The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-07-18
THE MAILPOBBER.

Danbury to Llttleton, distance OF lorIy
miles, aud as | had to await the arrival
of two or three hHR,did not start
until after dinner, so That | very often
had a good distauce to drive after night.
1t was in the dead of winter, and the
season had been a tough one. A great
deal of snow had fallen and the drifts
were plenty and deep, Tho mail that
[ carried was not due at Littleton by
the contract, until one o'clock in the
morning, but in the winter the postmas>
ter was often obliged to set up little
later for me.
One day in January when drove
up for my mail at Danbury, the Post
master called me into the Office.
"Pete," said he with an important Sc
rious look, "thcre', some pretty heavy
money packages in that bag" pointing
10 the bag as he spoke. lie said the
money was from Boston to some land
agent up near the Canada line. Then
he asked me If l had got any passcn-
gers who were going through to Little
ton. told him that did not know,
but, "suppose l hayn't," says I.
"Why," said lie, "the agent of the
lower route came in to-day, ,and says that
there are two suspicious looking char
acters on the stage that came up last
night; and he suspects that they have
an eye to this mail, so that it will stand
you in hand to be little careful"
He said that the agent had described
one of them as a short thick set fellow,
and about forty years of age, with long
hair and thick, heavy clump Of beard
under his chin, but none on the side Of
his face. He didn't know much about
the other | told the old fellow that |
guessed ther5 was not mnch danger.
"Oh, not if you had got through pas
scngcrs but l only told you this so
that you might look out for your mail,
and look out for it when you change
horses"
answered that I would do so, and
,hcn took the bag Under my arm and
left the Office. | slowed the mail un-
der my seat a little more careful than
usual, placing my feet against it but
beyond this did not feel any concern.
1t was after one when started, and |
had four passengers, two of them rode
only to my first stopping place. l
reached Gowcn's Mills at dark, where
We stopped for supper, and where my
other two passengers concluded to stop
ior the night.
About six in the evening | left Cow
ems Mills alone, having two horses and
au open purg.
| had seventeen miles to 60, and a
hard seventeen it was. The night was
quite clear, but the wind was sharp and
cold, the loose snow flying in all direc-
tions, while the drifts were deep and
packed. 1t was slow te dious work, and
my horses soon become leg weary aud
reStive.
At the distance Of six miles I cams (
little settlement called Balls Corners
where | took fresh horses. I'd beer
two hours going that distance. AS i
was going to start a mau came up and
asked me if was going through to Lit
Teton. | told him that should g
through If the thing could possibly b.
done. He said he was very anxious t.
go, and as he had no baggage, told hin
to jump in aud make himself comforta-
ble. | was gathering up my lines whet
the hostler came out and asked me if
knew that one of my horses had Gu
himself badly. | jumped out and wen
with him, and found that one Of tho an
imals had got coik on the off fore foot
l gave such directions as | considered
necessary, and was about to turn away
when the hostler remarked that h
thought l had come alo+e. | told hir
that | had come alone.
"Then where did you get that pas
senger ? said he.
ale Just got in," | answered.
SCOT in from where 2"
"I don't know"
"Well now," said the hostler, "that
Kind of curious. There aiu't Oeen n
such a man at the house, and kno
there amt been none at the aeighbCTs
"Let's have look at his face" sal
[. ave can get that much at any rat
Do you go back with me TO the pur & an
when get in, Just hold the lanter
so that the light will shine in his face
lie did as | wished, and as | steppo
into the pung l got fair view of sue
portions of my passengers face as w
not untitled up, saw a short, thic
frame, and could could also see tn
there was a heavy beard under his chi
| thought of the man whom the pos
master had described to. me ; but d
not think seriously upon it until | stan
ed, Perhaps | had gone half mil
when ! noticed that the mail bag W
not in its old place under my feet