Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-08

4
pluck several reluctant melodies from
its keys, to an accompaniment by the
j Innocent on q pair Of bone castanets
But the crowning festivity of the ev-
ening was reached in q rude camp
meeting hymn, which the lovers, join
ing hands, sang with great earnestness
and vociferation. / fear that a certain
defiant tone and covenanter's swing to
its chorus. rather than any devotional
quality, caused 1t speedily to infect
the others, who at last Joined In the
refrain: H....
I'm proud to live in the service OF
And I'm bound to die in HIS army"
The pines rocked, the storm eddied
and whirled above the miserable group
and the flames of their altar leaped
heavenward, as II in token Of the vow.
At midnight the storm abated, the
glittered keenly above the sleeping
camp. Mr. Oakhurst, whose profess
sional habits had enabled him to live
on the smallest possible amount OF
sleep, in dividing the watch with Tom
Stimson, somehow managed to take
upon himself the greater part Of that
duty. He excused himself to the In
nocent by saying that he had often
been a week without sleep" Doing
what?" asked Tom. "Poker!" replied
Oakhurst sententiously; when q man
gets a streak Of luck-nigser luckahe
don't get tired. The luck gives In first.
Luck" continued the gambler refiec-
lively, "is mighty queer thing. All
you know about 1t for certain Is that
it's bound to change. And it's finding
out when it's going to change that
makes you. We've had q streak Of bad
luck since we left Poker F1Ht-you
came along, and slap. you &c. Into 1t,
too. II you can hold your cards light
along you're all right. For" added the
gambler, with cheerful irrelevance:
I'm proud to live in the service Of the
Lord, L
And I'm bound to die in HIS army"
The third day came, and the sun.
looking through the white curtained
valley, saw the outcasts divide their
slowly decreasing store Of provisions
i for the morning meal. It was one OF
the peculiarities Of that mountain cli-
mate that its rays diffused a kindly
warmth over the wintry landscape, as
II in regretful commiseration Of the
past. But It revealed drift on drift Of
snow piled high around the hut-a
hopeless, uncharted, trackless sea of
white lying below the rocky shores to
which the castaways still clung.
/ III Ou6A luC ildA NCAASoSAy SiSoA GA sAaS
smoke of Poker Flat rose miles away.
Mother Shipton saw 1t. and from q re-
mote pinnacle Of her rocky fastness
hurled In that direction final male
diction It was her last vituperative
attempt, and perhaps for that reason
was invested with q certain degree Of
sublimity. It did her good, she pri-
vately informed the Duchess. Just
you go out there and cuss and see."
/ c,r. 81 tha <ao ~
amusing "the child" as she and the
Duchess were pleased to call Piney.
Piney was no chicken, but 1t was a
soothing and original theory Of the
pair thus to account for the fact that
she didn't swear and wasn't improper.
| When night crept up again through
| the gorges the reedy notes Of the ac-
Gordon rose and fell In fitful spasms
and long drawn gasps by the flicker.
ing campfire. But music failed to I'LL
entirely the aching void left by insult
proposed by Piney-story telling.
Neither Mr.. Oakhurst nor his female
companions caring to relate their per-
sonal experiences, this plan would
have failed, too, but for the Innocent.
Some months before he had CHANGED
upon a stray copy of Mr.. Pope's in
genious translation Of the Iliad. He
now proposed to narrate the principal
incidents Of that poem-having thor
oughly mastered the argument and
fairly forgotten the words-in the cur
rent vernacular of Sandy Bar. And 30
for the rest Of that night the Homeric
demigods again walked the earth. Tro-
jGn bully and willy Greek wrestled In
tire winds, and the great pines In the
canyon seemed to bow to the wrath of
tie son Of Peleus Mr.. Oakhurst lis
tened with quiet satisfaction. Most
especially was he interested In the
fate Of "Ash-heels." as the Innocent
persisted in denominating the swift
footed Achilles"
So with small food and much Of
Homer and the accordion, week
passed over the heads Of the outcasts.
The sun again forsook them, and again
from leaden skies the snowfiakes were
| sifted over the land. Day by day clos
er around them drew the snowy circle,
until at last they looked from their
prison over drifted walls Of daz-
zlins white, that lowered twenty
feet above their heads: 1t became
more and more difficult to replenish
their fires, even from the fallen trees
beside them, now half hidden in the
drifts. And yet no one complained.
The lovers turned from the dreary
prospect and looked into each others
eyes and were happy. Mr.. Oakhursr
settled himself coolly to the losing
game before him. The Duchess, more
cheerful than she had been. assumed
the care Of Piney. Old Mother Ship
ton-once the strongest Of the party,
night on the tenth day she called Oak
hurst to her side. I'm going" she
said in a voice Of querulous weakness,
but don't say anything about 1t.
Don't waken the kids. Take the bundle
| from under my head and open It," Mr..
Oakhurst did so. 1t contained Mother
Shipton's rations for the last week.
untouched. "Give 'em to the child"
she said. pointing to the sleeping Pi.
the gambler. That's what they call
It," said the woman. querulously, as
| she lay down again, and, turning her
face to the wall, passed quietly away.
!; The accordion and the bones were
put aside that day and Homer was
forgotten. When the body Of Mother
Shipton had been committed to the
snow, Mr.. Oakhurst took the Innocent
aside and showed him a pair OF snow
old pack-saddle. There's one chance
in a hundred to save her yet" he said.
pointing to Piney; but it's there" he
added, pointing toward Poker Flat. If
you can reach there in two days she's
safe" And you?" asked Tom Sim
son. It'll stay here" was the curt re-
ply.
The lovers parted with long en-
brace. You are not going, too?" said
the Duchess, as she saw Mr.. Oakhurst
apparently waiting to accompany him.
"As far as the canyon" he replied. He
turned suddenly and kissed the
Duchess, leaving her pallid face afiame
and her trembling limbs rigid with
amazement.
Night came but not Mr.. Oakhurst.
1t brought the storm again and the
whirling snow Then the Duchess
feeding the fire. found that some one
had quietly piled beside the hut enough
fuel to last a few days longer. The
tears rose to her eyes, but she hid
them from Piney.
The women slept but little. In the
morning, looking into each others
faces, they read their fate. Neither
spoke; but Piney, accepting the posi-
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