Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-02-06
PENS BUGLE

in
a number of scquaintances, old Ben
halliday became unusually commun-
;.ative He clilned the Rocky Noun
t.ius. waded through the Great Salt
lake. jumped across the Black Can
On of the Colorado, cooked grizzlies
in the Yellowstone Geysers, scud-
had down the Shoshone Falls, and
told a score of stories so thrilling
that the hair Of his hearers arose in
protest. One Of his yarns was both
startling and amusing.
"One night" said he, "long before
the Pacific railroad was butt, l was
bounding over the plains in one of
INV overland coaches. My wife was
with me. She was sick, and lay in
the bottom of the stage on a bed of
lniFalo skins. The night was fear
July dark, and drizzling rain was
falling. Mrs. Halliday and myself
were the only passengers. Several
stages had been robbed within two
mouths, aud the driver was ripping
along as though a gang of prairie
wolves were after him. Suddenly
the horses were thrown upon their
launches, and the stage was stopped,
was heaved forward, but quickly
recovered, and found myself gazing
ut the muzzles of double-barreled
shot gun. BY the dim light of the
stage lamps, the barrels looked as
big as nail kegs. Throw up your
hands and don't stir, shouted the
owner in a grutf voice. Up went
my hands, and began to coz mune
with myself. The fellow damnedmy
soul, and then cooily asked for my
money. | saw that he did not know
who | was, and was afraid that my
sick wife might awake and call me
by name. My coat was buttoned
over my bosom, but hardly high
enough to hide a magnificent emer-
aid that cost me over $4,000 a few
weeks before in San Francisco. |
hardly breathed through fear that
the light might strike the stone, and
its sparkling briliancy attract the
attention OF the robber. I had
about 10000 in money belt close
to the skin, and several hundred
dollars in my pocket.
Suddenly my friend shouted, Come
shell out, id quick, or I'll send
the devil free lunch.
/ passed out the few hundreds
loose in my pockets, and handed
him my gold watch and chain. They
were betty. | think the chain alone
would weigh five pounds at least.
There said l, there's every cent
I've got. Take it, and let me So on.
My wife is very sick, and | don't
know what would happen to her if
she knew what was going on
Keep your hands up, was the re-
ply, while second robber received
the watch aud money. Then a
search was made for the express
company's box, but the double bar
relied shotgun did not move. It's
inuzzies were within a foot of my
nose. For my life did not dare to
stir. My nose began to itch. The
stllf hairs OF my moustache got up
Que after another, and tickicd it
until the sensation was intolerable
1 could stand it no longer.
Stranger cried, | must scratch
my nose. 1t itches so that am al
most crazy
Move your hands, he shouted,
and Iii blow a hole through your
head big enough for jack rabbit to
jump through / appealed once
more. 'Wel!,' he answered, keep
Your hands still, and I'll scratch it
for you. hate to SEQ a partner
suffer-
odd he scratch it :" asked one of
Sen's interested listeners.
Sure said Mr.. Halliday.
Glow {" asked the breathless lis
tener.
with the muzzle Of his cooked
gun" said the great overlander. "He
rubbed the muzzle around my nous
tache. and raked it over my nose
until | thanked him and said that it
itched no longer"
The robbers soon afterwards took
their leave, with many apologies,and
Ben continued his journey to the
Missouri with his big emerald and
$4,000.
In our style of climate with its sud-
den changes of temperature,-rain,
wind and sunshine often informing