The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-09

/. The remaining passengers were trcatc
:; with Il similar courtesy, and the colonel an
r. his friends examined the pockets of the cal
f tivcs. Old Black remained unmolcstcd fC
who ever heard Of II stage driver having IN
= money,
BOYS" said the colonel, calling his brolhc
t agents aside and comparing receipts, "'tair
5 much of haul; but there's one woman, al
1 she's old enough 10 be fcllcr's grandmothe
: Better let her alone, ch?'
. "Like enough she'll pan out inOrc'n all III
rest Of the stage put together" growlc
p, Cranks, carefully testing the thickness Of III
case of a gold watch. Just like the low-live
deceitlulncss Of some folks to hire an old We
man to carry their money, so itd go safer
) Mcbbe what she's got amt nothin' to wha
some folks thets got hosses that can win en
money at races, but
The colonel abruptly ended the converse
ton, and approached the stage. Hewas yer.
chivalrous, but Cranks' sarcastic reference t
I Tipsie needed avcnging, and rs he could no
consistently with business arrangements pu
an end to CrankS the old lady would have tC
suffer.
II beg your parding, maam," said Tho
colonel, raising his nat politely with one
hand while he opened the coach door Will
the other, "but we're taking upa collection
for some deserving object We wuz a goin
TO make the gentlemen fork over the hull
amount, bu, ca they hain't got enough we will
hev TO bother you"
The Oh lady tremblcd, felt for her pocket
hook. and raised her veil. The colonel look
ed into her face, slammed the stage door and
sitting down on the hub of one of the wheels
stared vacantly into space.
"Nothing?" queried Perkins in a whisper,
and face full of genuine sympathy.
| "No-yes," said the colonel dreamily.
THAT is, unite 'em, and let the stage 90 on"
he continued, Springing to his feet "l'll
hurry back to the cabin" And the colonel
dashed into the bushes, and left his followers
so paralyzed with establishment that Old
Black afterwards remarked that "Ef therc'd
been anybody to hold the bosses he could
hev cleared out the hull crowd on 'cm with
his whip"
The passengers, now relieved of their weap.
ons, were unbound, allowed to enter the
stage and the door slammed, upon which
Old Black picked up the iclns rs cody as if
he had laid them down at n station while
horses were being changed, then he cracked
his whip and the stage rolled off, while the
colonies party hastencd back to their hut
fondlv inspecting as they went certain TASKS
they had obtained while transacting their
business with 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 suit of
clothing made up from the limited spare
wardrobes of some Of tho other members of
the gang.
But the suspicious Cranks speedily subor
d:nated his wonder to his prudence, as laying
on the table watch, two pistols, a pocket
book, and heavy purse, he exclaimed:
"Come, Colonel, bizness before pleasure;
let's divide and scatter. Eff 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 great oath. 81 don't want
none of it."
Colonel" SAID Perkins, removing his own
domino, and looking anxiously into the lead.
,rs face. abe you sick? Here's some bully
brandy I found in one of the passengers
pockets
II hsint nothin'," replied the colonel, with
,verted eyes. "l'm going, and I'm rctriR'
rom thi, bizness forever"
"Aint a-goiDg to turn evidcuce?" cried
franks, graspiag the pistol tina, lay on the
able.
an a-goiug to make lead mine Of YOU ef
,ou don't take that back" roarcd the colonel,
With bound, which caused C"anks to drop
he pistol and retire precipiia'ely forward,
rs be went
5"I'm going to attend to my OWE bizness,
IN that's enough TO keep any man bizzy.
lend me fifty dollars till | see him
gain"
Perkins pressed the money into the colonel's
land, and within two minutes he was on Tip
les back, and galloped off in The direction
he stage had taken
he overlook it, he passed il, and still he
,alloped on.
The people at Mud Gulch knew the colonel
veil, and made It rule never to be astonish.
ID at anything that he did; but they made an
Exception to the rule when the colonel can
'asscd the principal barrooms for men who
Wished to buy horse; and when gambler
Who was flush obtained Tipsie in exchange
or twenty slugs only q thousand dollars,
When the colonel always said that there wasn't
;old enough on top Of tho ground to buy her
Mud Gulch experienced a decided scnsa.
ion
One or two cntcrprising persons very soon
discovered that the colonel was not in a com
nuniCative mood 40 everyone retired to his
iNOlllt Saloon anu Oct according 10 MS OWN
pinion OF the colonels singular motives and
ctious
But when the colonel after remaining IN
,arber. shop for half an hour, emerged with !
lis face clean shaved and hair neatly trim !
ned and parted, betting was 80 wild that
,Ool-headcd man speedily made a fortune 10y !
,e,tng against every theory that was adj
'anccd.
Then the colonel made tour ot the stores
md fitted himself with new suit of clothes,
,arefully eschewing all of those generous
patterns and pronounced colors 80 dear to
he average miner. He bought new hat,
md put on pair of boots, and pruned his
ingeT-nails, and, stranger than all, he mildly
lcclined all Invitations to drink
As the colonel STOOL in the door of the prin.
,ipal saloon, where tAe stage always stopped.
he Challenge Hill constable was seen to APP
prOach the colonel and tap him on the shoul.
Ter, upon which all the men who bet that the
colonel was lodging somebody, claimed the
stakes. But those who stood near the colonel
heard the constable say: