Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1874-04-04

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"That is, unite 'em, and let the stage
go ahead, +" he continued, springing tc
his feet. "IU hurry back to the cab.
in. And the colonel dashed into the
bushes and left his followers so pa a.
lyzed with astonishment that Old Black
afterwards remarked that "ef ther'd
been anybody to hold the hosseS he
could hev cleaned out the hull crowd
with his whip"
The passengers, now relieved Of their
weapons, 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 station while horses were be-
ing changed; til he cracked his whip
and the stage rolled of, while the col
ono'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 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
subordnated his wonder to his pru-
dence, as laying on the table watch,
two pistols, pocket-book and a heavy
purse he exclaimed
"Come, colonel, bizness before pleas
ure let's divide an scatter. Ef any
body should hear about it, an find our
trail, an ketch rs with 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 leaders face, be you sick +?
Here's some bully brandy I found in
one of the passengers pockets.
"I hain't nothin'," replied the col
onel, with averted eyes. "Tm goin',
and Tn a retirin' from this bizness for
ever"
"Ain't a.goin' to turn evidence ?"
cried Cranks, 6 asping the pistol on the
table.
"Im again to make a lead mine of
you eff you don't take that back
roared the colonel, with bound, which
caused Cranks to drop the pistol and re-
tire precipitately forward, apologizing
as he went. I'm going to tend to my
own bizness, an that's enough to keep
any man bizzy. Somebody lend me
fifty till l see him agin."
Perk rs pressed the money into the
colonel's hand, and within two minutes
the colonel was on Tipsie's back and
galloping on in the direction 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 anything he did, but
they made an exception to the rule
when the colonel canvassed the princi-
pal bar-rooms for men who wished to
purchase horse and when gambler
who was flush obtained Yipsie in ex-
change for twenty slugs-only thou
sand dollars, when the colonel had al
ways said that there wasn't gold enough
on top of the ground to buy her-Mud
Gulch experienced decided sensation.
One or two enterprising persons
speedily discovered that the colonel
was not in communicative mood so
every one retired to his favorite saloon
and bet according to his own opinion of
the colonel's motives and actions.
But when the colonel, after remain
ing in barber shop for half an hour,
emerged with his face clean shayen and
his hair neatly trimmed and parted,
betting was so wild that a cool-headed
sporting man speedily made a fortune
by betting against every theory that
was advanced.
Then the colonel made tour of the
stores and fitted himself with new
suit of clothes, carefully eschewing all
of the generous patterns and pronoun-
ced colors so dear to the average miner.
He bought new hat and put on pair
of boots, pruned mis- finger nails, and,
stranger than all, he mildly declined all
invitations to drink.
As the colonel stood in the door of
the principal saloon, where the stage al
ways stopped, the Challenge Hill con-
stable was seen to approach the colonel
and tap him on the shoulder, upon
which all men who bet that the colonel
was dodging somebody claimed the
stakes. But those who stood near the
colonel heard the constable say:
"Colonel, l take it all back, an own
up fair an square. When l seed you
git out of Challenge Hill it came to me
all of a sudden that you might be in
the road agent business, so | follered
you-duty you know. But when seed
you sell Tipsie I knowed I was on the
wrong trail. l wouldn't suspect you
now if all the stages in the state wuz
robbed; and I'll give you satisfaction
any way you want it"
"It's all right" said the colonel with
a smile. The constable afterward said
that nobody had any idea of how curi-
ously the colonel smiled when his beard
was of. "Give this fifty to Jim Per
kins fust time yer see him. Tn leavin'
the state"
Suddenly the stage pulled up at the
door with crash, and the male passen-
gers hurried into the saloon in a 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
George"
And the colonel, jumping into the
stage and putting his arm tenderly
about the trembling form of the old
lady, exclaimed:
"Mother |"
sold Hickory"