Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-04-23

"Wheth.r I. was that the black "a.

"whether Il was that the black VAS
frightened at tl,c report, or whether ho
merely wanted to try conclusions with
his pursucrs, don't know; btt he
stretched out and we thunde red en-
harder than ever. didn't try to stop
him Mt first. mid beforc Gould eollect
my shnhes, even with the wind rushing
in my ears. heard swish above my
! head and the next instant felt myself
torn from my horses back by some-
thing over my shoulders. There was d |
terrific crash, a hundred lights danced |!
| before my eyes and tho black horse, !,
tha men and everything disappeared |
fror1 view and-weli, knew nothing.
1.-The next thing l remember was
some one shaking me by the shoulder.
! wan sitting on the black horse again,
but my arms were bound behind me
and tl,. level stretch was gone md
there were trees aroWnd mc. A tnan
| wns saying 70 me:
! "'Got any thing to say. stranger. fore
yer jcrlscd inter tn eternal?'
~ looked around. There were five
or six men near nc, all sitting on their
horses, silent and grim. ! felt some.
thing rough around n,y throat.
twisted my head to ons side 1t felt
like scarf. looked above me.
l a
limb of a tree overhead and one end
ran down and was held by two or
three men ! had not noticed before.
Tho other end, it suddenly came upon
me. was about my neck
II was to be hanged. But what forf
1t must be some horrible dream. But
then came the words from the man at
my shoulder again:
"'What " got ter say, pard? Any
thing? Cos if y has. yer wanter look
lively We amt a-fool in no time on
hoss thieves
II tried TO say something. Hang
mgr Horse thicves! 1t was beyond
me. was stupeficd. ! made another
effort to speak, but there only came
dry rattle from my throat.
Coy yoting!' heard voice say. Pull
i'm up, BOYS We can't lose no more '
"And then there was terrible tight
enipp at nv throat, a straining which
seemed as if it would almost tear my
head from my shoulders. Red, green,
sombcr lights flashed before my eyes.
I Involuntarily set my chin hard, con.
, tracing the muscles until the lower
4 law was fixcd and extended. felt
something slip on my neck as l did
this, aad the strain came almost en-
I tircly on my chin. Back OF my head,
! near the top, there was hard body
S pressing into my hair and scalp. Al!
e these feelings are photographed upon
t my memory plainly, despite the fact
C that thsy were experienced in an in
stants time.
3 Then my head began to swim aud
$ filled until it seemed as if it were about
d to burst, Water forced itself to my
c eyes, which felt were bulging from
q their sockets In my throat was some
k thing warm which rushed tc my nos
= trils and was suffocating me.
r Just then there was cry frol'
& some where:
"Mv God, boys! we've got th'
, wrong man! Look at his boots
a Where's his spurs' And look at th'
n bla ciis sidcs!'
6 ''Thc sound came to me as II from
" afar, 1t was faint, but it was distinct
g 1t seemed rs if some one were wins
IL pcring it through telephone.
,r For an instant felt the lcsscnin'
~ of the strain about my neck. Then tn
c warm fluid in my throat came up an
- chokcd me and felt myself fallin
/ through what seemed infinite space.
"Somcthing hard between my teet
re viyed me and found myself aGalns
~ n trec-thc one from which ] had
~ moment before been dangiing-and
'o man holding a whisky flask to m
- mouth.
W W ".That was narrow squeak, pard
Nv Nv said my attendant How y fcclii
~, now; comm round all right? TAX
-. another drop O the Ticker; it'll livcn .
up bit
Wen have ter beg yer pardini
~, captain said 4 man in big slouc
ia hat, coming forward. We thought
Sen1n
e' so we strung " up V must low IL
~. evidence was strong 'gainst yr Bu
"a. lest to show there's no ill feelin' II
~ blacks yours we earned him,
reckon, anyway. Shake hands, will y
..- ~ shook hands. | was yet too my
tilted to understand anything clearl
7 But when at last l did regain II
he senses more completely ! heard II
,at whole story. The men about me we
ranchmen from 'Stockers,' thirty ot
al miles above. They had lost numb
al. of valuable horses, and finally. the d;
flo before, the black had been mlssln
bt- That settled it. They at once we
m on the trail and, though they werc
nc. long time coming up with the object
nor their pursuit, owing to the doublln
and tricllery of the gentleman who n
do. trade d me the black horse the cveni
ng before, they had finally sighted II
ito run me down and later strung me I
md "'What saved v, pardncr.' said 7
But friend of the slouchcd hat later on in t
the ishing his story. was them boots Ih
,iy- wcrd too small and light for ther +
ties lers round here, and anyways tn
ing hadn't no spurs on them. and t
ion blacks sides showed as how the fe!
len what had rid him had worn the 'le
cans and used EN-, too
rly IAN hour later we started back alo
be- the trail, for the men had insisted
ts,' my going with them to the near
vcr ranch and resting over nlGht
-. IL Il. LIE, mi q