The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-12-19
know just where you have stored away

know just where you have stored away
that money"
Now began to realize my situation.
His face looked natural again, and the
load was off my tongue. also felt that
could move my fngers little.
"George Raleigh are you g,ing to
rob me 7" l asked, finding my voice at
last.
"Well, some folks might call it rob-
bing,' but we dress up tAe term little
by calling it the only correct financial
way of equalizing the floating currency,
so that each one is provided for and no
one left out.
"You sban't have the money. 1 will
die first J" l yelled, rising little.
"Ab, see--didn't take quite enough p
he coolly remarked. "Well, l have pro-
vided for this.
He went to the buggy, procured re pes
and gag, and kneeled down beside me,
had but little strength yet, and he
conquered me in a moment. Lying on
my right side, looking toward the fence
he tied my hands behind me and then
forced the gag into my mouth.
There, now! You see you are nicely
fixed up, and all because you acted like
fool, instead of a sensible young law
yer soon to be admitted to the bar"
While he was speaking--indeed while
he was tying me, had caught sight of
the white face of little girl looking at
us from between the rails of the fence. l
could see her great blue eyes, and knew
that she was frightened. There were
red stains around her mouth and on the
little hand resting on the rail, and
knew that che was some farmers child
searching for strawberries. / could not
warn her Of her danger, and l feared
that she would be seen or heard. While
| Raleigh was tying the last knot l wink
ed at the little girl as hard as 1 could,
hoping that she would move away. But
she did not go.
"Well, now for the money" said
Raleigh, and he began searching my
pockets. He went from one to the other,
removing all the articles, felt down my
bootleg, and then finally passed his
hand over my bosom and discovered the
money.
"Ha here it is ~ he exclaimed, draw
ing out the packages. II don't Gardly
believe that old Grip will see any of this
to- day."
He sat down near my head, undid the
packages, and was cool enough to go at
it to count the money. AS he commenced
the little girl waved her hand to me.
My heart went humping, for expected
she would utter word or shout, but
she sank down from sight, and l caught
a CLEAN of her frock as she passed
through the grass.
You see, my young friend" remarked
Raleigh, as he drew off one of his boots
and deposited some of the bills in il,
there's nothing like transacting busi-
ness as it should be transacted. Some
men would have shot or stabbed you, but
it is only the apprentices who do such
work. All the real gentlemen of our
calling do business as gentlemen
should"
He drew off the other boot, and placed
some tifties" and "twenties in it, and
then continued:
IL have it all planned how to deal
with J ou as soon as l get this money dis
posed of around my person. shall lay
you on your back aud pour the balance
of this wine down your throat. There's
enough of it to make you sleep until to-
morrow night, and by that time l shall
cO huhSAiCuS VA lhiiCS uWdys hS SOOu DIS
l see that the drug has taken effect,
shall unite your bands and remove the
gag. When you come out of your sleep
if you ever do-you had better crawl
out to the road, where you will most
likely meet some traveller. Iwant to nse
the horse and buggy, otherwise ! would
leave them for you"
How coolly he talked He treated
the matter as if it were regular trans
action in which fully acquiesced. He
had Inc fast prisoner and felt that he
could do just as he pleased. While was
thinking, l saw the little white face ap.
pear between the white rails again, but
in moment it faded away, and its place
was taken by the sunburned phiz of a
farmer. He looked from Inc to Raleigh
and back again, and l winked at him in
a way which he readily understood. His
face disappeared, and felt that should
be saved.
"No, old Grip won't get his tin to-
day." mused Raleigh, storing away the
bills in his pockets. "You will go back
to Law & Law feeling put out and cut
up but they shouldn't blame you-it is
not your way at all. True, had you mind
cd your business on the Car and not been
so free with a stranger, this would not
have happened. was on my way to
Milwaukee, and had no thought of such
rich pickings here"
l saw nothing of the farmer. Raleigh
finished his counting and 1 made up my
mind that the farmer was afraid to inter
tere, and had run away. My heart went
down as Raleigh got up, for saw that
ne was about to carry out his plan of
further drugging ME. He turned me on
my back, sat down astriae of me, and
pulled out the flask.
"Now, in Just about minute we'll be
through with this business" he remark
ed, trying to put the mouth of the flask
between my jaws,
rolled my head to one side and he did
not succeed. He was jamming the flask
against my teeth, when / caught the
sound of soft step, the crash of club,
and Raleigh rolled off my body. He tried
to leap up, but three or four farmers
struck him down, and one-of the blows
rendered him senseless Before he came
to was free of ropes and gag, and we
had him nicely bound.
Over beyond the pasture farmer and
his hands were raking up hay. Little
Blue Eyes," only eight years old, had
wandered off after Strawberries, and had
fortunately witnessed part of Raleigh's
proceedings. She had hurried back to
her father and told him that "a man
was all tied up out there" and he had
returned to the fence. Understanding