The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-09-08

box. I've been stopped good many
times, an never when there wasn't some
thin worth taking" ...
:" How do they stop your Why, they
hail you in dark place on the road an
they never ask man to come down off
his box but once. Did l always Gomez
You bet. So would any man if he wasn't
fool. When a man sits up there
tagit for maybe fifteen or twenty men,
he can't fight much with four horses to
drive"
"But how did you come to give up
stage-drivingf" l now ventured to ask
again, finding the man from Deadwood
in good humor.
40 yes, was forgettin' that. Well,
yer see, Their was revinoo agent come
out to collect the Comment taxes on
whisky few days ago. He got lot O.
money in Deadwood, where every other
house is s'loon, an he left town late
one night in my stage with $40, 900 on
him. He sat on the box next to me, car
ried his money on his person, an was
as wide-awake an game fellow as l
ever see. He was armed with Win
chester repeatin' rifle with sixteen bar
rels and two eight-chambered revolvers.
About midnight we was to go through
Dead Mans Canyon, several miles out O.
Deadwood, about the darkest, orneryest
place as ever was, reckon. knew that
if we was to be attacked it'd be there,
an told him so, an that we was almost
certain to be stopped; but, Lord bless
you! he didn't show no more fear than
you do now; but there was kind of
determined look in his eye, an l could
tell he was layin' his plans, although he
the canyon-a dark, rocky hole, made
for road agents-we listened with all our
ears. Suddenly we heard it, low at first,
then CROWN louder rapidly. 1t was the
clicketty-clack of ponies hoofs on the
road behind US. l didn't need to tell
him what it meant. We knew Their was
good many, that they were gainin' on
us fast, an knew that they would at
tack the coach just as it was goin' slow
up the rise out of the canyon. told him
this, when. quick as a flash, he jumped
off an called to me to drive on an to
wait for him when l got out of the can
yon. l saw his game in minnit, and it
was bold one, l reckon. He hid be-
hind rock right in the road an got his
weapons ready. / drove on an left him
alone. The thieves fell into the trap.
They rode on after the stage, thinkin'
him in it, an as they passed close to
where he was he opened fire. What
with his siXteen-shooter an his two re.
volvcrs, an their returnin' the fire, it
sounded to me like whole regiment. l
never knew whether he killed any, but
he wounded some sure, an they scat
tered like Satan was after 'em. He just
came up with the stage an rode on as
cool as you please. He aoas a smart
felier.
"Now, the next day, on my return
trip, noticed that one of the stage COM
pany's agents at relay station-we
changed bosses every twelve mile-had
his arm in sling, an when got back
to Deadwood | heerd of several of the
fust citizens that was suddenly laid up.
l says to the agent, whats the mat
ter?" Why says he, kinder careless,
a dog bit me last night? Yes said l,
these COMMENT dogs do bite putty hard
sometimes, don't they?' Well, he
pitched into me because didn't give 'em
a signal the night before so they'd known
what the COMMENT agent had done. He
said the boys was goin' to be on hand in
my trip through the next night and were
a goin' to do for me. Now, l knowed he
were truthful man about things of that
kind; SO went to the company's office
an drawed nay pay an said as how l
reckoned didn't want to drive no more
for fear my health might suddenly give
way. So they engaged young Dutch
man from Vermont nice Teller he was,
too, an good driver-to take the stage.
| went to him like brother an says:
Now don't you take that stage out to-
night anyway, or you'll be sorry for it,"
but of course it want no use. I've felt
sorry for him ever sence, but he would
go, even when told him that the boys
would take him for me. He might have
knowed."
odd they hurt him, as they threatened
to do your" l asked innocently.
"Well, don't know if they hurt him;
but you could have read that newspaper
through him when they found his body
in Dead Mans Canyon. l never did see
body so full O. holes in my life!"