Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-03-28
BEN HOLLADAY'S NOSE.
BEN RIDE ACROSS TIE PLAiNs-HlS
NOSE ITCHES AND KIND STRANGER
SCRATCHES IT.

NOSE IrCHES AND KIND STRANGER |
SCRATCHES IT.
While travelling in Washington n
train recently with a number of &C.
quaintances, old Ben Holladay re-
Gently became unusually communica-
tive. He climbed the Rocky Noun
tains, waGcd through the Great Salt
Lake. jumped across the Black Canon
of the Colorado, danced in the Death
Valley, cooked grizzlies in the Yel-
lOwstone Geysers, scudded down the
Shoshone Falls, and told score of
stories SO thrilling that the hair of
his nearer arose in protest. One OF
his yarns was both startling and
amusing.
"One night" said he, ''long be-
fore the Pacific Railroad was built,
WAS bouncing over the plains in one
of my overland coaches. My wife
was with Ire. She was sick, and law
asleep on the bottom of the stage on
Il bed Of buffalo skins. The night
was fearfuIly dark, aud drizzling
rain was falling. Mrs. IIolladay and
myself were the only passengers.
Several stages had been robbed with
in two months, and the driver was
ripping along as though gang of
prairie wolves were after him. Sud
denly the horses were thrown on their
launches. and the stage was stopped.
l was heaved forward. but quickly
recovered, and found myself gazing
ut the muzzles OF double barreled
shotgun. BY the dim light of the
stage lamps the barrels looked as biz
as nail kegs. Throw up your hands,
and ''m't stir shouted the owner
III a gruh voice. Up went my lr;n,ls,
and began to commune with my
self. The fellow damned my soul
and then coolly 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, hat hardly high enough
to hide Il magnificent emerald that
&c st me over IS, 200 Il few weeks be-
fore i'll San Francisco. l hardly
hreathed through fear that the light
might strike the stone, and its spark
! ling brilliancv attract the attention
| of the robber. | had about $40, 900
in a 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 n free lunch
Il passed cut the few hundreds
loose In my pockets, and handed
him my gold watch and chain. they
were heity. think the chain alone
wonld weigh five pounds at least.
a." 'Tkere,' said /, there's every
cent I've got. Take it, and let me
go 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
reply, while a second robber received
the watch and money. Then search
was made for the express company's =
box, hut the double-barreled shot
gun did not move. Its muzzles were
were within foot of my nose. Foi
my life | did not dare to stir. My
nose began to itch. The stiff hairs
OF my must;che got up, one after
another and tickled it until the SEN
sation was intolerable. 1 could stand
it no longer.
g Stranger l cried, Il mus,
scratch my nose. 1t itches so that !
am almost crazy
- Move your hands, he sh Duted,
'and I'll blow hole through your
head big enough for a jack rabbit to
jump through appealed oncs
more. well, he ansv cred, skeel
your hands still, and I'll scratch i
fnr you. / hate to see partner suf
fer. -
| .'Did he scratch it," asked one o.
Bcn's interested listeners.
Sure" said Mr.. Holiday.
: "Iow?'' asked the breathless lis
tener.
II with the muzzle OF the cocket
f gun said the great overlandeI
, ..IIe rubbed the muzzle around m,
a mustache and raked it over the en-,
, of my nose until / thanked h,m an,
. said that it itched no longer"
The robbers soon afterward tool
their leave, with many apologies, an
Ben continued his journey to tn
Il Missouri with his big emerald an
. $1,000
Everyday absurdities- Not go I
! bed when you are tired and sleep
: because it is not bedtime; to max
your servants tell lies for you, an
: afterwards he angry because they tc
!. lies for themselves; one minute il
sist that there is no hell and the ne,