The Opelousas courier., 1894-10-06
.nds for home and rode off without the

inent right here in my inside pocket.
1 have also got Judge Milligan n the
law on my side, and will never come
forth with the steer till you corie forth
with the money"
GA his return back home that evenin
Dave Bracken rode by our place and
had long talk with my grandfather
about the steer and the steer case IN
General. Grandfather told him that
accordin to the law old man Jerry could
hold the steer till the damage was set
tied and the papers Of detainment paid
for, and otherwise Bright would keep
bn DRAWN his ration over at the Scrog-
gins place.
"Well. as to me. l don't know a blame
thing about the law and the court"
saws Dave, but if that's the way the
game stands they can take the burned
old steer and go to thunderation with
him. | would of sold him three days
ago for six dollars and been devilish
glad to get it. and I'll be consound if /
am goin to pay seven dollars and six
bits for him now. He is in some better
order now@n+sW was befoIe he took
to forag4 on old mani Jerry scrog-
ginse's place. bat they have run the
tiggerssa notch or two higher than l am
willin to 60
-
Powerful Pesterin Property.
So Dave Bnacl1en went on about his
business, whilst Jerry Scroggins went
on waitin for his money and feedin the
old spotted ste II. By-and-by the two
weeks run u and still Dave didn't
come to settle the damages and pay off
Bright was now the property of old
a Jerry Scroggins, to have and to
hold. or to kill, or Go as he durn pleas
ed with him. And it want very long
before old man Jerry come to find out
that he had got hold Of a pie<a of pow
erful Fostering property. Bright was
dead poor but he wasas big as a meetin
house and had a comm appetite and
could eat his weight in hay one day
with another. Well. at last old man
Jerry got SO sick and tired of his bar
gain till he turned the steer out and
lowed he could go on back home where
he belonged and lot Dave Bracken feed
his own stock.
But it seems like old Bright took the
wrong end of the road and went on |
through the swamp and across the
creek. That hight he broke into old
man man Tommy Pickense's field and
climbed up around another acre or two
VI fOuuk CDIu. VII IIIh lolllIll was
cussin mad the next mornin when he
got the news. and after breakfast he
lit out likewise also and went to Gee |
Judge Milligan about the general dam
age and devilment that had been done |
by Dave Bracken's steer. Old man
Tommy laid his damages at four dol
lars and the Judge got out another set
of detainment papers agin the owner
of said steer at a cost of six bits, max |
ing four dollars and six bits in all.
When old man Tommy went by to see
Dave and give him notice of what the
steer had done and where he was and
how much it would cost to pay off the
detainment papers. Dave lowed that
the court was bar1in up the wrong tree
this time.
SIS it a poor old slab-sided. wooble-
by-legged steer with d crop in the right
ear and a under hit in the left ?" says
Dave.
That's the animal all around and all
over says old man Tommy.
We'll know that. steer" says Dave, !
land he used to be mine. but he now
belongs to old man Jerry Scroggins ac-
cordin to the law and the facts and the
court papers,"
Then old man Tommy went around
by the Scroggins place to see old man
Jerry about it. and old man Jerry
wouldn't own up to the steer. He low
ed the steer belonged to Dave Bracken,
though he held a claim for seven dol
lars and some court papers agin him
for the damage he had done to his brag
corr patch. So as. between old man
Jerry Scroggins and Dave Bracken old
man Tommy kept the steer up two
weeks. tryin to git somebody to come
up and settle the damages and pay off
the paper of detainment. And at the
out, to run on the range with the dry
cattle. whilst he whistled for his
money.
About the next thing anybody know
ed that old spotted steer Bright, had
took and went and broke into Drury
Grifin's plantation and slorated anoth-
corn field. Drury took him up and
held him for damages, and went to
Judge Milligan and took out papers of
detainment as usual. But he couldn't
find nobody that owned the steer, and
at last he had to turn him out and let
him go. Drury said Bright had been
bored for the hollow horn, and from
the way he could eat it looked like he
must be hollow all over and through
and through.
90 DFuEy tuTucu Ulc SlCST Oul Ike W
day. and when Dave Bracken got up
mornin there was old Bright
browsing around in his corn field with |
slab sides stickin out as round and
smooth as a bullet and as tight as a
drum head. Then Dave he rounded up
the steer in his horse lot and put out to
see Judge Milligan to put in his claims
for damages and take out papers of de-
tainment agin the said owner of said
steer. But presently the facts in the
case got SO powerful bad mixed and
muddled up till the old Judge lowed
he'll be dadburned if he didn't bring I
to a focus and be done with it.
He set the case for trial on the next
day and had old man Jerry Scroggins
and Drury Griffin and old man Tommy
Pickens and Dave Bracken summoned
to be on hand. The court also sent out
a constable with papers of complement
to bring the old spotted steer to court.
Present or .Accountea For.
When the court come to order the
next mornin there was present Judge
Millgan. old man Jerry Scroggins, Dru-
ry Griffin, old man Tommy Pickeos and
Bracken. and several of tho neigh
bors that had core in to see the case
Judge Milligan put first one
man and then another on the stand till
all of the witnesses had give in their
testimony.
Dave Bracken he swore that the steer
rant his cause the court had issued pa
,ers Of detainment in favor OF old man
Jerry Scroggins in orderment to bring
ortk the damages and the cost, which
same he Dave never had paid off.
at last accounts and SO far rs
lie knowed old Bright belonged to a
nan by the name of scroggins.