The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-21
a CLOSE SHAVE.

"Anotber step, and you are dead
man."
"By What authority do you bar my
passage,2"
Authority? Ha, hal If this amt
enough" holding out revolver in each
hand, with hideous ]eer in his evil
face, 81 reckon I'll have to explain
further. Ry the authority of the Road
Agency of this great overland route"
1t was in the days when Ben Halliday
and the pony express served in lien of
locomotives and telegraph lines. When
might was right throughout region ex-
tending over nineteen hundred miles,
from st. Joseph to Sacramento; when
the stage run the gauntlet of road agents
and Indians, and bones, many of them
human remains, grinned up at the trav-
eler unexpectedly as he crossed the
plains; when to be "quick on the trig.
ger " was worth more to man than all
the wealth, all the culture, and all the
courage in the world.
Dick Hartford looked into the mans
face calmly, looked into the muzzles of
the pistols, smiled and uttered single
word "Well?"
"Don't you aggravato me, or will
fire, and serve you right"
81 never finched in my life. won't
finch now. What do you want ?"
"Throw down your revolver. Now
tnrn round, and if you bndge hairs
breadth III blow your brains out"
Hartford 0beyed. He permitted his
hands to be p,ed behind his back. He
saw his pockets turned inside out, his
money appropriated, his watch pocket.
ed, and only demonstrated when bis cap
tor felt for a money belt. "Don't cut
me, there's no belt on me-"
90! you did feel it then. Thought I
had bank to pry open. Now then,
march. There's good ground here, and
plenty of it. 1t will do you good to
stretch your legs. Keep right on to the
clump to the left, and mind you, don't
stumble, for like as not You'll never get
up. There was one fellow stumbled here
about six weeks ago, and he never got
higher than his knees. TIL show his
bones dreckly."
Was it a lie, threat? Hartford cursed
himself for refusing to listen to the ad-
vice of the conductor of the stage who
warned him to beware of the road agents.
He had answered that he would take the
risk. He desired to see for himself if
the stories told of the robberies and mur.
ders on the route were true. And he was
learning.
GA little faster, stranger. My horse
is reether restive, and, beside, Jim Por-
ter would like to see you."
The road was unbroken, but the dust
was sitting, and it blew from the horses
feet to the captive. The captive kept
his head up, and strobe on.
"Rough, isn't it? Now, I suspect
you came out to capture some one. Like
as not Jim Porter ?"
No response from the captive. ..,
"They do say there is party looking
for US. Porter is anxious to see them.
This yer's god-send. Never thought
to meet ye this way. Got tired rifin', l
suppose. Thought you'd lay over, do
up a little business, and take next stage.
Now, never knew n man to lay over
that didn't rue it. There was man
from Illinoy laid over about three months
ago. Had some instruction. Ho was
mighty sly, that Illinoyian. I reckon
he'd furnish a regiment of Vigilantes
with cunning. Kind O. sauntered out of
same town you left an hour ago, but he
had some company. He wasn't such a
fool as you. And his company went back
on him. Shot him through the spine,
then tickled his ribs &ith knife. He
was powerful, active Vigilante, was the
company. He was too much for the
Illinoyian."
"Just as you were too much for me-"
81 like your pluck now. You do keep
a stiff upper lip. But it'll be all day
with you the moment Porter olaps eyes