The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-05-28
NUMBER 35.

be uiu as L wished, ana rs l stepped
into the pung I got a fair view of. such
portions ct my passengers face as vas not
inufIed up. [ saw short thick frame.
full. hardy features, and [ could see that
there Was heavy beard under the chin
| thought of the man, whom the post.
master had described to me, but I didn't
think seriously upon it until we had
started. Perhaps [ hadn't got b ali q
mie when | noticed that the mail ba,
wasn't in its usual place und,r my feet.
"tiallo J says ], holding up my horses
q little, where's my mail p
My passenger eat on the seat behind
me, and L turned towarl him
',iiere Is bag of some kind, sIipped
back under my feet said he, C;yng
1t kick, as though he would shove it
forward.
&pst at this moment my horses lum-
bered into deep snow drift, and was
forced to get out and tread down the
snow ahead Of them, aad lead them thro'
it.
This took me all of fifteen minutes,
and when got in again l pulled the mail
Bag forward and got my ieet upon it and
as | was doing this, l saw the man take
something from his lap beneath the
bui4io, aud put it in his breast pocket
At this | thought it was a pistol.
had got gleanl of the barrel 10 the star
light. and when | had time to reflect, 7
krisw could not be ml.taken
About this time began to think some.
wEat seriously. From what had seen,
III 'de up my mind that the individual
behind me not only mean. to rob the mail
but he was prepared to rob me of my
lie. If resisted him he would shoot
me, an; perhaps he meant. to perform
that delicite job at any rate. While I
Was pondering. the horses tell into anoth-.
er deep snow drift, and | vas again forced
II get out and tread down the snow before
them, | asked my passenger if he
woudn help me, but he said he did not
ioel very weli--wouidu'. try is; 50 I
worked aioar, and was all of a giarter of
an hour getting out OF the drift When
got ,nto the sleigh again, began to feei
for the mail ba. with my ieet, and found
it where [ had left II; but when 1 at
tempted 10 withdraw my loot, disc ,ver-
ed that it hal become entaa lel in som,-
thing | thou ght it was the buRa,o, anl
tried to kick it clear; but the more [
kicked the more closely was it held. I
reached down my hand; after feeling
about. a few minutes, I found that my
toot was ip the mail bag. felt again
and found my haud in among the packa-
yes OF letters aud papers l ran my
dagger along the edges OF the opening, AMI
necame assured that the stout leather hid
been cat with knife.
Here WAS u discovery. [ began to
wsh I~Aad taken little alpre forethousit
before waving DaibIry ba. as knew
that making snch wishes was only waste
of time. iickiy g,va it ua anl began
to consider what wa' bes. TO do Under the
existing circumstances. | wasn't long
in making up my mind upon few
essential poirts. Rirst, the man behini
me was villain; secoud, he had cut
open the mail bag. and robbed it of some
valuable matter. lie must have known
the money letters by the size aud shape;
third, he means 10 leave the sta re on the
first opportunity and feur;hly, he was
prepared to shoe. me If | attempted to
arrest or i.tain him
| resolved these things over in my
mind, aud pretty sooa tioaght of q
coarse to pursue l knew that to get my
HANDS safely upon the rascal, must take
him upawares, aud fhs | could not do~
while he was behind ue-for his eyes
were upon me all she tine-s3 | must re-
sort to sirata-cm Oniy little distance
aheal was h0..se; an oii farmer named
I.ongee lived there. ani directly before it
was a huge snow bank stretched acrossa
the road, thrc' whieha track for wagons
hal been cleared with shoveis.
rs 81 iporol:he ithe c)s, | saw light
n the front r8oni, as was confident f.
slould. for the old man generally sat up
uutil the stage went by. drsve on and
when nearly opp site the dwelling stooi Z
up. aS had freqaently done when an
7roiching diiicult places. I saw the
snow bark ahead. and could distinguish
the deep cut which had been shoyeled
through it. urged NY horses to good
speed and when near the bank forced
them into it.
Olc Of the runners mounted the edge
Of the bark, after which the other run
into the csi, thus throwing tliesleigh over
about as quick Us though lightning had
struck it Ny passenger had not calca--
lated Oh any suc. movement, and was not
prepared for it;-oGt | had calculated
aud was prepared. lie rolled out into
tie deep suow, with heavy buffalo robs