The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1859-07-05


sengers through; but only told you Of
this so that you might look out for your
mail, and keep an eye Oh it when you stop
to change horses"
Iassured him that | should do so, and
and then took tho bag under my arm,
and left the office. When | reached my
team slowed the mail away under my
seat ittle more carefully than usual, pla.
cling it so that could keep my feet against
it, but beyond that did not feel any con.
cern. 1t was half past one wien l started
and had four passengers, two of whom
rode only to my first stopping place. l
reached Gowan's Mills at dark, when we
stopped for supper, and where my other
two passengers concluded to stop for the
night. They had no particular business to
hurry them, so they preferred to take a
more comfortable season for travelling over
the dubious road that lay before them.
"Thus at about six o'clock in the even
ing, left Gowan's mills alone, having two
horses md open pung. AS there was but
little travel on this end Of the route, used
to leave my covered sleigh at the Mills
and take my pung, which was not only
much lighter, but no! SO top heavy in the
drifts. had seventeen miles to 60, a
| hard seventeen miles il was, too. The
night was quite clear but the wind WAS
sharp and cold. the loose snow flying in all
directions, while tho drifts were deep and
closely packed. 1t was slow, tedious work
and my horses soon became leg weary and
rcstive. At the di>tan,e Of six miles from
Gowan's | came to little settlement call
ell Bulls Conner, where | took horses
I'd been Two hours going that distance
Just as | was ready TO start from there, n
man came up and asked IN # | WAS 90
ing through to Lilleton. | told him |
should % through if the thing couIl posi-
l,Iy be done. He said he was very anxious
10 20. He had no baggage SD told him
to jump in, aud make himself AS comiorta.
bic as possIble. ] WAS about gathering up
the re,ns, when t hostlrr came oat from
the ll,l" stable and asked me if | ku
one Of my horses had cut himself very
badly. dumped oul and went with my
informant, aud found that one Of the AMI
mails al got II drel' cork-cut upon the
oiftore foot. gave such directions rs
thought Necessary, AMI WAS about To turn
away, when the hostlcr remarked that he
thought that | came alone. | told him |
did.
''l'hon wherc'd you get that passen.
gcrl" spii he.
ale just got in" | answered
SCOT in from wherc3'
81 don't know"
"WclI, uow," says the hostler, 'tha,'s
kind o curious. Th"re hahn been no such
at the house, and know there h,int been
none at tn ncighbors. Where d he come
tronT
"That WIS the question. AS for the
'nrighl ors, there were only thee other
dw, lings at the Corner and the stable.
~ knew that no stranger had been at
any Of them during the evening.
Lets have look at his face said -
We can get that much at any rate. Do
YOU 60 back with me, and as get into
the pung, just hold your lantern SO that
the light will shine into his face
'The boy did as | wished, and as l
stepped aboard Of my pug | got u fair
view OF such portions Of my passengers
face as were not muffled up. | SAW a short
thick frame; full, hard features; and |
could also see that there was heavy beard
under his chin. l thought of tho man
whom the Postmaster had described 10
me. bu, didn't think seriously upon i,
until aftcrl had srarted. Perhaps | had
gone half mile, when noticed the mail
bag wasn't in its cd place under my feet.
"llalo,' says holding up my hcrses
a little, where's my mar My passcn
ger sat on the seat behind me, and as ]
spoke | turned towards him.
"Elerc i, u bag Of some kind slipped
under my feet he said, giving it kick as
though he showed it forward.
"Just at that moment my horses lum.
bercd into deep snow drift, and | was
forced TO get out aud tread down ahead
OF them, and leal them through it. This
took me all of fifteen minutes, and when
got in again ] pulled the mail lag forward
and got my feet upon it. AS was doing
this saw the man take something from
his lap, beneath the buffalo, and put it in.
to his breast pocket. A first thought it
was a small liquor flask, but upon second
thought | had made up my mind that 1t
was pistol. had caught the gleam Of
the barrel in the starlight, and when had
time to reflect knew that was not mis-
taken.
"About this time | began to think some
what seriously. From what | had heard
and seen soon made up my mind that tho
individual behind me not only meant TO
rob me of he mail, but that be prepared
to rob me Of my life. If resisted him he
would shoot me, and perhaps he meant to
perform that dclectable operation at any
rate. While | was pondering. the horses
plunged into another deep drift and | was
again for ed tn Ct out and tired down the
snow before them. asked my passenger
if h would help me, but he sail he didn't
feel very well, and wouldn't try; 50 work
ell alone, and was all Of IL quarter of an
hour in getting my team through the drift.
which WAS several Iods in extent, When
| got into the sleigh again ny first impulse
after starting UP was TO fcclfr tho mail
bug with my fet. found it wher ! left
it, Iut when attempted to withdraw my
foot discovered that it had bcconc entan-
plrd in something thought in the buff