The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-10-24

door, o revolver in either hard, an the
passengers got down one arter another
as meek as could be. Not one O. them
spoke loud word,. let alone pintin'
their pistols at the chap. '..
"Waal, I war the last one out. |. cor
din to- the plans I had laid. Prince
Charlie had the hull crowd to SEQ to, an
he didn't have but two eyes. AS got
down I drawed the shotgun arter me,
havin' hold o. the butt. The seven men
were in line, their guns in the stage, and
the robber was calm out, up with
your arms-hold 'em up, an, for the lite
O. re don't even speak to meP As -it
on hard ground ! yelled out like pan
ther to throw the feller off his guard,
an then sprang around the stage, Then
the real bizness began. Iyelled out to
the others to go for the robber, an be-
tween watchin' them an firm at me, the
Rrince had his hands full. I guess he
shot at me four or FIVE times under the
stage, but wur canterin' up an down,
an'' he didn't hit me- was workin' to
git him confused an mixed up, you see,
an, I war right In o minute or two he
slammed the stage door shut to keep the
men from their arms, called outf3 them
not to move. an the blasted coyotesstood
right thar in line, an'never moyeda foot
while the robber came for me: y I/war
lookin' for him to come around, the lead
horses, but he took the other way, an
gin me bullet in the shoulder from over
the hind wheel. Lord / but WASH n't that
lead hot =, An, sir, sas big as ]. am, it
knocked me fiat down, though p'raps the
fall saved. my, Life, as the Prince was
firm from both revolVers Iasl staady as
tho turn of coffee-mill. I rolled un-
der the stage, riz up on .tIother side, an
rs true as ye Or a sinner 1 had to laugh
right out to see them seven men standih'
in a row, arms up and mouths wide open!
I felt the blood tricklin' down, and I
kinder got riled. It takes heap to stir
me up from way down, stranger, but
when I get riled for good, I don't mind
nothin'. .~"". .... -. ..-
"That hot blood blisterin' down my
side riz my hair fur me, an I wanted to
see Prince Charlie wuss nor he cared to
see me. He hid begun firing agin,
shootin' right inter the crowd, when
started fur him. As I went around the
wheel he fred slap-dab into my face, an
never touched a. whisker. I The range
was too short for good shootin', and
thar's men Evin' to-day who will tell ye
that I let 60 the gun, reached ont my
naked paws, an the fust thing that rob-
Der knew he was bein' shaken by q
1yearthquake. He had let his empty re-
volyers fall an drawed his bowie knife,
an lie gin me these ere trifes on the
arms while J. was sinkin' my claws inter
him. When I got settled au' ready, I
lifted him clean from his pins, big asche
was, jammed him agin the wheel to
soften his. hide, an then Topped him
down on the sile an clicked the life out
O. him then an thar Yes, sir, I did,
an it took the hull seven men:o tear me
loose from him, cause I was rlled an
wanted pay for my injuries. That's what
I did to Prince Charlie, stranger, an
right down here Is the nugget Mister
Gray gin me, an here's the scars to back
it Fargo wanted to hire me to drive
stage on that line at big pay, lots O. men
named camps arter me, the newspapers
gin me puffs, an rations didn't cost me
q cent all winter.
The old man showed his hat over on
his left ear a, little more, and added 4:
"Therefore, stranger, when ] heae. about
these third-class hencoop thieves stop.
pin stages an maxim folks fork over, I
kinder feel sick-kinder feel that the
boss days are gone forever. ."-NeW York
Sun. 8 )