The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-10-12
keep his gravity without effort; it

I When completely tired out aG lAst.
we brought the ceremonies to a close,
AM, Mr.. Hodge was declared admitted
to full membership.
But Kufe Riggs never could let well
enough alone.
Rising and addressing the chair, he
called attention to the recent efforts
Of the college president to suppress
our society, and to a rqmor that he
had, by foul means, gained possession
Of some of our most valuable secrets,
which lie was only waiting a favorable
opportunity to publish to the world.
There was but one thing to be done.
This dangerous enemy must be put
out Of the way, aud that ut once. He
proposed that a committee be ap-
pointed to assassinate him, and sug-
gested blowing him up i'll his study
with gunpowder.
This was too absurd, and coming
unexpectedly, threw more than one OF
us off our balance. Several half-sup-
pressed titters were heard. Recover
ing ourselves MS best we could, Rufe's
proposal was warmly debated-its au-
thor bringing up all the instances OF
high toned assassination recorded in
history, and contending that the pres
ent was u more iustifiable ease than
/ any of them. It would be an eternal
disgrace, lie said, to allow of,e paltry
life to outweigh the existence of all
institution it had taken more than
three thousand years to perfect.
| Poor Hodge was the picture of dis
may. He fairly quaked with terror
and when thevchair appointed him one
of the committee to capy the murder
ous resolution into effelt, he was too
frightened to object. He believed
himself in den Of assassins, to whose
nefarious plans it would be worth his
| life to offer the slightest resistance.
On reaching the street, after the
meeting adjourned, Hodge lodged
around the first corner and ran for
life and we, after q good laugh, be-
took ourselves to our respective lodg-
ings.
After q disturbed nights rest for
| woke up several times and found
myself laughing, | had just settled
down to Il comfortable morning nap,
wien percmptory Knock ut the dpor
walked me.
! Who's there?" | demanded.
/ "Openkhe door!" growled a rough
voice.
Ii, no gentle mood complied, de-
ter1nincd to meet the intruder with q
proper rebuff.
"What do you want /" | asked
sharply, of Il tl,ick-set specimen o1
| muscular vlIlgarity Who stsod con-
You" was the curt response.
| "Go about your b,1siness!" thun-
dered, starting to slam the door in
| his face.
Look e here, youngster 2" he said
pushing me aside, and making his way
into the room. "I'm IL notfiecr, with
Il warrant; and you'd better make
haste and git on your toggery-tl,a1
is, onless you prefer goin' afore tho
Squire jest as you are.'
"a warrant let me sec it, I ex-
claimed, extending my hand for q
crnmpled scrap OF paper he held.
! "No You don't!" said the burly
embodiment Of the laws majesty
closing the door and putting his back
to it; "I've got to return this ye1
docyment along with your carcage
dead or alive, and nither on 'em goes
out @ my persession till then. How
ever can tell you wot's in it. You're
took for conspiracy to murder"
/ burst into II laugh.
"I'm glad to see you take it that &
!. way" said the notficer -" hate
them sniv'lin chaps; they try a mans
temper So"
| / hurried on my clothes in state
of mind alternating between sense
of the awkwardness of tue situation
and its righteousness.
/ At the magistrates found my com
panions Of The night before prisoner.
like myself-all except Hodge. H
and cold Doc" IA we used to cal
our venerable president, were onr &C
cusers.
| /Hodge-and he deserved grea
credit for it, for he believed llimsel
acting under deadly Feril-had M
sooner escaped from our presence
than inquiring his way to the presi
dents, he ran thither, and routing NJ
that dignitary, told him Of our dia
bolical plot. Old Doc, who in al
worldly matters was as green a
Hodge, took the thing seriously. Al
soon as it was day-they didn'
dare to 60 out before-the tw'
hastened over to the Squire's, where
Hodge made the affidavit on which WI
were arrested,
In vain we protested that the whole
affair was joke. Old Doc. had beer
an irreconcilable enemy of secret so
cieties in college, and believed then
: capable of anything for revenge.
The Squire, I thought from th'
twinkle of his eye, saw through tn
case; but he didn't feel at liberty t.
discharge us, in the face of com
. plant SO serious, merely on our owl
word.
When the papers got into the hand
of the States Attorney, who had beel