The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-10-12

UN<NIkIN ~ tANtNANA< WI N<<0An4 WIS
one road agent, an the company felt
that sumthin had got 70 be done. The
agent offers me thousand dollars In
dust. and pound nugget for breast
pin, II could give this chaps bones to
the wolves. wasn't Z all anxious, We
understand. When teller goes out to
hunt q grizzly he may tree bar or q
bar may tree him. In this case, II I
didn't get the dead sure thing on Prince
Charlie at a seconds notice, the top o.
my head would 60 flying over the rocks
an the ole woman would be q wilder.
thought 1t over for about four minutes,
an then says l, 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 mighty
quick, an began to stiffen my back
bone. The Prince had robbed a stage
about 20 days before, an it was then
about time for him to make another as
sessment on the shareholders. II was
agreed that nothin' should be said about
our bargain, and that was to be book
ed an put through as regular passen-
ger. l was left to make my own
preparations, and l kept shady till the
stage was ready to pull out for the long
trip. P'raps you imagine that l loaded
myself down with guns, revolvers,
knives, an SIGH, but l didn't. All had
was a good double-barreled shotgun,
each bar'l loaded with slugs-no dust,
no baggage, an lookin' kinder down in
the mouth an played out, 'ziff hadn't
made cent Thar war seven other
eller in the stage, an Hank Monk was
h e driver. We went out o. Marysville
on the whoop, Monk havin' a rifle an
two revolvers on the seat, an lookin'
as brave as old Gen. Scott. 1t wasn't
my game to say any thin 10 any body,
an so didn't mix in great deal with
the others. They were stout-lookin'
chaps, all well armed, an part o. the
crowd said they'd gin clean hundred
to have Prince Charlie halt the coach.
They planned to peel him in about
second in case he showed up, an afore
long got blue from thinkin' l was to
be left out in the cold when the fun
commenced.
"Waal, my boy, one AFTERNOON we
was trottin' along as smart as We please
on bit o. level road in the Rockies,
when all to once the climax showed up.
The eight of us were wide awake an
ready for bizness, when all Of a sudden
somebody yelled out, Haiti and that
same Prince Charlie jumped on the trail
from behind big rock. Hank Monk
pulled in the horses to once, but instead
o. givin' the robber some o. his bullets,
he got white around the mouth an
hoped down from his box an held one
o. the lead horses till the chap could
come back to the stage and say: Now,
then, you gents climb down here an
shell out; an the first man who even
winks his eye will git bullet over it,
That was Prince Charles style to
dot, just like you would walk into
store an ask for ten pounds o. sugar.
don't believe I'm a coward, but when
l heard him sing out an realized that
the chap had sworn to kill was right
thar, all filed up for bizness, my heart
jumped inter my gullet an my knees
wobbled all over. Only for minute,
though. Says to myself: Jim, old
man, brace up or Betsy Jane will put
on mournin'!' an l braced. Prince
Charlie stood at the door, revolver in
either hand, an the passengers got
down one arter another as meek as
could be. Not one o. them spoke a
loud word, let alone pintin their pistols
at the chap.
"Waal, war the last one out, cord
in to the plans l had laid Prince
Charlie had the hull crowd to see to,an'
he didn't have but two eyes. As l got
down drawed the shotgun arter me,
havin' hold o. the butt. The seven men
we're in line, their guns in the stage and
the robber was calm out. Up with
your arms-hold 'em up, an fur the
life o. We don't even speak to mel As /
lit on hard ground | yelled out like
panther to throw the teller off his guard,
an then sprang around the stage. Then
the real bizness began. yelled out to
the Others to 90 for the robber, an be-
tween watchin' them an firm az me the
Prince had his hands full. 1 guess he
shot at me four or five times under the
stage, but / wur canterin' up an down,
an he didn't hit me. Twas workin' to
git him confused an mixed up, you see,
an war right. In minute or two he
slammed the stage door shut to keep
the men from their arms, called
out to them not to move, an the blast
ed coyotes stood right thar in line, an
never moved foot while the robber
came for me! war lookin' for him to
come around the lead horses, bu: he
took the other way an gin me bullet
in the shoulder from over the hind
wheel. Lord! but wasn't that lead hot!
An, sir, big as am, IL knocked me fiat
down, though p'raps the fall saved my
life, as the Prince vas firm from both
revolvers as steady as the turn Of cof-
fce-mill.l rolled under the stage, riz
up on t'other side, an as true as We ar
a sinner had to laugh right out 10 see
them seven men standin' in a row, arms
up and mouths wide open! | felt the
blood tricklin' down, and / kinder got
riled. 1t takes heap to stir me up from