The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-12-23
A Stage Drivers Story.

l did not start until after dinner, very
often had good distance to drive after
.da,k 1t was in the dead Of winter, and
the season had been rough one. A
great deal of snow had fallen, and the
drifts were plenty and deep. The mail
that carried was not due at Littleton
by contract until one o'clock in the
morning, but that winter the postmaster
was obliged to sit up n little later than
that hour for me.
One day in January, when drove up
my mail at Danbury, the postmaster
called me into his office.
"Pete," said he, with an important,
serious look, there's some pretty heavy
money packages in that bag" and he
pointed to it as he spoke. He said the
money was from Boston to some land
agents up near the Canada line. Then
.he asked me If I'd got any passengers
who were going through to Littleton
I told him did not know. But sup
pose have not 2" says T.
WHY said he, +" the agent of the
tower route. came in to-day, and he says
that there were two supicious characters
on the stage that came up last night,
and he suspects that they have an eye
upon this mail, so it will stand you in
hand to be little careful'
He said the agent had described one
of them as short, thick.set fellow,
about forty years of age, with long hair,
and a thick, heavy clump of beard
under his chin, but none on the side of
his face. He didn't know anything
about the other. / told him I guessed
there wasn't much danger.
90 no, not il you have got passen-
gers way through; but only told you
of this so that you might look out for
your mail, and also look out sharp when
you change horses"
answered that 1 should do so, and
then took the bag under my arm and
left the office. 1 slowed the mail under
my seat q little more carefully than
usual, placing it so that 1 could keep
my feet against it, but beyond that 1
did not feel any concern. 1t was past
one when we started, and had four
passengers, two of whom rode only to
my first stopping place. 1 reached
Gowan's Mills at dark, when we stopped
for supper, and where my other two
passengers concluded to stop for the
night.
About six O'Clock in the evening 1
left Gowan's Mills alone, having two
horses and puDg.
had seventeen miles to go, and a
hard seventeen it was, too. The night
was quite clear, but the wind was sharp
aud cold, the loose snow flying in all
directions, while the drifts were deep
and closely packed. 1t was slow, tedious
work, and my horses soon became leg
weary and restive. AT the distance of
six miles came to a little settlement
called Bulls Corner, where l took fresh
horses. I'd been two hours going that
distance. AS was going to start, a
man came up and asked me if was
going through to Littleton. 1 told him
L should go through if the thing could
possibly be done. He said he was very
snxious to go, and as he had no baggage
told him to jump in and make himself
as comfortable as possible. l was gath
-ering up my lines, when the hostler
came up and asked me if knew that
one of my horses had cut himself badly.
jumped out and went with him, and
found that one of the animals had got
deep cork cut on the off fore foot. /
gave such directions as L considered
necessary, and was about to turn away,
when the hostler remarked that he
thought l came alone. L told him 1
did.
Then where did you get that pas
senger 7" said he
g He just got in" answered.
Got in from where ?''
81 don't know"
g Well, l,now," said the hostler, ''that's
kind of curious. There amt been no
such man at the house, and know
there amt been none at any of the
neighbors."
g Let's have look at his face,'' said
/. We can get that much at any
rate. DO you go back with me, and
when get into the pung, just hold
your lantern so the light will shine into
his face"
He did as wished, and as 1 stepped
into the pung, got fair view of such
portions of my passengers face as were
not muffied up. l saw short, thick
frame, full, hard features, and / could