Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-02-06
Ben. Holidays Nose.

While travelling in q Waship gtol
train recently with number of &C
quaintances, old Ben Holiday rece II
~ became very communicative. III,
climbed the Rocky Mountains, wade,
through the Great Salt Lake, jumped
across the Black Canon Of the Color
ado, danced in the Death Valley
cooked grizzlies in the Yellowston,
geysers, scudded down the Shoshon,
Falls, and told score Of stories 81
thrilling that the hair of his hearer
arose to protest. One of his yarn
was both startling and amusing:
Gone night" said he, "long before
the Pacific Railroad was built, wal
bouncing over the plains in one Of
my overland coaches. Ny wife was
with me. She was sick, and lay
asleep on the bottom of the stage or
q bed of buffalo skins. The nigh,
was fearfnlly dark, and a drizzling
rain was falling. Mrs. Holiday and
myself were the only passengers
Several stages had been robbed with
In two months, and the driver was
ripping along as though a gang OF
prairie wolves were after him. Sud-
denly the horses were thrown on
their launches and the stage stopped.
l was heaved forward, but quickly
recovered, and found myself gazing
at the muzzles of . 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
. gruff voice. Up went my hands
ana l began to commune with my
self. I 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 not enough to hide a
magnificent emerald that cost me
over 5000 q few weeks before in
San Francisco. I hardly breathed
through fear that the light might
strike the stone, and its sparkling
attract the attention of the robber.
l had about $4,000 in q money-belt
close to the skin, and several hundred
dollars In my pocket.
Suddenly my friend shouted,-
Come, shell out, d-d quick, or I'll
send the devil q free lunch
II 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 at least.
"There, said !, there's every cent
I've got. Take 1t and let me go on.
Ny wife is very sick, and l 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 and money. Then search
was made for the Express Company's
box, but the double-barreled shotgun
did not move. Its muzzles were
within . foot of my nose. For my
life I did not dare to stir. My nose
began to itch. The stiff hairs on my
began to get up one after
another and tickled it until the sensa-
ton was intolerable. I could stand 1t
stranger I cried, 4 must scratch
my nose. 1t itches SO that am al
most crazy
"'Move your hands, he shouted,
and I'll blow q hole through your
head big enough for . jack rabbit to
jump through I appealed once
more. WELL he answered, keep
your hands still, and I'll scratch It
for you. l hate to see partner suf-
fer
"sDid he scratch it2' asked one of
Ben's interested listenerA"
"Sure," said Mr.. Holiday.
"How 7" asked the breath!ess liz.
tener.
"With the muzzle Of the cooked
gun," 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
that it itched NO longer"
The robbers soon afterwards took
their leave, with many apologies, and
Ben continued his journey to tho
Missouri with his big emerald and
$4,000.