Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-11-21

leading back into the woods.
could not understand what he in.
tended. tried to grapple with the
question, but could not solve it.
"Well, here we are," exclaimed
Raleigh, when we had reached a
point forty rods from the road.
He stopped the horse, got out and
hitched him, and then came around
to the wheel.
"You don't feel right, but l guess
you will feel better soon," he said
"Come, let me help you down."
He reached up his arms and l le,
go the seat and fell into them. 1,
seemed to me as if I weighed Il ton,
but he carried me along without an
effort, and laid me down within
about rod Of a fence which ran
along on one side of an old pasture
Just now the effect Of the drug was
wearing off. I began to feel little
better, and got a faint suspicion
that something unusual had hap
pened. But was powcrless to
move limb; the sensation was like
that when your foot goes to sleep.
"Can you spcak?" inquired Ra.
leigh, bending over me; "bccause il
you can 1t will save me some ,roub-
lc. want to know just where you
have stored away that money!"
Now began to realize my situa.
ton. His face looked natural again,
and the load was off my tongue.
also felt that / could move my fin.
gers little.
George Raleigh, are you going
to rob me?" l asked, finding my
voice at last.
"Well, some folks might call it
robblng, but we dress up the term
a little by calling it the only correct
financial way of equalizing the float
ing currency SO that each one is
provided for and no one left out"
"You shan't have the money; I'll
die first!' l yelled, rising 4 little.
"Ah, l see-didn't take quite
enough" he coolly remarked. "Well
l have provided for this
He went to the buggy, procured
ropes and gag, and knelt down be
side me. l had but little strength
yet, and he conquered me in mo-
ment. Lying on my right side,
looking toward the fence, he tied
my hands behind me, and then
forced the gag in my mouth.
"There, now! You SEQ you are
nicely fixod mp. and all because you
acted like a fool, instead Of a sensi-
BILE young lawyer, soon to be admit
ted to the bar"
While he was speaking-indeed,
while he was tying me, l had caught
sight Ct the white face Of a little
girl looking at us through the fence.
l could see her great blue eyes.
There were red stains around her
mouth, and on the little hands rest
ing on the rails, and | knew that
she was some farmers child search.
ing for strawberries. / could not
warn her Of her danger, and then
l feared that she would be seen or
heard. While Raleigh was tying
the last knot I winked at the little
girl as hard as l could, hoping that
she would move away. Bnt she did
not 60.
"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 bo-
som, and discovered the money.
ella, here it isl" he exclaimed,
drawing out the packages; and he
was cool enough to count the money.
As he commenced the little girl
waved her hand at me. My heart
went humping, for l expected she
would utter a word or a shout, but
she sank down from sight, and |
caught CLEAN of her t'rock as she
passed through the grass.
"You see, my young friend" re-
marked Raleigh rs he drew off one
of his boots and deposited some of
the bills in it, "there's nothing like
transacting business 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 gentlemen of our calling do
business as gentlemen should"
He drew off the other boot and
placed some "fifties" and "twcntics'
in it, and then continued:
81 have it all planned how to deal
with yon as soon as get this mo-
ney disposed Of around my person.
l shall lay You on your back and
pour the balance Of the wine down
your throat. There is enough Of it
to make you sleep until tomorrow
night, and by that time ! shall be
hundreds of miles away. AS soon
l see that the drug has taken effect
l shall unite your hands and remove
the gag. When you come out of
your sleep--lf you ever do-you had
better crawl out to the road, where
you will be- more likely to meet
some traveller. I want to use the
the horse and buggy otherwise you
could have them."
How cool he talked! He treated
the matter as if it were regular
transaction in which l fully acquies-
ced. He had me a fast prisoner,
and l felt he could do just rs he
pleased. While I was thinking |
saw the little white face appear be.
tween the rails again, but IN mo-
ment it faded and its place was ia
ken by the sun-burned phiz OF a
farmer. He looked from me to Ra-
leigh and back again, and l winked
at him in a way which he readily
understood. His face disappeared,
and felt that l should he saved.
"No, old Grip won't get his tin
to-day" mused Raleigh, storing
away the bills in his pockets. "You
will 20 back to Law & Law feeling
out and cut up. But they shouldn't
blame you-it is not your fault at
all. True, had you minded your
business on the cars and not been
so free with q stranger this would
not have happened. ! was on my