The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-04-04
). Retter be am Iour ahead than n,

&c Better be an hDur ahead than mi
in this ere night, fsaid one of the fon
esI amt been SO thirsty since / com
round the Horn. in so, an we IN
short of water. S3meb ody III get bu,
if there amt no nItters on the old cor
cern-they will, ormy name amt PEI
"Don't count your chickens for
they're hatched, Ferky," said one o
the party, as he adjusted the domino
under the rim ofxhis hat. "S'posin
ther' shud be too many fur us %
as iddy, stiddyk. Cranks p' remon
strated the coloneL {" Nobody ever oft,
along eff they IcK 'emselves to . b,
| skeered." F"
"Fact," chimed.n the smallest and
thinest man of th4barty. THE Bible
says somethin' mighty hot bout that.
disremember dzacEy how it goes but
I've heerd Parsos Buzzy, down il
Maine, preach Sppin' old sermon
form that text pass time. The ole
man never thors -st a comfort then
sennt sermons .saggb w@5 - 70 70 he to a road road
more n1a,s..s fs If ~ me, 5fiern
SERMONS wuz q perfect blessin' to me
the thought of 'em cleared my head as
quick as a cocktail. An ="
81 don't want to disturb Logroller's
pious strain, interrupted the colonel,
"but as it's Old Black that's a drivin'
to-day instead of Slim Mike, an as Old
Black oilers makes his time, hedn't we
better vamose ?"
The door of the shanty was hastily
closed and the men filed through the
thicket until near the road, when they
marched rapidly on in parallel lines
with it. After about half an hour,
Perkins, who was beading, halted and
wiped his perspiring brow with his
shirt sleeve.
Fur enough from home now," said
he. ''Taint no use bein' gentleman
eff yer have to work too hard.
Safe enough, 1 reckon, replied the
colonel. Well do the usual I'll
halt 'em. Logroller. tend to the dri-
yer Cranks takes the boot, an Mack
an Perk takes right and left. AMI
know it's tough-but consid'rin' how
everlastin', eternally hard up we are, l
reckon well hev to ask contributions
from the ladies' too, eff there's any
aboard-eh, boys?"
Reckonso, replied Logroller with a
chuckle that seemed to inspire even his
blank domino with 8 merry wrinkle or
two. What's the use of women's
rights eff they don't ever hev a chance
of exercisin' 'em Heven' ther purses
borrowed 'ud shown'en the hull doc
taine in bran new light.
"They'er treacherous critters, women
is" remarked Cranks "some of 'em
might put knife into a feller while he
wuz pologizin'."
"Ef y0ltre afeard OVEN" said Per
kins, you ken so back an clean up
the shanty."
Reminds me ov What the Bible sez,
trail III be chawed up, sez the lazy
galoot, or words to that effect"
" Come, come boys" interposed the
colonel, "don't mix religion an biz
ness. They don't mix no more than
Hello, thar's the crack of Old Blacks
whip Pick yer bBhes-quick All
Jump when whistle
Each man secreted himself near the
road side. The stage came swinging
along handsomely; theinside passengers
were laughing heartily about something,
and old Black was Just giving a delicate
when the c6fonlfessE e a isnFnfss }afdlssA
whistle. andsfive Hsn sprang in,o the
road. :.
The horses stopped as suddenly as if
it we're a matter ofcommon occurrence.
Old Black dropped the reins, crossed
his legs. and stared into the sky, and
the passengers all put out their heads
with a rapidity equalled only by that
with which they withdrew them as they
saw the dominoes and revolvers of the
road agents.
Seems to be something the matter,
gentlemen" said the colonel blandly, as
he ofRened the door. Won't you
please get out? Don't trouble your
selves to draw, cos my friend here's got
his weapon cooked an his fingers are
rather nervous. Amt got han kerchef,
hev yer 2" asked the colonel of the first
passenger who descended from the
stage. "Hev? Well, now that's
lucky. Just put yer hands behind yer,
ase-so-that'sit." And the unfor-
tunate man was securely bound IN an
instant
The remaining passengers were treated
with similar courtesy, and the colonel
and his friends examined the pockets OF
the captives. Old Black remained I'M
molested, for who ever heard OF a stage
driver having money?
"Boys," said the colonel. calling MS
brother agents aside and comparing re-
ceipts, "'taint much of haul; but
there's only one woman, an she's old
enough to be a feller's grandmother.
Better let her alone, eh "
"Like enough she'll pan out more'n
all the rest of the stage put together,
growled Cranks, carefully testing the
thickness of the case of a gold watch.
"Jest like the low. lived deceitfulness
of some folks to hire an old woman to
kerry their money so it'd go safe. MAD
be what she's got haint noth1n to some
folks thet's got hosses thet ken WIN EN-
money at races, but"
The colonel abruptly ended the con
versation and approached the stage;
The colonel was very chlValrouS, ouC
Cranks' sarcastic reference to Ilpsle
needed avenging, and as he could not
consistently with business arrangements
put an end to Cranks, the old lady would
have to suffer.
81 beg yer parding, ma'am, said the
colonel, raising his hat politely with one
hand while he opened the coach door
yyith tlheother = - tskin Al up a
We aCuz a-gein' tofSe Il aa1.I9ntlemen
fork over the hull amount, but ez they
hain't got enough,seu hev to bother
The old lady trembled, felt for her
pocket-book, and raised her veil The
colonel looked into her face, slammed
the stage door, and sitting down on one
of the wheels, stared vacantly into
!" Nothing ?" queried Perkins, in a
whisper and with face full of genuine
sympathy.
"That is. unite 'em, and let the stage
90 ahead" he continued, springing to
his feet. {" III hurry back to the cab
in" And the colonel dashed into the
bushes and left his followers so pa a.
1vZed with astonishment that Old Black
afterwards remarked that "ef ther' d
been ANYBODY to hold the hosses he
could heY cleaned out the hull crowd
with his whip.
The passengers, now relieved of their
wear,ons. we're unbound, allowed to en-
ter the stage, and the door was slam
med upon which Old Black picked up
his reins as coolly as if he had laid them
down at a station while horses were be-
inc changed; tn he cracked his whir
and the stage rolled off, while the col.
onel's party hastened back to their hut
fondly inspecting as they went certain
TASKS they had obtained while transact
ing their business with the occupants O.
4ln cfo