Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-02-27
ESTABLISHED 1855.
CHAPTER xxx.
The Bubble Bursts.

At about the same hour that the
Judge was hurting threats and insults
at Colonel Fentress, three men were
waiting ten miles away at the head OF
the bayou which served to isolate
Hicks cabin. Now no one OF these
three had ever heard Of Judge Slocum
Price; the breath of his fame had
never blown, however gently, In their
direction, yet they were preparing to
thrust opportunity upon him. To this
end they were lounging about the
opening in the woods where the horses
belonging to Ware and Murrell were
tied
At length the dip OF oars became
audible in the silence and one or the
trio stole down the path to a point
that overlooked the bayou. He was
gone but a moment.
ats Murrell all right" he said In
an eager. whisper. Him and another
fellow-the Hicks girl is rowing them"
He glanced from one to the other OF
his companions, who seemed to take
firmer hold of themselves under his
eye. It'll be all right" he protested
lightly. He's as good as ours. Wait
till I give you the word" And he then
led the way into an adjacent thicket.
Meantime Ware and Murrell had
landed and were coming along the
path, the outlaw a step or two in ad-
vance of his friend. They reached the
horses and were untying them when
the thicket suddenly disgorged the
three men; each held a cooked pistol;
two of these pistols covered Murrell
and the third was leveled at Ware.
"Hues!" cried Murrell in astonish-
ment, for the man confronting him was
the Clans messenger who should have
been speeding across the state.
"Toss up your hands, Murrell," said
Hues quietly.
One Of the other men spoke.
You are under arrest!"
Arrest"
You are wanted for nigger-steal-
ing" said the man. Still Murrell did
not seem to comprehend. He looked
at Hues in dull wonder.
What are you doing here?" he ask
ed.
Waiting to arrest you-ain't that
plain?" said Hues, with grim smile.
The outlaws hands dropped at his
side, limps ands helpless. With some
idea that he might attempt to draw
weapon one Of the men took hold Of
him, but Murrell was nerveless to the
touch; his face had gone ghastly
white, and was streaked with the
markings of terror.
We'll, by thunder" cried the man
in utter amazement.
Murrell looked into Hues' face.
"You-you-" and the words thick
ened on his tongue, becoming an in
articulate murmur.
It's all up, John," said Hues.
MOI" said Murrell, recovering him
self. You may as well turn me loose
you can't arrest mel"
I've done it." answered Hues, with
lduSH. We Uccl oH yum tio$h AoA
six months"
How about this fellow?" asked the
man, whose pistol still covered Ware.
Hues glanced toward the planter and
shook his head.
Where are you going to take me?"
asked Murell quickly. Again Hues
laughed.
You'll find that out in plenty Of
time, and then your friends can pass
the word around If they like; now
you'll come with mel"
Ware neither moved nor spoke as
Hues and his prisoner passed along
the path, Hues with his hand on Muir
relrs shoulder, and one of his COM
panions close at his heels, while the
third man led off the outlaws horse.
Presently the distant clatter of hoofs
was borne to Wares ears-only that;
the miracle of courage and daring he
had half expected had not happened.
Murrell, for ali his wild boasting, was
like other men, like himself. His blood
shot eyes slid around in their sockets.
There across the sunlit stretch Of wa
ter was Betty-the thought of her
brought him to quick choking terrors.
The whole fabric Of crime by which
he had been benefited in the past or
had expected to profit in the future
seemed toppling in upon him, but his
mind clutched one important fact.
Hues, if he knew of Betty's disappear
ance. did not connect Murrell with 1t.
Ware sucked in comfort between his
twitching lips. Stealing niggers! No
one would believe that he, a planter,
had hand in that, and for a brief
instant he considered signaling Bess
to return. Slosson must be told of
apprehension, some trap might have
been prepared for him, he could not
know; and the impulse to act forsook
him.
He smote his hands together in a
hopeless, beaten gesture. And Murrell
had gone weak-with his own eyes he
had seen Naturalization he be-
lieved without fear, He felt that he
had been grievously betrayed in his
trust and a hot rage poured through
him. At last he climbed into the sad
die. and swaying like a drunken man,
galloped off.
When he reached the river road he
paused and scanned it's dusty surface.
Hues and his party had turned south
when they issued from the wood path.
No doubt Murrell was being taken to
Memphis. Ware laughed harshly The
outlaw would be free before another
dawn broke.
He had halted near where Jim had
turned his team the previous night
after Betty and Hannibal had left the
carriage; the marks of the wheels
were as plainly distinguishable as the
more recent trail left by the four men,
and as he grasped the significance of
Athat wide half circle his sense of in
1iury overwhelmed him again. He
hoped to live to see Murrell hanged!
He was so completely lost in his
hitter reflections that he had been un-