The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-04-03

| Iu0 COlOLS Sl IOlIOW0U, ana the UrIO sud
denly found themselves before a small
log hut, IN front of which sat three SOL
emn, disconsolate- looking individuals
who looked appealingly at the colonel.
'Mac IL tell yer how twas, fellers, -
said the colonel, meekly, "while picket
the mare"
The colonel was absent but a very
| few moments, but when he returned
each of the four was attired in pistols
and knife, while Mac was distributing
some dOminoes, made from a rather
dirty -four bag.
"'Taint so late as all that, is it % in
| quired the colonel.
! " Better be an hour ahead than miss
in this ere night, said on of the four.
&" [ amt been so thirsty since come
| round the Horn, in 80, an we run
short. of water. Somebody II get hurt
| if there amt no bitters on the old con
cern-they viii, or my name amt Per-
kins.
"Don't count your chickens fore
| they're hatched, Perky" said one of
the party, as he adjusted the domino
under the rim of his hat. ''S'posin'
ther' shud be too many fur us ?"
"S iddy, stiddy, Cranks y remon-
strated the colonel. "Nobody ever gifts
along eff they low 'emselves to be
| skeered."
'Fact," chimed in the smallest and
| thnest man of the party. ''The Bible
saws gomethin' mighty hot bout that. I
disremember dzackIy how it goes but
| I've heerd Parson Buzzy, down in
Maine, preach a rippin' old sermon
| form that text meny a time. The old
man never thOrt what a comfort them
sermons WIS a goin' to be to road
| agent, though. That time we stopped
Slim Mixes stage, an he didn't hev no
more manners than to draw on me, them
sermons wuz 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,
F'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
| Perkins, who was leading, halted and
wiped his perspiring brow with his
| shirt sleeve.
"Fur enough from home now," said
he. "'Taint no use bein' a gentleman
eff yer have to work too hard"
"Safe enough, reckon" replied the
colonel. ''We'Il 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, I
| reckon we'll hev to ask contributions
from the ladies too, eff there's any
| aboard-eh, boys ?"
Reckon so, replied Logroller with a
chuckle that seemed to inspire even his
blank domino with a merry wrinkle or
| two. "What's the use of women's
rights eff they don't ever hev chance
of exercisin' 'em Heven' ther purses
| borrowed 'ud shown'en the hull doc
| taine in bran new light"
s'They'er treacherous critters, women
| is, remarked Cranks; some of 'em
might put a knife into feller while he
wuz pologizin'."
"Ef y0u're afeard OVEN, said Per
kins, "you ken go back an clean up
the shanty."
Reminds me ov what the Bible sez, :"
said Logroller; ''' theirs lion on the
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 Black s
whipi Pick yer bushes-quick ! All
| jump when whistle "
Each man secreted himself near the
roadside. The stage came swinging
along handsomely; the inside passengers
were laughing heartily about something,
and old Black was just giving delicate
touch to the flank of the off-leader,
when the colonel gave a shTi1, quick
whistle, and five men sprang into the
road.
The horses stopped as suddenly as if
it were a matter of common 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 opened 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 ?" asked the colonel of the first
passenger who descended from the
stage. Hev? Well, now that's
lucky. Just put yer hands behind yer,
please-so-that's It," And the unfor
tunate man was securely bound III 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 un-
molested, for who ever heard of stage
driver having money?
"Boys, said the colonel, calling his
brother agents aside and comparing re-
ceipts, faint 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 F."
"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-Iived deceitfulness
of some folks 20 hire an old woman to
kerry their money so it'd go safe. Nab
be what she's got haint nothin' to some
folks thet's got hosses thet ken win 'em
money at races, but"
The colonel abruptly ended the con-
yersation and approached the stage.
The colonel was very chivalrous, but
Cranks' sarcastic reference to Tipsie
needed avenging, and as he could not
consistently with business arrangements
put an end TO Cranks, the old lady would
have to suffer.
g 1 beg yer parding, ma'am, " said the
colonel, raising his hat politely with one
hand while he opened the coach door
with the other, bat we're takin' up
collection fur some deservin' object
We 1Cltz a-goin' TO make the gentlemen
fork over the hull amount, but ez they