The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-01-30

profanity. But he finally managed to do it
Somebody had come during the night
and carried off two bales Of his cotton.
Immediately after beeakfast, Mr.. Grimes
and his son, slab-sided, loDg-legged
young man about eighteen years Of age,
and one of their neighbors who had been
summoned for the chase, mounted their
horses and started in pursuit of the stealer
of the cotton. Having nothing else to do,
Smith determined to stay where he was
and learn the result Of the chase. The
weather was cold; but Mrs. Grimes had o
good fire, and seating himself in the cor
ner, Smith spent the day delightfully."- in
talking to the old lady about the war, and
in reading copy of the Patent Office Re-
port for 1850. A little after sun down Mr..
Grimes and his son returned, the former
driving a two horse wagon, on which were
piled q couple Of bales Of cotton. Smith
walked out to the gate.
"And y0u got your cotton, did you, Mr..
Grimesq" said Smith interrogatively.
Yes, got it."
"And did you get the fellow that stoleit9'
"Yes, I got him."
where is he's"
Hes back yonder."
"Where 2"
Hes back yonder piece"
:" lie that his wagonq"
II 'spOse it's his'n--it amt mine."
All this time the old man was engaged
in embarrassing the horses, and having
them from the wagon, he led them toward
the stable. Smith saw that but little In
formation was to be had in that quarter,
and turned to young slab-sides, who sat
with his left leg thrown across the neck of
his horse and biting the end Of switch.
"And you really caught the fellow, did
you :" said Smith to young Grimes.
You bet" answered that gentleman.
"Then, where is he 2"
"Why, jest as daddy told you-he's
back yonder piece"
I" But back where7"
"Why, back yonder in the woods where
me and daddy and Jim Nicks histed him
to limb"
THAT! you don't mean to tell me you
actually hung him."
OF course we hung him. You Cont
take me and daddy and Jim for passed. of
- fools, do youq"
"Good Heavens!" exclaimed Smith with
unaffected horror depicted in every feature
of his face, lis there no law in this
countryq'
Law why, there's lots Of the best sort
OF law in this country. We kotch the fell
low with the cotton, and we tuck him out
into the woods, and swung him higher nor
kite;-l'd like to know what the ----
you'd want with any better law than
that"
Smith didn't think it safe to enjoy lon.
ger the hospitality of the amiable Mr..
Grimes, and ordering his horse, rode on to
the next house. where he spent the night,
determined to make very early start in
the morning fer a section of country where
they had different sort Of laws. If not bet
ter ones. Accordingly, Immediately after
breakfast he began q rapid retreat South
ward. He had gone about two miles when
young Grimes came galloping up behind
him. Smiths hair stood on end. He at
once determined to sell his life at the high
est price it would bring; but then remem-
bering that he had no arms, he thought he
had better take bis life out Of danger, and
was in the act Of putting spurs to his horse
when young Grimes dashed up beside
him..
Hello, Mister! Is that youq You
amt skeered, hope. thought you was
gwine to run"
"Scared9 certainly not" said Smith,
with white lips and chattering teeth
What is there to scarce me 2"
" Nothing that know Of. was gwine
down the road o piece, and saw you on
ahead OF me, and Thought I'd catch up
and ask you if You didn't want to ridS out
here into the woods andse that Teller that
me and daddy and Jim sent up the spout"
By this time Smith had gotten pretty
we'll over his scare, and seeing that Grimes,
like himself, was unarmed, concluded to
60 and see If the "feller" really had been
hanged. They had gone about three hun.
dred yards from the road when Grimes
refined up his horse. "Yonder he u.s." said
he. Smith looked in the direction indica
ted, and there, dangling from the limb of a
tall tree, with legs about three yards from
the ground, was the unfortunate man who
had loved cotton not wisely but too we'll.
Do You know who he was 2" asked
Smith, solemnly.
ing but one Of these here - rebels, and
his nanny ought to be shot for not hang
ing him when he was baby"
smith was once rebel" himself, hay.
ing gallantly drawn his pay as quarter
maeter's clerk in defense Of his country,
and this remark Of young Grimes added
very little to the comfort Of his feelings
He ventured to ask:
Are there many rebels about here 2"
No." SAID Grimes, there amt many
now; we've got 'em pretty well thinned
out in this neighborhOod."
Smith drove his spurs into the TANKS of
his horse, and dashed off through the
woods as If the very dickens had been at
his heels. Hold on! I'm gwine your
way" was the last he heard Of young
Grimes or any Of his family.