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


EVICTION.
The explorers were gone ten days.
Returning just after nightfan on the
evening of the tenth day they paused in
front of the little grove surrounding
Ritchie's shanty to arrange between
themselves the route which they should
take on the morrow in notifying those
interested of their return and readiness
to report.
The SuscoI Ranch is not prairie,
but a succession of low ridges or hills.
Occasionally a bit of the rock founda-
ton crops out on some blufy point but
generally the ridges are tillable clear to
their SUBMITS and produce wonderful
crops of wheat, an average of fifty and
sixty bushels to the acre being consid-
cred no surprising yield even upon
fields of several hundred acres. In
their natural state they are dotted over
with little groves of white and live oak,
usually in groups of from dozen to a
hundred trees. and it was in one of these
little groves that Ritchie's shanty was
situated.
When the two men had agreed upon
their separate course for the morrow,
and also upon the place at which the
souatters were to be asked to meet and
decide upon their future action, they
separated; Richie turned his pony's
head toward his shanty, while Parsons
loosened the rein upon the neck OF his
beast already showing signs of Hneasl-
ness at being held back when so near
home, and started at brisk pace in the
direction in which he knew his family
@ere anxiously awaiting his coming.
He had gone but few yards, how
ever, when he heard an exclamation OF
surprise from Ritchie, who almost in
stantly rejoined him and erowding his
pony close up to that of his companion
exclaimed, in voice shaken with emo
Aion and excitement:
s.My God, Parsons, they've torn down
nv shanty, and Heaven only knows
what has become Of my wife and
child.
1t was true.
Those to whom the Suscol Ranch,
comprising thousands OF acres OF the
finest lands, had been given by the pur-
chased votes of corrupt Congressmen
and Senators, had decided to resort to
eviction in order to obtain immediate
possession, and sent posse OF mer
with orders to destroy a number Of
dwellings as warning to all others.
and Bill Ritchie's shanty had beer
among those selected.
For a moment the two men sat upon
their horses like statues, looking at each
other through the darkness; and then,
sxith one impulse, they put spurs tc
their animals and dashed away in the
direction of Parsons house. Neither
spoke. but both leaned forward in then
saddles, and rode at full speed-rode
with bated breath, while alternate hope
and fear struggled with fierce anger fol
possession of their bosoTns.
Had they stopped to reason they
would have known that there was little
probability of bodily injury having beer
done to the eVicted family; but Whc
would stop to reason Of the probable
amount of injury when he came sud.
denly upon the ruins of his home anc
realized that those whom he loved bet
ter than all else in the world, defense
less woman with babe at her breast
and had the shelter torn from over theil
heads, and that they were gone, h
knew not where or how?
Naturally they would seek shelter
with their new neighbors, the Parsons
since they were nearer than any other
and the two men would return together
but suppose the Parsons cottage wa
DESTROYED also? Surprising all the cot
eaees in the neighborhood were de
stroyed, what then?
And John Parsons? Can the suffer
fngs which he endured during that rld'
be measured or told? That ride OF
quarter Of mile before coming u
over the intervening rise they saw light
"a the window and a campfire burning
brightly in front Of the cottage?
Ii life were flame feeding upon tn
body which it inhabits, then it would D
eaSE to understand how men sometime