The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-05-03
CHAPTER xV-Continued.

up to the Van IleuSen place.
"Where do We hail from?
"CobleskilI."
ION business for Judge WestbroOkF
"Yes."
"Writs 10 server
"Yes," | answered with no thought
Of my imprudence
"Say, young man, by hockey nettie!
advise you 10 turn right around ana
90 back"
"WhyY
"'Cause if We try to serve any writs
yell git into trouble"
That's interesting" l answered. u
am not seeking a quarrel, but l do
want to see how the people feel about
the payment of their rents"
"Say mister. look down into that val
ley there" the stranger began. "See
all them hOuses-they're the little
houses O. the poor. See how smooth
the land is? Who built them houses?
Who cleaned that land? Was 1t Mr..
Livingston? BY hockey nettie! | guess
not. The men who live there built the
houses an cleaned the land. We amt
got nOthin' elSe-not a dOllari It's all
gene TO the landlord. / am for the
men who made every rod o that land
an who own not single rod of IT..
Years an years ago king gave il to
a man who never cut one tree or laid
one stone on another. The deeds say
that we must pay rent o so many
bushels o. wheat year but the land is
nc good for wheat, an amt been for
O hundred years. Why, We see. mis-
ter, good many things have happened
in three hundred years. The land was
willin' to give wheat then an good
many folks was willin' TO be slaves. BY
hockey nettie! they had got used to it.
Kings an magistrates an slavery
didn't look so bad 10 'em as they dc
now. Our brains have changed-that's
what's the matter-same as the sol
has changed. We want to be free like
other folks in this country. America
has growed up around us but here we
are Twin back in old Holland three
hundred years ago. 1t don't set good
We see lots O. people that don't hav,
TO be slaves. They own their land an
they amt worked any harder than w
have or been any more savin'. That!
why / say we can't nay the rents NJ
more an We mustn't try to make us
BY hockey nettie! You'll have trouble
X We do"
The truth had flashed upon me on
Of the words of this simple man. Tn
Ill then ! had heard only one side o
the case. II l were TO be the servan
Of Justice. as Mr. Wright had advised
what was I 10 do? These tenants ha
been Grimshawed and were bein
Grimshawed out Of the Just fruits O
their toll by the feudal chief who's
remote ancestor had been a kings IA
vorite. For half a moment | watche
the wavering needle of my compass
and then:
"If what you say is true / think yo
are right" / said.
IL don't agree with you" said youn
Latour. "The PATRONS have a clea
title to this land. If the tenants don
want TO pay the rents they ought I
get out and make way for others"
Look here, young man, my name
Josiah Curtis" said the stranger.
live in the first house on the RICH
hand side o. the road. You may tie
the judge that | won't pay rent 4
more-nOt as long as l live-and
won't git ont. either"
"Mr. Latour. you and Purvis may 8
on slowly-I'll overtake you soon,"
said.
They went on and left me alone wit
Curtis. He was getting excited and
wished TO allay his fears.
''DOn't let him try to serve no wri
or there'll be hell to pay in this va
ley" said Curtis.
''In that case / shall not try to ser,
the writs. ! don't want to stir up Il
neighborhood, but I want TO know Il
facts. l shall try to see other tenan
and report what they say. 1t may les
to a settlement"
We went on together to the top
the hill near which we had been stan
ing. Far ahead saw a cloud of du
but no signs of Latour and Purv
They must have spurred their hors
into q run. The fear came to me tn
Latour would try to serve the writs
.. spite of me. They were in his peck,
,, What fool I had been not 10 call (
! them. My companion saw the look
: concern in my face.
II don't like that young Teller" 81
E Curtis. Ties i'm fer trouble"
He ran toward his house. which W
: only a few rods beyond us. while
started on i'm pursuit of the two m
D at top speed. Before my horse h
E taken a dozen jumps I heard a no
: blowing behind me and its echo in t
: hills. Within n half moment doz
: horns were sounding in the vale
, around ne. What a contrast to {
q quiet in which we had been riding W
). this pandemonium which had brok
: loose in the countryside. A little abe
4 could see men running out of {
fields. My horse had begun TO lath
for the sun was hot. My companiO
:. were far ahead. / could not see
dust OF their heels now. gave up Il
Ing to catch them and checked
speed of my horse and went on at
walk. The horns were still soundil
Some of them seemed to be mi
away. About twenty rods ahead S,