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

into the pung, / got fair view Of
such portions Of my passenger's face
as were not mullled up. ! saw short |
thick frame, full, hard features, aud / |
could almost see that there was a heavy |
beard under the chin. ! thought OF |
the man whom the Postmaster had de- |
scrbed to me; but / did not think seri- |
odsly upon it until had started. Per- |
haps | had gone half a mile when | |
noticed the mail bag wasn't in It's place |
under my feet.
"Hcllow says /. holding up my |
horses n little. " where's my mail2'
My passenger sat on n seat behind |
me, and i turned toward him.
"lIere is bag OF some kind that
slipped back under my feet" he said,
giving it n kick, as though he would
shove it forward.
Justat this moment my horses lumber
ed into deep snow drift. and | was
forced to get ont and tread down the
snow in front of them, aud lead them
through H.
This took me all of fifteen minutes;
and when got in again l pulled the
mail bag forward aud got my feet upon
Il. As was doing this saw the man
taking something from his lap, beneath
the buffalo, and put it into his breast
pocket. This | thought was u pistol.
had caught CLEAN Of barrel in the
starlight, and when | had time to re-
fleet / knew could not be mistaken.
About this time | 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. II re-
sisted him he would shoot me, and
perhaps he meant to perform that
delectable operation at any rate. While
was pondoring the horses plunged
into snow drift, and | was again
forced 10 get out and tread down the
snow before them. | asked my pas
senger il he wouldn't help me, but he
didn't feel very WELL and wouldn't try;
so | worked alone, and was all of u
quarter Of an hour getting my team
through the drifts
When got into the sleigh again,
began to feel for the mail bag with my
feet. l found il where had left it, but
| when attempted to withdraw my foot
/ discovered II had become fast in some
1 thing thought IL was the buffalo, aud
! tried 10 Kick it clear; but the more |
/ kicked the more closely il held. |
reached down my hand, and after feel
/ ing about few moments, ! found that
/ my foot was in the mail bag. ! 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 | had taken a little more fore
thought before leaving Danbury; but as
! knew making such wishes was only a
waste OF time, quickly gave it up, and
began to consider what ] had better do
under existing circumstances. ] WASH
long in making up my mind upon few
essential points. First, the man be-
hind me was n 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 10 leave the
stage on the first opportunity; and
fourthly, he was prepared to shoot me
If attempted to arrest or dctain him
revolyed these things in my mind,
and pretty soon thought Of course tC
} pursue. 1 knew that to get my hands
safely upon the rascal | must take hin
wholly unawares, and this / could no
do while he was behind me, for hi
ewes were upon me all the time, so
: must resort TO stratagem. Only littl,
distance ahead was house, and en- ole
J farmer named Longee lived there; an,
directly before it a huge snow banl
stretched across the road, through
which track had been cleared will
, shovels.
As we approached the cot | saw I
, light in the front room, as l felt conf
dent should, for the old man general
ly sat up until the stage went by.
. drove on, and when nearly opposite
] the dwelling, stood up, rs | had FIRE
= quently done when approaching diff
> cult places. | saw the snow banl
| ahead, and could distinguish the dec
} cut which had been shovelod through
| il. l urged my horses 10 a good speed
: and when near the bank forced then
into IT, One of the runners mounte,
, the edge of the bank, after which tn
(. other ran into the cut thus throwin
S the sleigh over about as quick as thong
r lightning had struck it. My passenge
Q had not calculated on any such move
ment, and wasn't prepared for iti bu
: [ had calculated aud was prepared.
He rolled out in the deep snow with
heavy buffalo robe about him, while
alightod directly on the top of him.
punched his head in the snow and sun
I, out for old Longee. did not have
I call second time, for the farmer ha
] come TO the window TO see me pass, an
Il as soon as he saw my sleigh overtume
he had lighted his lantern and hurrie
Il out.
y whats to payP" asked the old MAJ
d as he came up.