The herald., 1894-08-19
HOW PETEW
WHAT HIS SHORT STAY IN LOUISIANA
DID FOR HIM.

Bill Zach Thought Pete Raines Was Incur.
able and Sent Him Away-Plunls Took
His Life In Ills Hand. So he Thought,
but Pete Came Back Completely Changed
II never knew any one but Pete
Raines that had ever been to Louisiana, -
said Slotc Bondell of Gibson county,
Tenn, "and I never hoard him say q
word against it, but from the way he
acted when he came back to Tennessee
from thore l can't say that gathered
the idea that Louisiana held out many
inducements for folks to go there and
stay--that is, If the district Pete Raines
went TO was any fair sample of the
way things strike visitors in Louisiana.
That district was Tangipahoa parish. l
saw Pete when he started for Tangipa-
hoa parish, and l saw him just after he
got back. That's why can't get up
and shout much when 1 hear folks brag
about Louisiana although Pete never
said a word. There was good reason for
that, though.
"Now, l spose that when I rise to
remark that west Tennessee is the garden
spot Of all creation some foIks'll snicker
aud maybe snort. But thoy wouldn't if
they knew how 'shamed they'd be if
they could ever strike luck enough to be
turned looso in Gibson county once, es-
pecially around where Humboldt is.
William Zachariah Raines lives there.
cone day, two years or so ago, Bill
l l.
ger that worked for Bill Zach, and a
good one he was, too--'Piunk, said
Bill Zach, there amt no kind O. use,
we got TO do something with Pete.
The better l treat him the worse he
acts. He won't plow, and he won t
do nothing that amt cussedness.
Kicked the bay mare III tho belly this
morning, and she won't be worth a pic
ayune for week. Chased the old wom-
an from the cowyard clear to the house
and into the house and followed her
half way up the kitchen stairs. There
ain t any living with Pete any longer
Something's got to be done. Guess I'll
send him long with you down into
Louisiana.
:" 'Golly!' said PUNK. Who'll fotch
me back ag'in den? Pete he kill me
sure! Dead Niger can't walk back from
'Weesyannahl'
But Bill Zach had made up his
mind, and the mule had to go with
Plunk, dead nigger or no dead niger.
Guess | forgot to say before that
Pete Raines was mule, and q slick one
1. L., IL
was s years old when all this happened,
and Ill bet his ears were a foot and a
half long. His tail wasn't as long as his
ears, but it had a tuft ON it like a can
non swab. Pete was fat as seal, and
his hide glistened like darky's face in
a green corndeld. But Pete wasn't reli-
able. He had a way of kicking and bit
ing and fighting on the spur of the mo-
ment and without any provocation that
made him practically the boss Of things
around Bill Zach's place. and he knew
it. Bill Zach bought place couple of
years ago down in Tangipahoa parish,
down to Eiolk work =, and idsSdfa So aa ta ssad PlHpk
get rid of Pete in merciful sort OF way
by sending him down there, too, al
though it might be that he'd get rid OF
PUNK at the same time.
'They shipped Pete on the railroad,
and he went away tickled to death. lie
had it in his mind that he was going
into wider field to spread his cussed-
ness in, and he fairly yelled with de-
light in his car when the train pulled
out. 1t is 1S0 miles from Humboldt to
Tangipahoa parish by rail. When they
unloaded Pete down there, he came out
smiling. He thought he had it III for
that country and would make his mark
But he hadn't looked around much be-
fore detection seemed to seize him.
PUNK had never seen Pete that way,
and he got scared. PUNK was more un-
easy still when Pete went listlessly to
the plow and dragged it all day without
| once lifting his ears or his heels.
g I bet dis whole plantation gin
alligator what amt kotched yit, sale
PUNK, dat dey's Earthquake wuckll
in dat mool, an dat when it busts it'll
hist dis nigger clean to de udder SIDE
OBJ Jurdan!'
but it wasn't so The mule go
down in the dumps worse and worse ev
cry day, and after Pete had been II
Louisiana week PUNK went to TIN
field after him one day, and there wa
no mule to be seen. PUNK hunted al
over that country for three days, bu
couldn't find any trace Of Pete Thel
PUNK sent word to Bill Zach that tn
mule had gone off somewhere and died
And Bill Zach was glad. About thre
weeks after that Bill Zach was startle
out Of his sleep at half past 3 in tn
morning by noise that awakened mem
cries. He listened. The noise broke on
again. 1t ratified tho windows; it echoe
among the hills; it walled; it yooped;
heehawed.
3" Pete by the living jumper! yelle
Bill Zach, jumping out of bed and HUI
rying to the door. A mule was leanin
woarily against the front fence He wa
thin and scraggy, his eyes were hollo7
and his ears half way to his knees, liz
o a yaller hounds. When this mule sa'
, Bill Zach at the door, he lifted up h
! voice again and actually wept. 1t wt
!, Pete back from Louisiana. 1t is sc
miles from Tangipahoa parish to Hun
boldt by road, and so you may kno
I what Pete must have thought of Louis
f ana to take his overburdened heart wit
him, so to speak, and pull out for Tel
I nessee on the hoof. Pete was as slick