Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-09-02
A sTAGE.pRIyEws STORY.

-
FOURTEEN years ago | drove from
Dnnbury to Littleton, distance OF
forty-two miles, and as | had to await
the arrival OF two or three coachcrs,
and did not start until after dinner, |
very often had good distance 20 drive
after dark. IL was In the dead OF win
ter, 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 Post
master was Obliged TO sit up little Ia
ter than that hour for me.
One day in January, when drove up
with my mail at DGnhury, the Postmas-
ter called me into his Office.
pete said he, with an important,
serious look, "there' some pretty heavy
money packages In that bag" and he
pointed to IL as he spoke. He said the
money was from Boston TO some land
agents near the Canada line. Then he
asked me If had any passengers who
were going through to Littleton? told
him did not know. "But suppose
have not" says /.
Why" said he, "the agent of the
lower route came In to-day, and he
said that there were two suspicious
characters on the stage that came in
last night, and he suspects that they
have TN eye on this mail, so II will stand
you in hand to be little careful this
evening"
He said the agent had described one
OF them as a short. thick set fellow,
about forty years OF age, with long
hair, and thick, heavy clump of
beard under his chin, but none on the
side Of his face. did not know any
thing about the other. l told him
guessed there wasn't much danger.
"Oh, no. not if you have got pas
sengers all the way through, but only
told YOU this so that you might look
out for your mail, and also look out
sharp when you change horses
answered that | should do so, and
then took the bag under my arm and
left the Office. | slowed the mail away
under my seat little more carefully
than usual, placing it so | could keep
my feet against it, but beyond that
did not feel any concern. II was past
one when we started and | had foui
passengers, two Of whom rode only tc
my first stopping place, reached
Gowan's Mills at dark, when We
stopped for supper, and where my
other two passengers concluded to stoT
for the night,
About six o'clock in the evening
left Gowan's Mills alone, having tive
horses and pung.
j had seventeen miles 20 60, and Q
hard seventeen il was, too The nigh
was quite clear but the wind was sharl
and cold, the loose snow flying in every
direction, while the drifts were deep anC
closely packed IL was slow. tediou
work, aud my horses soon became leg
weary and restive. Al the distance o
six miles | came to a little settlemen
called Bulls Corner, where tool
fresh horses. I'd been two hour
going that distance. AS was goinl
to start man came up and asked If
was going through to Littleton. tol'
him should go through II the thinl
could possibly be done, He said he wa
anxious to go, aud as he had no bag
gage, told him to jump in, aud max
himself rs comfortable as possible.
was gathering mp the lines when tn
hostler came up and asked me II
knew that one OF my horses hau cut Nun
self badly | jumped out and foun'
that one of the animals had got a dee
cork ON the olrioot gave such direc
tions rs considered necessary, and wa
about 10 turn away when the hostile
remarked that he thought that | cam
alone. told him did.
"Then where did youget that passen
gerpn said he.
"Ho just got in" | answered.
"GOt in from whereP'
81 don't know
"Well, now" said the hostleI
" that's kind Of curious, There ain
been no such man at the house, and
know there amt been none at any
the neighbor's."
Let's have look at his face, v sal
/. 1--WE. can get that much at an
rate. Do you 90 back with me, an
when get into the pung Just hol
your lantern so that the light will shin
Into his face"