Omaha daily bee., 1874-04-17

concluded from yesterdays Dali,
"Nothing?" gueried Perkins, in
whisper, and with a face full of ger
uine sympathy.
Moves" said the Colone
dreamiIy, he continued, springin
to his feet. "IH hurry back to tn
cabin And the Colonel dashe'
into the bushes, and left his follow
er. so paralyzed with astonishmen
that Old Black afterward remarks
that eff ther'd been anybody to hol'
the HOSES, he could hev cleaned tn,
hull crowd with his whip"
The passengers We're relieved o
their weapons, were unbound, al
lowed to enter the stage and the
door was slammed, upon which OLD
Black picked up his rsins Is coolly
as if he had lain them down at 6
station while horses were being
changed, then he cracked his whip
and the stage rolled off, while the
Colonel's party fastened back to
their hut, fondly inspecting as they
went certain TASKS they had OBJ
tanned while tr~ansacting their bust
ness with the occupants of the
stage.
Great was the surprise of the road
agents as they entered their hut, for
there stood the Colonel in a clean
white shirt and in a suit of clothing
made up from the limited spare
wardrobes of the other members of
the gang.
But the suspicious Cranks speedi-
ly subordinated his wonder to his
prudence, as, laying on the table a
watch, two pistols, a pocket-book
and a heavy purse, he exclaimed
"Come, Colonel, bizness before
pleasure; let's divide and scatter.
If anybody should hear bout it,
an find our trail, an ketch the
traps in our possession, they
might
"Divide yerselves," said the
Colonel, with abruptness and a
great oath. 81 don't want none of
it."
Colonel" said Perkins, removing
his own domino and looking anx-
iously into the leaders face, abe
you sick? Here's some bully brandy
L found in n of the passengers
pockets"
81 hain't nothin'," replied the
Colonel with averted eyes. 'I'm
goin', and Pm retirin' from this
bizness forever"
"Ain't a-going to turn evidence?!"
cried Cranks, grasping the pistol on
the table.
"I'm a-goin' to make a lead-mine
of you eff you don't take that back.w
roared the Colonel, with a bound,
which caused Cranks to drop the
pistol and retire precipitately for
ward, apologizing as he went.
"I'm goin' to tend to my own biz
ness, an that's enough to keep any
man bizzy. Somebody lend me
$50 till | e him agin."
Perkins pressed the money into
the Colonel's hand, and within two
minutes the Colonel was on Tipsie's
back and galloped on in the direc-
ton the stage had taken.
He overlook it, he passed it, and
still he galloped on.
The people at Mud Gulch knew
the Colonel well, and made it a
rule never to be astonished at any,
hing he did; but they made it an
exception to the rule when the Col
1nel canvassed the principle bar
rooms for men who wished to pur-
chase a horse; and when a gambler
who was flush obtained Tipsie i'm
exchange for twenty slugs-only a
thousand dollars, when the Colonel
had always said there wasn't gold
enough on top of the ground to buy
ler-Mud Gulch experienced a de-
.ided sensation.
One or two enterprising persons
peedily discovered that the Colenel
vas not i'm a communicative mood;
everyone retired to his favorite
alOOn and bet according TO his own
pinion of the Colonol's motives and
ctiOns.
But when the Colonel, after re-
naining In q barber shop for half an
Iour, emerged with his face clean
haved and hair neatly trimmed
md parted, betting was so wild that
cool headed spOrtingman speedily
made a fortune by betting against
very theory that was advanced.
Then the Colonel made a tour of
he stores and fitted himself with a
lew suit of clothes, carefully es-
.hewing all the generous patterns
md pronounced colors so dear to
he average miner. He bought a
lew hat and put on a pair of boots,
md pruned his finger-nails, and,
trangerthan all, he mildly declined
Ill invitations to drink.
AS the Colonel stood in the door
# the principal saloon, whore the
Itage always stopped, the Challenge
Hill constable was een to approach
he Colonel and tap him on the
Ihoulder, upon which all men who
BET that the Colonel was lodging
somebody claimed the stakes; but
hose who stood near the Colonel
heard the constable say:
Colonel, i take it all back, an l
,wn up fair and square. When 1
'eed you git out of Challenge Hill, it
'ome to me all of a sudden that
you might be in the road agent bust
less, so l follered you-duty, you
Know; but when / seed yousell Tip
lie, / knOwed | was on the wrong
rail. / wouldn't suspect you, now,
{ all the stages i'm the State wuZ
and I'll give you satisfaction
ny way you want it,"
ats all right" said the Colonel,
With a smile. The constable after
ward said that nobody had any idea
# how curiously the Colonel smiled
when his beard was off. "Give this
to Jim Perkins the first time
yer see him. Pm leavin' the State"
Suddenly the stage piled up at the
1oor with a crash, and the mail pas
,engers hurried i'm the saloon i'm a
of utter indignation and impe-
curiosity.
The story of the robbery attracted
everybody, and during the excite
ment the Colonel slipped outquietly
and opened the door of the stage.
The old lady started and cried
''Georgew
And the Colonel jumped into the
stage and put his arms tenderly
about the trembling form of the old
lady, eXclaiming: