Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-02-24
HOW A DETROIT BOY TURNED PIRATE
CHAPTER 1.-THE BOY.

| .. CdAPTER 1.-THE BOY.
He was one of that kind of boys
who need good whipping about
twice per week, but who think they
ought not to be whipped more than
once in two years. His amusement
was sliding down hill on nothing;
bluifing some boys and preparing
Cayenne-pepper lozenges for unsus-
| pecting cats. He was often heard to
remark:
Thinks has got to get UP N howl
when Leonidas is aroundW
CHAPTER HAT TWILIGHT.
Time, sundown; scene, the interior
of a we'll preserved wood shed. The
| sound of blows and cries rent the SOL
emn stiffness of twilight's mystic
hour, and the old man was heard say
ing;
"There, guess that'll last you for a
day or two! I've put up with your
sass as long as can!"
No reply-nothing but deep-drawn
sobs and quavering sighs.
The old man threw away the strap
and walked into the house, and Leon
idas sat on the corner of an old table
to mediate.
CHAPTER III.-A BLOODY RESOLVE.
"Thats the last licking I'll ever
take from any mortal manv whis-
pered the lad, shaking his fist at the
kitchen door. "And I'll make the
old man sorry that he ever laid a strap
over his only sOnW
He resolved to run away and be-
apna n r,irofot Hn mould coi1 tho
raging main, revel in murder, acquire
ducats, and then come home and take
revenge ON his father With Leonidas
to resolve was to execute. He entered
the house, passed up stairs, and was
engaged in making up bundle, con-
sisting of one pair of patched pants,
one photograph of his girl, one jack
knife, one cotton sock, and few wal
nuts. The bundle was thrown out of
the window, and then
CHAPTER Iv.--LEoNDIAs LOOKS
Around the room for the last time.
The bedstead looked familiar, the old
blue chest in the corner had thou
sand tender memories connected with
it, and the broken-down chair seemed
to hold out it's arms and plead for him
to stay.
II would if the old man hadn't
licked me,p answered Leonidas, but
I'll show him what kind of coffee
mill l amp
He passed down stairs and halted to
embrace the baby. He wasn't down
on his mother, so he gave her sweet
smile. He crawled in behind the
stove and whispered to the dog:
"Good-bye, old Sampson. I'd like
to stay here, but Pm too old to be
lickedp
And he passed out of doors, and the
great, wide world was before him.
CHAPTER y.-SOLEMN THOUGHTS,
Securing his bundle, Leonidas crept
into the back yard, to see if it was re-
ally best for him to become a pirate.
The polar wave chewed at his ears and
redeemed his nose, and he wondered if
the pirate business wasn't pretty
cold business. He didn't know whether
it was best to make for Toledo or Chi
cago in order to become buccaneer,
but he finally passed through the gate.
He walked around the house several
times to catch glimpse of his mother.
IL was Ildlu W JtdI away. Ilt
knew how she would take on next
day, and the papers would call it an
other Charlie Ross case, and he de-
cided to go into the back yard and
think it over again.
CHAPTER VIA RAY OF LIGHT.
After little time spent in thought,
Leonidas decided that if his father
would agree never to lick him again,
and would give him So a week to buy
candy, he would not run away and be-
come a pirate. He would go In and
make the proposition to the old man,
and if it should be ejected-farewell
to home-welcome q career of blood!
He went in. No one had noticed
his absence, and each face looked as
natural as if he hadn't been gone %
minutes. He felt some little delicacy
about broaching the proposition, and,
as a !" feeler,n asked the old man to
lend him his knife. 1t was handed
to him and returned after while, and
Leonidas decided to put off making
the proposition until morning. He
got into his little bed feeling that it
was positively his last night; but the
next forenoon he was splitting wood
in the back yard and saying to Jack
Sparkling:
"Tye concluded to wait until he
licks me just once more, and then
nothing can stop me = nothing on