The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1880-09-09
srAsE DRivxR.s sromr.

q fNo OF iHfae cQAchest ana uld no
Start nsiil sitter dinner. very oiteu has
geod distance 70 drive after dark ]
vas Ia the dead oi winter, aud the seasol
had been rough one. A great deal o
snow bad isiien, Asd the drifts wei'
plenty and deep. The mail that osrrlet
wlf rot dne ~ LtlIeion by contract IN
liI one O'clock 10 The morning. bal lha
( wiuler tie postmaster was obliged 10 si
up little later than that hour Tor me.
One day In JanusrY, when drove ul
K With my mail at DAnburY, the posimAstel
called me into the Office. A
Pete, said be, with An important serious
look, there's some pretty heavy money
packages Ia that bag, aud be pointed TO |
as be spoke. He said lhe money wAs
from Boston 10 sorna land agents near the
CAnads line. Then he asked me II had
any passengers who were going through
10 LltlIetoBF told him did not know
Bat suppose have not, says J.
Why, ssid be, the agent OF The lOweI
road came 10 to-day, and be said that
there were two Suspicious characters on
The stage that came ia last night and aus.
pec,s that they have an eye on this mail,
so Il will stand you in hand TO be little
careful this evening.
He said the agent had described one Of
them as sboIt, thick set fellow, about 40
years OF age with long hair, aud a thick
heavy clump of beard under bis chin but
none OH the side OF his face. did no
know auythIng of the other. Itold him |
guessed here wssn't much DANGER
Oh, no, not II you've got passengers all
the way through. but ! only told you this
so that you might look ou. for your mail,
and also look out sharp when You change
horses.
answered that ! would do so, and
then took the bag under my arm and left
the office. slowed the mali away under
my sea, little more carefully them ssual
placing my ieet against II, bat beyond
that did not feel any concern. II wa
past one when we started, and had four
passengers, two OF whom rode only 10
the first stopping place. ! reached Cow
ans Mills at dark, when we stopped for
supper, and where my other two passen-
gers concluded 10 stop for the night.
About six O'Clock IN the evening lefs
Gowsn's Mills alone, having two horses
and a pung.
be d seventeen miles TO go and a hard
seyent, en- miles II was, too. The night
was guile clear, but The air was sharp and
cold, the loose snow nying In every dl.
reclion, while the drifts were deep and
loosely packed. Ii was slow, tedious
work, and my horses soon became leg
weary and restive. At the distance of six
miles came 10 little settlement called
Bulrs Corners, where took fresh horses
I'd been two hours going that distance.
As was going to start man came out
and asked II vas going through 10 Lit
Teton. told him I should go through
Il the thing could possibly be done. He
said he was anxious to go, and az he had
no baggage told bim TO jump in, and
make himself as comfortable as possible.
was gathering up my lines when the
hostier came up aud asked me IT. knew
one of my horses had cut himself badly.
jumped out and found that one OF the
animals had got deep cork on the of
loot. gavesuch directions as ! thought
necessary, and was about to turn away
when the hostler. remarked that he
bought came alone. told him that
lid. 4
Theu where did you get that passenger
aid he. tse4 DaA
He just got in, answered.
Go. II. from where2
don't know aEsI
Well now, said the hostler, that's kind
4 curious. There sin't been no such
nan at the house, and know there aia't
cen none at any ofthe neigbbor's.
Let's bave look at bic face, said T.. We
an get that much at any rate. Do you
o back with me, aud when get ini o the
ung just bold jour lantern so that ,-lhe
ghs wiltshire into bic face. A-e-As
Ile did as wished, ard az sta Ipped
ITO lhe pung got lair yiew OF such
ortious u his lace as were not M, ufied
p. ltsw short, thick frame, full bard
,stures, and ! could almost see 1 there
'ss a heavy beard under he chin. III,
fought OF the man whom the postm .ster
I'd described 10 me; but tdid not ishInk
,Tiou.iy upon It until had started Per- ,
aps lad gone hsifa mile wAen = no
eed tbs nah bag wasn't In ils pie . ns.
er my feet. nellol says holdisg up
y borses little, where's my man1
BY passenger eat 90 seat behiHd me,
I'd I termed toward bin.
Here's bag Of some kind that slipped
ack under my feet, be said, giving IT,
lex, Asthongh he woaid shove IL Soswa.d. :
just st this moment my borsss lar Iber. I,
into deep saow gd75h. and | was
reed 10 get out aud tread down the !
aow 10 front Of them. nnd led them .
,fough II.
This took the Ell Of finee,a minaies and ,
hsu ! got 10 sgsin pa led the mail bag
'r~srd aud ! got my cet upon 1t. was |
NuR this ! saw tho saAu taking seue.
ne from his 'zp b. meath ihe bn ifalo, and !
4 II iatc bis bro -, pocket. This
g 1shl MAS p .siol. had c.asht
&c IN q q barre. 10 ihe starlight, and /