The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-15
"How strange WHY l believe that

"HOw strange why peHeVe 'naC
1 am gong to be sick |" l exclaimed,
holding on to the buggy seat with all
my might. -.
snaky smile stealing over his face; l
shouldn't wonder at all if it was apo
plexy." :,
l did not suspect the game he 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 1
was greatly frightened.
"You are badly off" he continued,
looking into my face I will drive ss
fast as possible and try to get
DOCTOR"
NY tongue wac so heavy that l could
not reply. l clusched the seat, shut my
eyes, and he put his horse at Lis best
pace. We met a farmers team, and l
remember that one of the occupants OF
the wagon called out to know what allied
the man. Raleigh did not reply but
urged his horse forward.
About three miles from Grafton was
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. l bad
settled into sort of dumb stupor, with
a brain so benumbed that l had to say
to myself, 'this is tree, that is
stump" ETC., before 1 could make sure
that was not wrong. Half mile and
then Raleigh turned his horse into a
blind road leading back into the woods.
| could not understand what heintended.
I tried to grapple with the question but
could not solve it.
"Well, here we arew exclaimed
Raleigh, when we reached point forty
rods from the main road.
| He stopped the horse, got out, and
hitched HIM, and then came round to
the wheel
"You don't feel just right, but l
guess you will be better soon, he re-
marked come, let me help you down. "
He reached up his arms and l 1T go
of the seat and fell into them. 1t
seemed to me as if l weighed ton, but
he carried me along without an effort
and laid me down within about rod OF
the fence, which ran along on one side
of an old pasture. Just now | began to
feel little better. The effects of the
drug were wearing off, and l got faint
suspicion that something unusual had
happened. But l was rowerless to
move a limb; the SEM alton was like
that when your foot goes to sleep.
Scan you speak p inquired Raleigh
bending over me; "because if you can il
know just where you have stored that
money"
Now l began TO realize my situation
His face looked natural again and the
load was off my tongue. l also felt
that l could move my fingers.
George Raleigh are you going to
rob me r / asked, finding my voice at
last.
"Well, some folks might call it rob
bling, but we dress up the term little
by calling it the only way Of financially
equalizing the floating currency, so that
each one is provided for, and no one
eft out.
"You snant have the money: l will
die first p yelled, rising little.
"Ah, Isee-didn't take quite enough, u
he coolly remarked. "Well, l have
provided for this"
He went to the buggy, procured ropes
and gag and knelt down beside me, l
had but little strength yet and be con-
quered me in q 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 see you are
nicely fixed up, and all because you
acted like fool instead Of like sen
sible young lawyer soon to be admitted
to the bar"
While he was speaking-indeed while
he was trying mel had caught sight
of the white face Of little girl looking
at US from between the rails of the
fence 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 she was some farm
mer's child searching for strawberr,s.
l could warn her Of her danger, and
feared that she would be seen or heard.
| While RALEIGH was tvino the last knot