Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-04-06

load was off my tongue.
George Raleighll are you going to
rob me? ?" / 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 correct financial
way of equalizing the floating currency
so that each one is provided for, and no
one left out"
"Iou shan't have the money; III
die first p yelled, rising little.
"Ah, | see-you didn't take quite
enough" he coolly remarked. "Well,
| have provided for this"
He went to the buggy, procured ropes
and gag, and knelt down beside me.
| had but little strength yet, and he con-
quered me in a moment. Laying me
on my right side, looking toward the
fence he tied MY hands, and then fore
ed gag into my mouth.
| There, now, you see you are nicely
fixed up, and all because you acted like
a fool, instead of sensible young law
yer soon to be admitted to the bar"
While he was speaking indeed while
he was tying mel had caught the
sight of the white face of little girl
looking at us between the rails of the
fence. | could see her great blue eyes.
There were red stains around her mouth
and on the little hand resting on the
rails, and knew that she was some
farmers daughter searching for straw
berries. | could not warn her Of her
danger, and feared she would be seen
or heard. While Raleigh was tying the
last knot, | winked at the girl as hard
as could, hoping she would see me
and move away. But she did not go.
"Well, now for the money" said
Raleigh. ard he began searching my
pockets. He went from one 10 the
other, removing all the articles, and
finally passed his hand over my bosom
and discovered the money.
cha! there it is" he exclaimed, draw
ing out the packages, and he was cool
enough to so at it and count out the
money. AS he commenced the girl
waved her hand to me. My heart went
humping, for | expected she would
utter a word or shout; but she sank
down from sight, and l caught glance
of her frock as she passed through the
grass.
"You see, my young friend" remark
ed Raleigh, as he drew off one of his
boots and deposited some of the bills in
it, there's nothing like .ransacting
business as 1t should be transacted.
Some men would have shot or stabbed
you, but it's only the apprentices who
do such work. All the gentlemen of
our calling do business as gentlemen
should"
He drew of the other boot and placed
some fifteen and twenties in it and tn en-
continued;
II have it all planned how to deal
with you rs soon rs | get this money
disposed of around my person. shall
lay you on your back and pour the bal
ance Of this wine down your throat.
There's enough of it to make you sleep
till tomorrow night, and by that time
| shall be hundred miles away. As
soon as / see that the drug has taken
effect l shall unite your hands ana re-
move the gag. When you come out OF
your sleep--if you ever do-you had
better crawl out to the road, where you
will be most likely to meet with some
traveller. | want to use the horse and
buggy, otherwise | would leave them
for YOU
How coolly he talked He treated the
matter as if it was regular business
transaction in which | fully acquiesced.
He had me fast prisoner, and | felt
that he could do just as he pleased
While | was thinking, l saw the little
white face appear between the rails
again, but IN moment it faded away
and its place was taken by the sun
burned phiz of d farmer. He looked
from me to Raleigh and back again, and
| winked to him in a way which he
readily understood. His face disap-
peared, and ! felt that should be
saved.
"No, old Script won't get his tin to.
day." unused Raleigh, storing away the
bills in his pockets. you will go back
to Law e. Law, feeling put out and cut
up. But they, shouldn't blame you
it is not your way at all. True, had you
minded your business on the cars and
had not been so free with stranger,
this would not have happened. | was
on my way 10 MllWaukee, anu iau no
thong ht of such rich pickings here"
"Now, in just about minute wen
be through with this business" he re-
marked, trying to put the mouth ofthe
flask between my jaws.
rolled my head to one side, and he
did not succeed. He was jamming the
flask against my teeth, when caught
sound of a soft step, the crash of a club,
and Raleigh rolled off my body. He
tried to leap up, but three or four farm
ers struck him down, and one of the
blows rendered him senseless. Before
he came to | was free of ropes and gag,
and we had him nicely bound.
Over beyond the pasture farmer and
his hands were raking up hay. Little
blue eyes," only eight years old, had
wandered off after Strawberries, and
had fortunately witnessed part of Ra-
leigh's proceedings. She had hurried
back to her father and told him that "a
man was all tied up there" and he had
returned to the fence. Understanding
the situation, he and his men had NOV
ed around so as to secure an advantage.