St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-09-26

liYe more, suffer more III an houf, IMAM
comes to others in lifetime.
The posse sent to eviet the home |
steaders had gone directly to John Par
sons cottage from Ritchie's; but they |
were preceded by Mrs. Richie, who, |
frightened by the threats of men to tear |
the shanty down over her head if she
did not at once leave it, had caught her
babe from its cradle and ran directly TO
the Parsons homestead, where she ar
fved almost as much dead as alive, ana
had impaired the dreadful information,
believing it to be true, that every dwell
ling on the ranch was to be torn down.
and had urged Mrs. Parsons to take the
children and fly with her to some place
in the hills where they could hide from
those who were bent upon mission OF
| destruction, and whom her excited I'M
! aoination had magnified into small
army, ready for any outrage upon the
persons as well as the property OF those
against whom they were sant.
| Mrs. Parsons was scarcely less agl-
/ tated at the terrible news than was she
who brought it; and Erastus who had
listened without saying word to the
l story of the outrage, made no objection
| to the proposition, but helped to make
| into bundle the scanty wardrobe OF
| the family, and in company with the
frightened women and children crossed
| the creek upon little foot-brldge made
of planks, and placed them all within
/ the shelter of the bluffs on the opposite
side, and little further down, where
they would be out of sight of the posse
either from the cottage or from any
point on the road over which they would
pass in continuing their work OF de-
struction.
This done, in spite Of the pleadings of
the little girls and Mrs. Richie, and the
almost commands of ..Aunt Martha, "
as he had always called Mrs. Parsons,
he returned to the cottage and careful
i " examined the rifle which he had been
allowed to purchase when the journey
across the plains began, and also that
Of Uncle John" which hung over the
door between the two apartments.
Then he closed and barricaded as best
he could the doors of the cottage and
waited.
He had not long to wait, for very
soon the posse, composed OF dozen
men, halted in front of the dwelling.
and the leader advanced and raped
loudly on the door.
i It IS probable that the posse had lin
gered little, knowing the direction IN
which Mrs. Richie had fled with her
child, and guessing that the family to
whom she would impart the Informs
ton of the destruction of her own dwell
inc would be frightened thereby into
leaving also, and thus enable them to
avoid the scene which, in justice, it
must be said was no pleasure to them;
and evidently they thought that the
ruse had succeeded, for the leader OF
the squad remarked as he halted the
men:
.. Guess we shan't have to frighten
anybody to death here to get them to
leave =
He was right. The occupant of the
cottage was not frightened, but in
another minute the officer was, for be
heard the click of q rifle lock and
knew that there was not only some
body within, but that that somebody
meant business; and, hastily stepping
7 back off the porch, he said to the men;
q Nobody at home here; guess we've
! done enough for one day, anyhow
: let's quit and 60 home. - And II
another moment the whole posse wa;
out upon the road and headed in the
! direction from which they came.
It is more than possible, it is prob
able, that the officer did not intend tt
DESTROY the house from which this LITTLE
: family had fled. and which Erastu'
Hemingway had determined to de
fend at the risk of his life.
It was one of the best cottages in thu
: whole ranch and was too valuable tt
be destroyed if the family could b,
: frightened into leaving without; henct
those nearest it had been destroyed
= first, with the expectation that it would
result in its abandonment, if not i'm
Z mediatelv, at least within very shor
: time; and the purpose of the posse il
J stopping at all had been to add to tn
2 fright Of its occupants by threats AM
by their presence; instead Of whicl
! I their leader had received a fright him
self, which induced him to move Lii
: tie more rapidly than was his wont
and to keep his person well shelteret
behind the wagon in which was de
Y posted the axes and iron bars, b
: means Of which they had carried 81
: their work of destruction at othe
: places.
When Erastus was satisfied that tn
men were really gone, he unbarricade'
J the door and returned to the anxiou
: group behind the bluff.
2 AT first they could not be persuade
9 to 90 back to the house, the little girl
= crying and begging their mother I
! '.hitch right up and 60 back to th
Y States,' where at least their lives wer