The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-10-06
MISCELLANY.
The Hail Robber.


of two or three coaches, and did not start
until after dinner, very often had good
distance TO drive after dark. IL was in
the dead of winter, and the season had
been tough one. \ great deal Of snow
/ had fallen and the drifts were plenty and
/ deep, The mail that | carried was not
/ due at Lilllcton by the contract until ono
! O'Clock in the morning, but that winter
/ tbc postmaster was very Hten obliged To
| sit up little later than that hour for
| me.
One day in January, wien drove up
for my mail at Danbury, the postmaster
called me into his Office
"Pete," said he, with AN important,
serious look "llcrc's some pretty heavy
money packages in that bag" and he
pointed to the bags rs hc spoke. lie sail
the money was from Boston 10 some land
agent up near the Canada line Then he
asked me if I'd got any passenger going
through to Litilrton. told him | did
not know, but | suppose have not ,''
Sa :
"Why," says he, 'thc agent of the
lower route came in to-day, and he says
that there have been two rough clarac~
ters ON the stage that came ap lasl night.
and he suspects that they have an eye on
this mail. so that it will stand ynu in hand
to be little careful"
lie said the agent hal d. cr,b'l one Of
them as a short, thick sct fellow. about
f0 years Of age, with long hair. and il
thick, heavy c'ump Of beard uulrr the
chin. but nome On the side ci lis face. go
lie did not kuuw anYthin. about the 9th
cr told the old fellow guessed there
wasn't mnch danger
"Oh. no, not il you have got pg-scu,
gers through but | only 'old ,ou cr til.
50 that you might look sharp " hen you
change horses"
answered that -honld dn So, an
then took The bag under my arm and lett
the office ! slowed the mail uul,r my
scat little more carrluly than usual.
placing it 50 that had my feet against
il; La; beyond that did not feel anyway
concerned II waspast one when started
and ! had four Passengers two of whom
rode only TO my first stopping place.
reached Gowan's Mills at dark, when we
stopped for supper, AMI whore my other
two passengers con'lulcd To stop for ,hc
night.
About 6 o'clock in the evening / lrij
Gowan's Mills alone, having two horses
and IN open pung.
] had seventeen miles, and "a IIul ven
ter it wa-, too. Tho night WAS quite
clear, bnt the wind WAS sharp and cold,
the loose snow flying in all directions, wlile
the drifts were deep and closely packed.
Ii was slow, and tedious work, and my
horses soon became leg weary, ami res
tive. At the distance OF six miles came
to little settlement clIcl Balls corner.
where | took fresh horses 1t been two
gong 20 start II man came up and asked
me if was going through to Llttlcton.
| told him should if the thing could
possibly b. dom. He said he wns very
anxious to 90, and rs he had no baggagc
] told him 10 jump in and make him mlel'
as comfortable rs possible was gcliinr
up my lines when the ostlcr came out and
asked me if knew that one of my horse,
had cut himself badly. jumped ont aud
went with him, and found that one Of the
animals had got Il deep ,ork-cut ON the
off fore foot gave such directions rs I
considered necessary and was about 10
turn away, when the ostler remarked that
he thought came alone. told him
did.
81 hen where did you get that pas.cn.
ger ?" said he
"lle Just got in," answered.
"Got in from where %
Il don; know"
"Wcl', now," sail the o,tler, "ihat4
kind o'curious. There amt TO N no such
man at the house, and know there amt
been none at the neighbors.'
"Lets have look ut his face" said
l, "Wc can get that mach at any rate.
Do you 90 back with me, and when get
into the pung, just hold your lantern
so that the light will shine into his
face"
lie did as wished, and as stepped
into the pung got n fair view of such
portions of my passengers face as were
not muffled up. saw short, thick
frame full, hard features, and could
almost see that there was heavy beard
under the chin. thought Of the man
whom the postmaster had described 10
me Int didn't think seriously upon it
until | had started Perhaps ! had gone
half mile, when ! noticed that the mail
bag wasn't in IFS old place under my
feet.
"lIallo !" says !, holding up my horses
a little. "Wherc's my mail p
My passenger sat on a seat behind me,
and turned toward him.
"Herc is bag of some kind slipped
back under my feet" lie said, giving
ii kick, ns though he'd shove it for,
ward.
Just at this moment my horses lumber,
cd into deep snow drift, and was
forced to get out and tread down The snow
ahead Of them, and lead them through
it.
This took me all of fifteen minutes and