The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-03-31
A MULE TRADER.

A few days since a stranger, who
had been lettering round Town and
enjoying the tipping of tanglefoot
glasses, and seemingly enjoyed them
much and with q coa,noisse,srs taste,
suddenly conceived the idea that he
had female relative near Cotile, and
that it was his duty to 60 seek for
her, and bring her to Alexandria, that
like him she might enjoy the conviv-
ialities of our hospitable burgh. In
order to carry out his sudden and
new born idea, he conceived it abso-
lutely necessity that he should have
a fine buggy and double team to
carry out with good faith his good
intentions; so he lost no time in
bringing up at the Excelsior Stable,
on jackson Street, and at once Sc
cured for his prospected trip, buggy
and two fine trotters of the mule tribe,
and with sang .troid jumped in the
cushioned seat, grabbed the reins
and darted off at once at a good, ga
lang rate.
Right now commences the suspi-
cious part, which began to find birth
in the business Uranium of the vigi-
liant and wide awake manager of the
Excelsior Stable, who from good and
close calculations began TO smell, that
there was something wrong in our
stranger, and that as Cotile, the local
habitation of the female relative, was
only two days. easy ride there and
back, he had ample time to be back
to Town safe with his feminine friend.
At this point the Manager saw at
once through the game and with com
mendable energy determined and
willed, that he could yet bag it and
save his buggy and mules. He at
once mounted fine animal at bis
command in the stable and was soon
a la Charles O'Malley making telling
equine tracks through the pine hills
of Rapides, Vernon, and soon the
neighing of his blood mare was heard
on the banks Of the historic Sabine.
The rest is soon told, and plainly
shows that where there is will, there
is winning way. The horse thief,
for we can now but call him such,
had the idea of his female relative
obliberated from his fancy, and struck
a bee line for Texas, that bourne
from which few stolen animals ever
return; and coastwise in his jaunt
was struck with another idea, which
he hesitated not to trade into execu-
ton. So armed, so believing, he
swopped off the two mules for a pair
Of "White Surveys" not unlike those
of old England's hump-backed tyrant
and was safely landed on the other
side Of Jordan. Whilst all this nice
commercial doing was going on, our
friend, the Manager and sufferer, as
he supposed, Of two mules and a bug
gy, was charging on his fleet footed
animal and gradually closing the dis
lance between the thief and the gen
tleman. In almost less time than
our typo, on this blue Monday, can
empty this into his galley, the foe
men, moi worthy of each others steel
had met face to face, and our bold
horse hiring man was under dWunce
ollie of our injured Manager. But
few words were exchanged, and soon
the buggy with the new team, was
homeward- bound, our mule swopper
being improvised into a driver spe-
cially for this occasion. All went
we'll and merrily till near Town, an
other idea forcibly hit our mule one,
which no sooner conceived was leaped
into practical effect by the mule one
making "half-hammond" jump out
of the buggy, leaving our Manager
alone in his seat, with the Boosting
salutation: "make a dead shot of it,
Colonel" and was soon out of sight
for some safe ditch or hedge. Here
our Manager not the least nonplused
remembered that Dave Paul was now
Sheriff of Rapides, and he knew his
remedy. No sooner in Town, than
he swore out the proper warrant,
which was placed in our Sheriff s
hands, who in turn mounted "his gal.
liant grey in search of the mule fu.
|gitive. We can't write it fast enough
to inform the public how soon our eff.
fcient Sheriff was on his prey and
how soon he was back to Town and
had ushered him into the Parish Inn
at the public cost. There he now