The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-01-20
OVERHEARD RpRsERs.


While travelling recently with a num-
Der of acquaintance, old Ben Holiday
became unusually communicative. He
climbed the Rocky Mountains, waded
through the Great Salt Lake, jumped
across the Black Canon of the Colorado,
danced in the Death Valley, cooked
grizzlies in the Yellowstone geysers,
scudded down the Shoshone Falls, and
told a score of stories SC thrilling that
the hair of his hearers arose to protest.
One Of his yarns was most startling and
amusing.
"One night, 'said he, ''long before the
Pacific road was built, 1 was bounding
over the plains between Cheyenne and
Kearney in one of my overland coaches.
My wife was with me. She was sick,
and lay asleep on the bottom of the
stage on a bed Of buffalo skins. The
night was fearfully dark and a drilling
rain was falling. Mrs. Holiday and
myself were the only passengers. Sew
eral stages had been robbed within two
months, and the driver was ripping
along as though a gang of prairie wolves
were after him. Suddenly the horses
were thrown on their launches and
the stage stopped. | was heaved for
ward, but quickly recovered, and found
myself gazing at the muzzle of a
double barreled shotgun. 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 of n gruff voice. Up went my
hands, and / began to commune with
myself. 1 saw that he did not know
who / was, and l 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 emerald that cost me
over $4,000 a few weeks before in San
Francisco. hardly breathed through
fear that the lightmight strike the stone,
and its sparkling brilliancy attract the
attention of the robber. 1 had about
$4,000 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 IN send the
devil a free lunch
81 passed out the few hundreds loose
in my pockets, and handed him my
gold watch and chain. They were
hefty. i think the chain alone would
weigh five pounds.
"'There.' said 1, there is every cent
I've got. Take it and let me go on.
My wife is very sick, and 1 don't know
what would happen her if she knew
what was going on.
"'Keep Your hands up vas the re-
ply, while a second robber received the
watch and money. Then q search was
made for the express company's box,
but the double barreled shotgun did
not move Its muzzles were within a
foot of my nose. For my life l did not
dare to stir. My nose began to itch.
The stiff hairs of my moustache got up
III hLLCL tllobiitl III llChltN IL lllllll
the sensation was intolerable. | could
stand it no longer.
"'Stranger,' | cried, Il must scratch
my nose. 1t itches so that | am almost
crazy
"'Move your hands, he shouted,
'and III blow II hole through your head
big enough for a jack rabbit to jump
through l appealed once more,
Well, he answered, keep your hands
still, and I'll scratch it for you. l hate
to see a partner suffer-
"Did he scratch it?'' asked one of
Ben's interested listeners.
"Sure," said Mr.. Holiday.
"How?n asked the breathless lis
tener.
with the muZzle of the cooked
gum" said the great overlander. HE
rubbed the muzzle around my NOUS
tache and raked it over the end of my
nose until | thanked him and said it
itched no longer.
"The robbers soon afterward took
their leave, with many apologies, and
l continued my journey to the Missouri
with my big emerald and $40,