St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-01-07

TO myself, ':this is tree, this is a
stump etc., before | could make sure
that | was not wrong. Half a mile down
the road, after we struck the forest, and
then Raleigh turned the horse into the
blind road leading back into the woods.
7 could not understand what he intend
ed. tried to grapple with the question,
but could not solve it.
"Well, here we are,n exclaimed Ra-
LEIGH, when we had reacheda point forty
rods from the road.
He stopped the horse, got out and fas-
tened him, and then came around to the
wheel.
"You don't feel just right; but guess
YOU will be better soon,h he remarked;
:.come, let me help you down."
He reached up his arms, and / let 90
of the seat and fell into them. 1t
seemed to me as if weighed a 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 the effect
of the drug was wearing off, and | be-
can to feel little better and | got a
faint suspicion that something unusual
had happened. But l was powerless to
move 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 where you have slowed that
money!
Now began to realize my situation.
His face looked natural again and the
load was off my tongue.
George Raleigh! are you going to
rob me?'' | asked, finding my voice at
last.
"Well, some folks might call it rob-
bing, 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. y
"You shan't have the money; I'll die
firstr' l yelled, rising a 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-
uuered me in moment. Laying me
on nv right side, looking towards the
fence, he tied my hands, and then forced
a gag into my mouth.
r "There, now, you see you are nicely
fixed up, and all because you acted like
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 sight
, of the white face of a little girl looking
r at us between the rails of the fence.
, could see her great, blue eyes. There
were red stains about her mouth and on
, the little hand resting on the rails, and
[ I knew that she was some farmer
| daughter searching for strawberries.
| 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 sale
Raleigh, and he began searching my
1 pockets. He went from one to the
5 other, removing all the articles, anc
7 finally passed his hand over my bosom
and discovered the money.
/ "Ha! there it is!77 ne exclaimed, draw
t ing out the packages, and he was COO
b enough to 90 at it and count out the
money. As he commenced the cir
4 waved her hand to me. My heart wen
h humping, for I expected she would ut
: ter word or shout; but she sank doW1
e from sight, and caught glance OF he
s frock as she passed through the grass
v "You see, my young friend re
marked Raleigh, as he drew off one o
}, his boots and deposited some of the bill
in it, "there's nothing like transactin!
r business as it should be transacted
e Some men would have shot or stabbed
l. you, but it S only the apprentices who d
is such work. All the gentlemen OF GU
calling do business as gentleme
k should"
I He drew off the other boot and place
n some fifties and tWenties in 1t, and the
If continued:
e 81 have it all planned how to dea
d with you as soon as get this money di:
20 posed of around my person. l sha
s, lay you on your back and pour the ba
t. ance of this wine down your throat
lie There's enough Of it to make you slice
I till tomorrow night, and by that time
v shall be hundreds of miles away. A
* soon as see that the drug has taken e
feet I shall unite your hands and n
Ell move the gag. When you come out
I'd your sleepSif you ever do-you ha
TO better crawl out to the road, where yo
~ will be most likely to meet with som
y traveller. / want to use the horse an
buggy, otherwise I would leave the
m for you.''
10 How coolly he talked! He treated Il
matter as if it was a regular busine
a transaction in which fully acquiesce'
1 He had me fast prisoner, and l fe
that he could do just as he please
i'd While was thinking, I saw the lit
o, white face appear between the raj