Louisiana capitolian., 1880-09-23
''Then where did you got that passen.

"He just got in" answered.
"Got in from where 2"
II don't know"
"We)l, now," said the host]er, "thatt
kind of curious. There amt been DC
such man at the house, and l know
there amt been none at the neighbors.'
Lets have a look at his face" said
|. We can got that much at any rate
Do you 20 back with me, and when
get iuto the pung just hold your lantern
50 that the light will shine into his
face"
He did as / wished, and as stepped
into the pung got fair views Of such
portions of my passengers face as were
not muffled up. saw short, thick
frame, full, hard features, and could
almost see that there WAS heavy beard
under the chin. thought of the man
whom the postmaster had described to
mes but | did not think seriously upon
it it until had started Perhaps had
gone half mile when | noticed the
mail bag wasn't in its right place under
my feet.
Hello" says l, holding up my horses
a little, where's NY mail?"
My passenger sat on the scat behind
mo, aud turned towards him.
''Here is a bag of some kind that slip.
ped back under my feet" he said, CIV
ing it a kick, as though ho would shove
it forward.
Just at this moment, my horses lum-
bered into deep snow drift, and I was
forced to get out and tread down the
snow in front of them, and lead them
through it.
This took me a'l of fifteen minutes !;
and when got in again pulled the
mail bag forward and got my feet upon
it into his breast pocket. This l thought
was pistol. l had caught gleam Of
barrel in the starlight and when
had time to reflect, / knew could not
be mistaken.
Abont this time l began to think
somewhat seriously. From what had
heard and seen, l soon made up my
mind that the individual behind mo not
only wanted to rob mo of my mail, but
was prepared to rob mo of my life. fl
resisted him he would shoot me, and
perhaps he meant to perform that de-
lectable operation at anv rate. While l
was pondcring the horses plunged into
another snow drift, and l was again
forced to got out. and tread down the
snow before them. asked my passen-
ger if he wouldn't help me, but he didn't
feel very well, and wouldn't try; so
worked all alone, and was all of q quar-
ter Of an hour getting my team through
the drifts.
When I got into the sleigh again, l
began to feel for the mail bag with my
feet. found it whore | had loft it, but
when attempted to withdraw my foot
I discovered it had become fast in some.
thought it was tho buffalo, and
tried to kick it clear: but the more that
[ kicked tho moro closely it held. l
reached down my hand, and after feel.
ing about few moments, found that
my foot was in the mail bag. l folt again
and found my hand in among the pack
ages of letters and papers. l ran MY
fingers over the edges of the opening,
and became assured tho stout leather
had been cut with q knife.
Here was discovery. began to wish
had taken a little more forethought be-
fore leaving Danbury; but as l knew
making such wishes was only a waste
If time, quickly gave it up, and began
20 consider what | had better do under
Existing circumstances. l wasn't long
n making up my mind upon few es-
,ential points. First, the man behind
no was a villain second, he had cut
open the mail bag and robbed it of some
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
ourthly, he was prepared to shoot me
f attempted to arrest or detain him.
resolved these things in my mind,
md pretty soon thought of course to
,ursue. l knew that to got my hands
'afely on the rascal | must take him
wholly unawares, and this l could not
10 while he was behind mo, for his eyes
we're upon me all tho time, so l must
'esort to stratagem. Only a little dis
;ance ahead was house, and an old
farmer named Longee lived there; and
lirectly before it huge snow bank