Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1906-03-09
THE ADVENTURES
OF A CARPETBAC

AT the age of thirteen | was an or.
phan and frieudless. fell into the
hands Of a farmer (also constableJ,
who i'll treated me. worked me nearly
TO death and made me sleep In the barn.
| l had been with the farmer almost a
month and we had begun haylng when
! was aroused from a sound sleep one
night an hour after midnight by hear
ing footsteps moving about. got
carefully to my feet and saw two men
just within the door. They were speak
Ing In guarded tones, and yet could
hear every word they said. They had
something they wanted to conceal.
They talked OF a bank. They wondered
If they were pursued. They mention.
ed the name of the farmer In way
to show that they were acquainted with
him and his wife. One of the fellows
finally climbed into the haymow with
carretbag In his hand and I heard
him tramplng around on the hay for
several minutes; then he descended and
said to the other:
Il have hidden IL I'm the corner under
the hay, and no one will blunder across
II. Let's be getting out OF here"
As they left the barn | went to the
door and saw them enter a vehicle and
drive away. l climbed up to the hay
and in ten minutes had unearthed the
carpetbag 1t was not only bulging
full, but so heavy that had trouble TO
get down with It,
Down in the old pasture back of the
barn was an old limekiln. 1 had look
ed into it three or four times and noted
that it was a capital hiding place.
Away went with the carpetbag across
the field, and in half an hour | had
hidden 1t away and was back at the |
barn. There was no further sleep for |
me that night
The farmer was up at daylight, and. |
after hasty breakfast, we loaded up
and drew In two loads of hay. This
new crop was pitched up on top Of the
old. During the day we got in two
more loads and finished the haylng next
day by filling the NOW clear to the roof.
Every night l expected the return of
the men who had left the carpetbag.
but they did not show up until the
eighth night.
When they discovered that the new
hay had been put In, their curses were
nwful to hear, and during the first dis
they almost came to blows.
There was no chance of their digging
out the bag, and after awhile they
formed some other plan and departed.
Ihey returned next morning, and under
)retense of wishing to buy the farm
they got the constable down in the
,ornfield and had long talk with him.
what they did, as subsequent events ,
proved. was to tell him the story and :
)ribe him with a promise of a share OF I,
he spoils. :
When they came out of the cornfield =,
he three went to work pitching the hay ,
lown on the floor. | was sent to hoe
n the garden while they did this work. ;
Sy and by they got down to where the a
arpetbag ought to have been, but
vas not and then was sent for.
The strangers had been told that 4
lept in the barn, and il was only h
atural that should be suspected. For .
long hour, using threats, cajolery and
II sorts Of promises, they tried TO make =
ae own up. lied and stuck TO IT, / n
ed because the constable and his wife y
ad Ill used me and because l knew :,
ne two men to be robbers. had a y
elief that the bag contained money, =
ut was not sure, and the idea of \
rotting by It had not entered my head.
The men finally came to the eonclu- Al
Ion, or pretended 10, that had not n,
lken the bag and was sent about nv So
FORK. On the afternoon OF the fourth OF
ay was sent down TO the old pasture
hx gap in the fence. This was a n
ut up job. but ] did not know-it One II
the strangers followed me, and when
visited the old kiln after fixing the el
ance he was close at my heels. was
eeling into the dark cavity when he e.
ashed nee aside and reached in and OF
Dt the bag. Then he grabbed at me. ci
ut | lodged him and ran away. He
'llowed on after me, coaxing and
reatenlng hut had no show to seize ol
e.
He vas gradually driving me toward n
le cornieid when a bull that had W
'me through the gap in the fence and
cen lying behind some bushes got to
IS feet and came charging at the man. SO
he surprise was so sudden that the
'llow dropped the bag and took to his
sels. The bull chased him to and over til
fence, forty rods away. while l grab OF
I'd up the bag and disappeared among
e corn.
l knew that l would be Immediately I'll
irsued. and / legged it through the an
'rn and got into the woods beyond. .
hen had rested a bit | got out of tn
e woods and upon highway, carry ro
g the bag on my shoulder, and had he
II walked half h mile before | vas m,
ertaken byra woman in buggy whS an
as driving hOmeVard from a village. ~ ~
le was kind and motherly, and before ev
reached her house | had told her to
there was to tell. At the house she th'
Id her husband. and the result was vac
at the bag was set away. and was
iven to the village tn ranaaf NV ly