St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-05-28


he was just removing it from his mouth
as if he had drunk hearty.
In about FIVE minutes l began to feel
queer. The fence along the road began
to grow higher, and trees grow larger;
came to my ears so that the
rattle of the buggy sounded long way
Off
l did not suspect the game lie had
played. His words were like an echo,
and his face seemed twice as large as it
was. My head began to spin, and my
brain began to snap and crack, and
was terribly frightened.
''You are badly off," he continued,
looking into my face. 81 will drive as
fast as possible and get DOCTOR"
My tongue was SO heavy that l could
not reply. l clutched the seat, shut my
eyes, and he put his horse at his best
pace. We met farmers team, and |
can remember that one of the occupants
OF the wagon called out to know what
allied the man. Raleigh did not reply,
but he urged his horse forward.
About three miles from Grafton was
a long stretch of forest, and this was
soon reached. The pain in my head
was not so violent, and l was not so
badly affected when opening my eyes.
had settled into a sort of dumb stupor,
with brain so benumbed that l had
to say to myself: "This is a tree, this
is stump" etc., before | could make
sure L was not wrong. Half a mile
down the road after we struck the
forest, and then Raleigh turned the
horse into road leading back into the
woods. l could not understand what
ne intended. tried to grapple with
the question, but could not solve it.
Wen, here we aren exclaimed Raj |
eigh, when he had reached q point
forty rods from the main road.
He stopped the horse, got out and
hltched him, and then came round to
the wheel.
"You don't feel just right, but guess
you will be better soon,n. he remarked.
Come, let me help you down."
He reached up his arms, and l let 90
the seat and fell into them. 1t seemed
to me as if | weighed ton, but he car
ried 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. The effect of the drugs
were wearing off, and got faint sus-
picion that something unusual had hap
pened. But l was powerless to move a
limb; the sensation was like that when
your foot goes to sleep.
"Can you speak?" inquired Raleigh,
bending over me. "Because if you
can it will save me some trouble.
want to know just where you have
stored away that money"
Now l began to realize my situation
His face looked natural again, and the
load was off my tongue. l felt that /
could move my fingers little.
George Raleigh, are you going to
rob mel" l asked, finding my voice at
last.
"Well, some folks might call it rob
bing,' but we dress up the term a 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 shan't have the money; l will
die firstm yelled, raising a little.
"Ah, 1 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 kneeled down beside
me. l had but little strength yet and
he conquered me in moment. Lying
down on my right side looking toward
| the fence, he tied my hands behind me
and then forced the gag into my
mouth.
There nowl You are nicely fixed
up, and all because you acted like
fool, instead of sensible young lawyer
soon TO be admitted to the barr
While he was speaking-indeed
while he was tying me. saw 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 l
knew that she was a farmers child
searching for Strawberries. l could
not warn her of her danger, and l
feared that she would be seen or heard.
| While Raleigh was tying the last knot
/ winked at the little girl as hard as l
could, hoping that she would move
away, but she did not go.
"Well, now for the money! said Raj
eigh, and began searching my pockets.
He went from one to another, removing
all the articles, felt down my bootleg,
and then finally pressed his hand over
"Ha! here it !" he exclaimed, draw
ing out the package. 81 don't 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 at me. My heart went humping,
for expected that she would utter
word or shout, but she sank down from
sight and l caught CLEAN of her frock
as she passed through the grass.
You see, my young FRIEND" re-
marked Raleigh, as he drew off one of
his boots and deposited some of the
bills in it, "thsre's nothing like trans
acting business as it should be trans
acted. Some men would have shot or
stabbed you, but its only apprentices
who do such work. All the real gentle
men OF our calling do business as gen.
tlemen should"
He drew off the other boot and placed
some ''fifties" and 'twenties" in it, and
then continued:
81 have it all planned out how to
deal with you as sooh as get this mem
ey disposed of around my person. [
shall lay you on your back and pour
the balance of the wine down your
throat. There's enough of it to make
you sleep until tomorrow night, and
by that time 1 shall be hundreds of
miles away. AS soon as see the drug
take effect, | shall unite your hands
and remove the gag. When you come
out of your sleep-if you ever do-you
had better crawl out to the road, where
i xxrill LIZ rolr