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

A MOUNTAINEER'S EXPLOIT.
How n Rocky Mountain Stage Robber Of
the Old Fashioned Kind Met His Match.
"Bah /! on these third.class stage rob-
bers! p contemptuously exclaimed the
grizzly-headed old mountaineer, as he
felt around to his hip to see if his re-
volver was still there. "Folks try to
make out that this Black Hills excite.
ment is the equal to the rush to Cali.
forny, but it's all bosh. There's lots o
greenhorns, heaps O. gamblers, and a
few footpads and stage shoppers, but
they ar all third-class. Ye ought to
have lived on the Slope when the old
Nugget State was panning out the dust
from them thousand diggings, an when
stage robbing an throat cuttin' was did
up in first. class style, day or night
Being invitel to relate something, he
spread out his big feet, braced his back
against the hind wheel Of a prairie
schooner, and said: '"'Waal, it just
makes me sick to hear these recruits take
on an sec 'em grow pale over reports
that some of the stages has been stop
ped, an the folks robbed of o few dol
lars. Why, sir, I've seen the time when
a single man, an not g. big man at that,
stood in the center Of. the trail, halted q
coach full o. raen, each one armed, an
made 'em hop down and hand over dust
enough to set anybodyiupi in the bankin'
BUSINESS, an plenty left over to start o
circus on That was bizness, that was,
an the victims couldn't help but feel
like pattin' the feler on the back for his
nerve. Ye've heard O Hank Monk, l
reckon?"' ,-...f.- ...-.,,... .. .-.,-.-,
eyes ~ b. - - - 70 ..r c,~.-~ q
"Waal, there's fifty just as. good driv.
ers as he was; and fifty braSer men, but
Hank got into the newspapers, and folks
thought him preacher, driver, griz-
ely, buffalo an rattlesnake all rolled
inter one. Mind ye, I amt sayin word
agin him, but was just thinkin' of how
I was passenger in his coach once
when it cost me bullet through the
shoulder to do what he could have done
without even stopping the coach. Thar
was chap called Prince Charlie, who
used to imagine that Fargo's coaches
were put on the line on purpose to bring
him dust. He was a fine lookin' chap,
standin' about six feet high, half Texan
an half Mexican, an he had eyes like
Goals O. fire. That chap hung along the
bad spots in the Rocky Mountains for
one hull summer, an I guess he collect
ed hard on to a hundred thousand dol
lars. he didn't have any partners in
the bizness, but played lone hand
every time, an allus raked in the stakes.
He didn't stop every stage-oh, no. He'd
halt an rob one to-day or tonight in
Apple Blossom Canyon, then, two, three
or four weeks arter he'd turn up on
SCOTS Hill, or Betsy Jane Gulch, or
fifty miles from the other spot. Folks
thought he had just about time to dig
down into Mexico, put his dust inter
safe hands, an then return, an p'raps
that was the game. ;&--, - -
81 reckon ye've read about dozens O.
these chaps, and therefore ye don't re.
member this one; but I tell ye he got
to be o terror. As nobody could say
when he'd cry Halt! to q stage, even
brave men hated to travel in that fashion.
Prince Charlie was dead shot-worlldn t
take a word O. chin music; an some
times he shot down passenger or two,
Just to increase the respect of the rest. I
was kinder speculatin' around in those
days, an it was poor mornin' when |
couldn't show up the half of $40, ,000.l ]
was gittin' ready to leave the country an
go back to Illinoy, when one O Fargo's
agents dropped in on me one day, and
sez he: Jim, why don't ye 60 to work
an lay out that Prince Charlie? Says
1: I'll bet ye fifty to one I kin fix bis
dizziness for him in less'n month,
That kinder brought us to terms, an the
agent showed up color strong. The
stages were most desarted by travellers
OIL account O. this one road agent, an the
company felt that sumthin had got to be
done. The agent offers me thousand
dollars in dust, and pound nugget for
breastpin, if I could give this chaps
bones to the wolves. I wasn't It oil
anxious, ye understand. When feller
goes out to hunt q grizzly he may tree a
Bar or bar may tree him. In this
case, if didn't get the dead sure thing
on Prince Charlie at q seconds notice,
the top O. my head would 60 flying over
the rocks an the ole woman would be o
widder. thought it over for about four
minutes, an then says I: Mister Gray,
make it fifteen hundred, an I'll increase
this feller's weight by pound O lead,
or chaw red sand till spring opens.
"He raised me the extra mightyquick, <,
an + began to stiffen my backbone. The
prince had robbed a stage about twen.
ty days, before, an it was then about
time tor him to make another assessment
on the shareholders. 1T was agreed that
nnothin' should be said about our bar
gain, and that I was to be booked an
put through as a regular passenger. /
was left to make. my own preparations,
an I kept shady till the stage was ready
to pull out for the long trip. P'raps
We imagine that I loaded myself down
with guns, reyolvers, knives and sich,
but didn't.,-.A1l !. had WAS o good
double-bar'led shot gun, each bari
loaded with slugs-no dust, no baggage,
an lookin' kinder down in the mouth m
played out, 'zif T hadn't made cent.
Thar war seyen other fellers in the stage,
an Hank Monk was the driver. We
went out O. Marysville on theawhoop,
Monk havin' rife an two revolvers on
the seat, an -lookin'- as brave as old
Gen. Scott: 1T wasn't my game to say
anythin' to anybody, an 80 I didn't mix
inagreat deal with the others. They were
stout.lookin' chaps, all well armed, an
part O. the crowd said they'd gin clean
hundred dollars to have Prince Charlie
halt the coach. They planned to peel
him in about second in case he showed
up, nm fore long I got blue from think
in I was to be left out in the cold when
the fun commenced.
"Wall, my boy, one AFTERNOON we was
trottin' along as smart as ye please on O
bit @ leyel road in the Rockies, when