Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-17

haps l had gone half mile when l
noticed the mail bag wasn't in its place
under my feet.
"Hellor' says 1, holding up my
horses a little "where's my mailP"
My passenger sat on seat behind
me, and turned toward him.
"Here is bag of some kind that
slipped back under my feet" he said,
giving it kick, as though he would
shove it forward.
Justat this moment my horses lumber
ed into a deep snow drift, and L was
forced to get out and tread down the
snow in front of them, and lead them
through it.
This took me all of fifteen minutes;
and when l got in again l pulled the
mail bag forward and got my feet upon
it. As was doing this / saw the man
taking something from his lap, beneath
the buffalo, and put it into his breast
pocket. This l thought was q pistol.
had caught a CLEAN of barrel in the
starlight, and when had time to re-
fleet knew l could not be mistaken.
About this time l began to think
somewhat seriously. From what had
heard and seen, soon made up my
that the individual behind me not only
wanted to rob me of my mail, but was
prepared to rob me of my life. If l re-
sisted him he would shoot me, and
perhaps he meant to perform that
delectable operation at any rate. While
was pondering the horses plunged
into snow drift, and l was again
forced to get out and tread down the
snow before them. asked my pas
senger if he wouldn't help me, but he
didn't feel very well, and wouldn't try;
so worked alone, and was all of
quarter of an hour getting my team
through the drifts.
When l got into the sleigh again, l
began to feel for the mail bag with my
feet. l found it where / had left it, but
when attempted to withdraw my foot
l discovered it had become fast in some
thing-I thought it was the buffalo, and
tried to kick it clear; but the more l
kicked the more closely it held. 1
reached down my hand, and after feel
| ing about few moments, found that
my foot was in the mail bag. l felt
again, and found my hand in among the
packages of letters and papers. ran
my fingers over the edges of the open
ing, and became assured that the stout
leather had been cut with knife.
| Here was a discovery. began to
wish l had taken o little more fore
thought before leaving Danbury; but as
knew making such wishes was only q
waste of time, quickly gave it up, and
began to consider what had better do
under existing circumstances. l wasn't
long in making up my mind upon few
| n1gantiol tNnintg Lfput fhn hn-
hind me was villain; second, he had
cut open the mail bag and robbed it of
some valuable matter-he must have
known the money letters by their size
and shape; third, he meant to leave the
stage on the first opportunity; and
fourthly, he was prepared to shoot me
If attempted to arrest or detain him.
revolved these things in my mind,
and pretty soon thought of a course to
pursue. knew that to get my hands
safely upon the rascal l must take him
wholly unawares, and this 1 could not
do while he was behind me, for his
eyes were upon me all the time, so
must resort to stratagem. Only little
distance ahead was house, and en- old
farmer named Longee lived there; and
directly before it huge snow bank
stretched across the road, through
which a track had been cleared with
shovels.
As we approached the cot l saw a
| light in the front room, as ! felt conf
dent should, for the old man general
ly sat up until the stage went by. l
drove on, and when nearly opposite
the dwelling, stood up, as l had fire.
quently done when approaching diff
cult places. l saw the snow bank
ahead, and could distinguish the deep
cut which had been shoveled through
it. urged my horses to good speed,
and when near the bank forced them
into it. One of the runners mounted
the edge of the bank, after which the
other ran into the cut, thus throwing
the sleigh over about as quick as though
lightning had struck it. My passenger
had not calculated on any such move
ment, and wasn't prepared for it; but
had calculated and was prepared.
He rolled out in the deep snow with a
heavy buffalo robe about him, while l
alighted directly on the top Of him.
punched his head in the snow and sung
out for old Longee. did not have to
call second time, for the farmer had
come to the window to see me pass, and
as soon as he saw my sleigh overturned
he had lighted his lantern and hurried
out,
Whats to payP" asked the old man,
rs he came up.
Lead the horses into the track, and
: then come here" said.
, AS spoke l partially loosened my
hold upon the Villains throat, and he
drew pistol from his bosom; but saw
it in good season and jammed his heaC
into the snow again, and got it away
from him.
BY this time Longee had led the