Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-06-14

EtnGOy WHOu hO'NS NN0AO hoNO UGH
easier than to have disarlned one rob-
Der and shot the other in twinkling,
or, at least, scared him off, OBTAINING
the other prisoner. Men who could
submit so tamely TO force so despi.
cably unequal, deserve all the misfor-
tune in way Of loss that may befall
them.
Another incident is currently rela-
ted, which is more remarkable than
either Of these, and which shows for
chilly, how easily the maraudering
rancheros may be terrified when
travellers have nerve to defend
themselves. They are off like
smoke at the first manifestation of real
danger, and no man with particle Of
courage about him need ever fear them.
A solitary Frenchman was once trav-
elling alone in the diligence from Pu-
ebla to Mexico, with some five or six
hundred dollars in specie, which he re-
solved TO defend as long as he had life.
He carried with him the best double
barrelled gun he could find, and had
cartridges made to fit his piece, each
containing full charge of buckshot,
which he determined the robbers
should pocket before they should get
at his gold.
Somewhere about midnight, when the
moon was kindling into burning silver
the ice-encrusted sides Of the mountain
the driver Of the diligence suddenly
discovered, upon. turning bend in the
road. large party Of rancheros about
fifty yards in advance. The solitary
traveller was Immediately informed of
the fact, and the alarmed driver pulled
up his horses at once. The French
man asked if it was not possible to Sc
crete his money in tie diligence, but
the trembling driver gave answer in
the negative. At once preparing him
self for war,the Frencnman swore they
should not get his money without a
fight, and he was soon ready for action.
Both barrels of his gun were loaded,
and he coolly drew his ramrod and held
it between his fingers, while he took
two more cartridges from his belt and
placed them between his teeth,i order
10 facilitate him in reloading. Then
cooking his piece, and seeing that the
robbers were not advancing, he COM
handed the cowardly driver,to resume
his seat, and the diligence slowly pro-
ceeded. Calm as block Of stone he
awaited the event. When within a
few PAGES ofthe rascals, who were ten
in number, nine on horseback and one
| va. ..f~~., .I-- I.iv0J was commanded
by the robbers to stop.
One of the ireebooters then came
to the side ofthe diligence, deliberate.
ly opened the door and ordered the
passenger out. But the muzzle of a
gun was at the robbers breast, and
the instantaneous reply he received
was charge of buck-shot in his heart
A wild shrek sprang up fearfully, anC
started away in the moonlight among
the mountain echoes, as the freebootel
gave convulsive death bound and fel
stone dead on the road!
The brave Frenchman had anothe
cstridge in the discharged barrel il
stantly, and the same preliminarie!
were observed as before for quick re
loading. Had the whole ten men be
set the door of the vehicle, the French
man wonld have shot down every one
of them. They possibly may have
some vague notion of that fact for il
thirty seconds after the robber fell, there
was not one Of the other nine in sigh
and our solitary hero in the diligence
reserved his remaining nine fires anC
preserved his gold,