao.
The four walls stifled him. He was
not afraid of the night, he could run
and hide in it-there were the WOODS
and fields where he would be safe.
He slid from the bed and for a long
moment stood cold and shaking MS
every sense on the alert. With inn
mite caution he got into his trousers
and again paused to listen, since ne
feared his least movement might De-
tray him. Reassured, he picked up
his battered hat from the floor and
inch by inch crept across the squeak
ing boards to the window. When the
window was reached he paused once
more to listen, but the quiet that was
everywhere throughout the house gave
him confidence. He straddled the low
sill, and putting out his hand gripped
the stock Of his rifle and drew that
ancient weapon toward him. Next
he secured his pack, and was ready
for flight.
Encountered by his belongings, but
stepped out upon the shed and made
his way down the slant Of the roof
to the caves. He tossed his oundie
to the ground and going down on his
- knpes~ lowered his rifle, letting the
muzzle fall lightly against the size
of the shed as it left his hand, then ne
Law fat on his stomach and, feet first
wriggled out into space. When ne
could no longer preserve his balance,
he gave himself shove away from
the caves and dropped clear of the
building.
As he recovered himself he was
sure he heard a door open and close
and threw himself prone on the
ground. where the black shadow cast
by the tavern hid him. At the same
moment two dark figures came from
about a corner of the building. He
could Just distinguish that they car
ried some heavy burden between them
and that they staggered as they moved.
He heard Slosson curse drunkenly'
and a whispered word from Murrell,
The two men slowly crossed the truck
patch, and the boys glance followed
them, his eyes starting from his head.
Just at the mouth Of the lane they
paused and put down their BURDEN; a
few words spoken in whisper passed
between them and they began to drag
some dark thing down the lane, their
backs bent, their heads bowed and
the thing they dragged humping over
the uneven ground.
They passed out Of sight and breath
less and palsied, Hannibal crept about
q corner Of the tavern. He must be
sure! The door Of the bar stood open;
the lamps were still burning and the
upturned chairs and a broken table
told of the struggle that had taken
place there The boy rested his hand
on the top step as he stared fearfu'ly
into the room. His palm came away
with a great crimson splotch. But he
was not satisfied yet. He must be sure
sure! He passed around the building
as the men had done and crossed the
truck patch to the mouth Of the lane
Here he slid through the fence into
the corn-field, and, we'll sheltered
worked his way down the rows. Pres
emily he heard distant sound a
splash-surely it was a splash
A little later the men came up the
lane to disappear in the direction OF
the tavern. Hannibal peered after
them His very terrors. while they
wrenched and tortured him. gave him
a desperate kind of courage. As the
gloom hid the two men, he started
forward again; he must know the
meaning of that sound-that splash
If it was a splash. He reached the
end of the corn-feld. climbed the
fence, and entered a deadening OF
slashed and mutilated timber. In the
long wet grass he found where the
men had dragged their burden. He
reached down and swept his hand to
and fro-once-twice-th third time
his little palm came away red and
discolored.
There was the first pale premoni-
tion Of dawn in the sky, and as he
hurried on the light grew, and the
black trunks of trees detached them
selves from the white mist that filled
the woods and which the dawn made
visible. There was light enough fol
him to see that he was following the
trail left by the men, he could dis
tinguish where the dew had beer
brushed from the long grass. Ad
vancing still farther. he heard the
clear splash of running water an aud
ible ripple that mounted into silve1
cadence. Day was breaking now. Th'
lifeless gray along the eastern horizon
had changed to orange. Still follow
ing the trail. he emerged upon th'
bank Of the Elk river, white like thu
woods with its ghostly night sweat.
The dull beat of the child's hear
quickened as he gazed out on tn