The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-03-11

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ty, and that she sooner could get rid
Of my new acquaintance the better.
"All right snld Z. EN- fix IT,"
We had Just come In sight of Que of
the watering troughs. / led the horse
up to IL, and told Betsey Ellen to slide
Off and sit down on the end of the
trough while 1 did as she suggested.
Placing the bag on the saddle, first
took the extra strap and made It fast,
then spread her old shawl on top Of 1t.
"There's gay seat" said stepping
upon the side of the trough to pat 1t
down; and before the woman could be
aware of what l intended, ] had jumped
on the horse and given him blow
which caused him to bound into the
middle Of the road.
"Oh, plaze stop, an fer the love Of
mercy don't be roonin' away from me ~
pleaded the girl, starting up and drop
ping her bundle.
/ glanced back, but gave my horse an
other blow, and seeing / was really Off,
my persuasive friend suddenly changed
her conduct. Quick as flash out came
pistol, and whiz went ball from IL
within two inches Of my ear. But old
Jed was already on the gallop. We
went rouud bend in the leafy road,
and that was the last / saw of the
Province girl'' that day. Officers were
sent after the would-b d-be-robber, but they
didn't catch him.
The second winter after this my fa-
ther put stage IA large double sleigb),
drawn by span of horses, on the mail
route. In place of riding old Jed, /
now drove the stage and carried the
mail also. had plenty of light freight
and express matter, and was often
full" of passengers.
My route had been heightened, and
extended beyond D--to new place,
which was called the "supply depot"
One day in February had three passen-
gers, two choppers" going up to work,
and well-dressed young man, who sat
well mufIled up, for II was pretty cold
day. stopped at D for the pas
sengers to warm themselves and to have
dinner, and this young man was so long
eating his that had to go into the
dining-room to hurry him. He sat at
the table with his back to me eating as
went in, and saw his thumb as he
held his fork. The nail was gone and
the scar was of dull red color. / knew
that thumb in an instant, and was sure
that this was " Betsey Ellen" 1t made
me nervous, but L said, bravely, GAN
aboard !" and walked OUT.
didn't know what to do. Betsey
Ellen" was the only passenger from
D up to the lumber yard, too. He
had considerable to say. He probably
knew me well enough, that is, he knew
was the boy he had fooled and tried to
rob of the mailbag. His name, he told
me this time), was Gleason. He was u
professional " scaler," on his way up to
scale or survey the winters "cut' of
lumber at the landings" on the river.
He had his calipers' and other instri.
ments with him.
/ felt uncomfortable enough, but kept
quiet. i am sure | never suffered so
much from fear in my life as L did in
going up from D that afternoon.
The whole of the way had to sit with
my back to Betsey Ellen" and of
course / expected every moment he
would give me a blow on the head and
rob the stage. He did not, however,
but instead he was a very quiet passen-
ger. That night ut the depot"
found out that his name was actually
Gleason, and that he was really their
regular lumber scaler, and was hired as
such. But l knew it was Betsey
Ellen" all the same; his voice and the
peculiar glance of his dull dark eyes
were only too well fixed in my memory
ever to be forgotten.
Next day at II first told the
postmaster there, and we then got out a
warrant for the arrest of Gleason. The
sheriff went up on the stage with me
Gleason was scaling two miles above the
depot, at one of the lumber-camps. The
sheriff took two men and went up tc
the camp that evening. 1 went with
him to point him out. Gleason was
smoking his cigar by the camp-stovt
when we went in.
" Well, Besey Ellen, " said 1, you
rather played it on me two years ago
but now it's my turn !" and the sheriff
collared him. But he took it very cool
ly. He sat quite still for moment
L. l.. a ~