The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-21

which Old Black picked up the reins a,
cody as if he had laid them down at the
station while horses were being changed
then he cracked his whip and the stage
rolled of, while the COlOnel's party
hastened back to their hut, fondly in
specting as they went certain TASKS they
had obtained while transacting theil
business 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 clean white shirt
and in suit of clothing made up from
the limited spare wardrObes of the other
members of the gang.
But the suspicious Cranks speedily
subordinated his wonder to his prudence,
as laying on the table watch, two pis-
tolls, pocket book and heavy purse,
he exclaimed:
"Come Colonel, bizness before pleas
ure; let's divide an scatter. Ef any
body should hear bout it, an find our
trail, an ketch the traps in our posses
sion. they might -"
"Divide yourselves!" 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 anxiously into
the leaders face, abe you sick? Here's
some bully brandy found in one of the
passengers pockets"
Il hain'tnothin'," replied the Colonel,
with averted eyes. ~ am goin' and Pm
a retirin' from this bizness, forever"
"Ain't agoing to turn evidence ?" cried
Cranks, grasping the pistol ON the table.
"Tm a-going to make lead-mine of
you eff you don't take that backW roared
the Colonel, with bound, which caused
Cranks to drop the pistol and retire pre-
cipitately backward, apologizing as he
went. "Pm gOin' to tend to my own
bizness, an that's enough to keep any
man bizzy. Somebody lend me fifty
dollars till see him again."
Perkins pressed the money into the
ColOnel's hand, and within two minutes
the Colonel was on Tipsie's back, and gal
loped in the direction the stage had
taken.
He overlook, he passed it, and still he
galloped on.
The people at Mud Gulch knew the
Colonel well, and made it rule never to
be astOnished at anything he did; but
they made an exception to the rule
when the Colonel canvassed the principal
bar-rooms for men who wished to pur-
chase horse; and when gambler, who
was flush obtained Tipsie in exchange
for twenty slugs---only thousand dol
lars, when the Colonel had always said
that there wasn't gold enough on top of
the ground to buy her---Mud Gulch ex-
perienced decided sensation.
One or two enterprising persons speed
lily discovered that the Colonel was not
in communicative mood; so every one
retired to his favorite saloon and bet ac-
cording to his own opinion of the Col
onePs motives and actions.
ing in a barber shop for half an hour,
emerged with his face clean shaved and
his hair neatly trimmed and parted, bet
ting was so wild that cool-headed
sporting man speedily made fortune by
betting against every theory that was
Then the Colonel made tour of the
stores and fitted himself with a new suit
of clothes, carefully eschewing all of the
generous patterns and pronounced colOrs
so dear to the average miner. He bought
a new hat, and put OH pair of boots,
and pruned his finger nails, and, stranger
than ALL he declined all invitations to
drink.
AS the Colonel stood i'm the door of
the principal saloon, where the stage
always stopped, the Challenge Hill con-
stable was seen to approach the Colonel
N ta, hn oh
which all men who bet that the Colonel
was lodging somebody claimed the
stakes. But those who stood near heard
the constable say:
"Colonel, take it all back, an / own
up fair an square. When seed you git
out of Challenge Hill it come to me all
at once that you might be in the road
agent business, so l followed yOu---duty,
you know. But when seed you sell
Tipsie, / knowed ] was on the wrong
trail. ! wouldn't suspect you now if all
the stages i'm the State was robbed; and
I'll give you satisfaction any way you
want it.
cts all right" said the Colonel, with
a smile"
The constable afterward said that no
body had any idea how curiously the
Colonel smiled when his beard was off.
"Give this fifty to Jim Perkins the
fust time you see him. Pm leavin' the
State"
Suddenly the stage pulled up to the
door with crash, and the male passen-
gers hurried into the saloon in state of
utter Indignation and impecuniosity.
The story of the robbery attracted
everybody, and during the excitement
the Colonel slipped out quietly and
opened the door of the stage. The old
lady started and cried:
"Georgep'
And the Colonel jumped into the stage
and put his arms tenderly about the
trembling form of the old lady, exclaim-
ing: