The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-31
BEN H0LLADAY'S NOSE.
BeH's Ride Across the PlaIHs - Hia Nose
uches and a Kind sIranRer scratehes lt.


BeR'- Ride Across the Plains - HIs Nose
tiehes and a Kind stranger scratches IT,
While travelling in q Washington
train recently with number OF acquaint-
ances, old Ben Holiday, the California
Stage-eoach proprietor, became unusu
ally communicative. He climbed the
Hocl1y mountains, waded through the
Great Salt Lake, jumped across the
Black Canon of the Colorado, danced in
Che Death valley, cooked grizzlies in the
Yellowstone Ceysers, scudded down the
Shoshone Falls, and told a score OF stor-
les SO thrilling that the hair of his
hearers arose in protest. One OF his
Yarns was both startling and amusing.
zone night, said he, "long before
The Pacific Railroad was built, l was
bouncing over the plains in one of my
overland coaches. MY wife was with
me, She was sick, and lay asleep ON the
bottom OF the stage on bed Of buffalo
skins. The night was fearfully dark,
and drizzhng ram was falling. Mrs
Holiday and myself we're the only pas
sengers. Several stages had been rob
he'd within two months, and the driver
was ripping along rs though a gang of
prairie wolves were after him. Sud
denly the horses were thrown on their
launches, and the stage stopped /
was heayed forward, but quickly re.
covered, and found myself gazing at the
mRzzleS of a double harlelled shotgun.
by the dim light of the stage lamps the
barrels looked as big as nail kegs.
Throw mp Your hands, and don't stir,
shouted the owner in n gruif voico. Up
went my hands and began to commune
with myself. The fellow then coolly
asked for my money. saw that he did
not know who | WAS. and | was afraid
hat my sick wife might awake and call
me by name. My coat was huttOned
over my bosom, but hardly high enough
10 hide a magnificent emerald that cost
me over 5000 a few weeks before in
San Francisco. l hardly hreathed
through fear that the light might strike
the stone, and its sparkling brllliancy
attract the attention of the rohher. |
had about $40, 900 in money belt close
to the skin, and several hundred dollars
in my pocket"
Suddenly my friend shouted Come,
shell ont, quick.
IL passed ont the few hundreds loose
in my pockets, and handed him my gold
watch and chain. They were hefty. l
think the chain alone would weigh five
pounds at least.
"'There, said /, there's every cent
I've got. Take il, and let me go on
NV wife is very sick, and l don't know
what would happen 10 her il she knew
what was going on.
Keep Your hands up, was the re-
ply, while second robber received the
watch and money. Then a search was
made for the express company's box, but
the double.barrelled shot gun did not
move. Its muxZles were within n foot
Of my nose. For my life did not dare
to stir. Ny nose began TO itch. The
stuff hairs Of my moustache got mp, one
after another and tickled il until the
sensation was intolerahle. Icould stand
II no longer.
"'Stranger, l cried, must scratch
my nose. 1t itches so that l am al
most crazy
"' Move your hands, he shouted,
and I'll blow hole through your head
big enough for a jack rabbit 10 jump
through / appealed once more. Well,
ne answered, keep your hands still, and
III scratch il for ven. | hate to see a
partner Snffer.
4" Did he scratch it ?" asked one of
Ben's interested listeners.
Sure, said Mr.. Holladay.
''How?" asked the breathless lis
tener.
with the muzzle of the cooked gun, .
said the great overlander. He rubbed
the muEzle around NV moustSehe and
raked it over the end OF my nose until
thanked him and said that it itched no
longer.
The robbers soon afterward took
their leave, with many apologies, and
Ben continued his journey TO the Mis-
SCUM with his big emerald and $40, 900.