Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-10-09
A m All ROBBEK.
A Stage Drivers Story.

Stage Drivers story.
Fourteen years ago drove from Dan
bury to Littleton, a distance of fOrty-twO
miles, and. as had to wait the arrival
of two or three coaches and did not
start till after dinner, very often had a
good distance to drive. after dark.
1t was in the dead of the winter, 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 o'clock in the morning,
but that winter the postmaster was
obliged to sit up little later than that
hours for me.
One day in January, when I drove up
with my mail at Danbury, the pOstmas-
ter called me into his Office.
Pete said he, with an important, Sc
riOus look, there's some pretty heavy
money packages in that Bag and he
pointed to it as he spoke. He said the
money was from Boston to some land
agent near the Canada line. Then he
asked me if /. had any passengers who
were going through to LittletOn. l told
him did not know. But suppose l
have not? says I. ~
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 an eye on this
mail. so it 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 a
thick, heavy clump OF beard under the
chin, but none on the side of his face. l
did not know any thing about the other.
told him guessed there wasn't much
danger.
on, no, not if you have got passengers
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
1 answered that 1 should do so, and
then took the bag under my arm and
left the office. / slowed the mail away
nndcr- my scat a little mora carefully
than usual, placing it so that could
put my feet againstit, but beyond that l
did not feel any concern. 1t was past
one when we started, and | had four
passengers, two of whom only rode to
my first stopping place. reached Cow
ans Mills at dark, when we stopped for
supper and where my other two 'passen
gers concluded to stop for the night.
About o'clock in the evening / left
GOwan's Mills alone, having two horses
and pung.
had seventeen miles to go, and a
hard seventeen it was, too. The night
was quite clear, but the wind was sharp
and cold, the loose snow flying in every
direction, while the drifts were deep and
closely packed. 1t was slow, tedious
work, and my horses soon became leg
weary and FESTIVE. At distance of six
miles came to little settlement called
Bulls Corner, where took fresh horses.
I'd been two hours going that distance.
As was going to start man came up
and asked me if was going through to
LittletOn. told him should go through
} if the thing could be possibly done.
He said he was anxious to go, and, as
he had no baggage, told him to jump
in and make himself as comfortable as
possible. was gathering up my lines
when the hOStler came up and asked If
knew that one of my horses had cut him.
self badly. / jumped out and found that
one of the animals had got deep cork
cut on the off foot. i gave such direct
ions as considered necessary, and was
about to turn when hOstler remarked
that he thought l came alone. told
him Ibid. a ~
Then where did 'youget that passen-
ges? said he.
He just got in 1 answered.
Got in from where? fi l
Il don't know
We'll now said the hostler, that's kind
of curious. There amt been no such
man at the house, and know there amt
been none at any of the neighbOrs.'
Let US have look at his face said L.
We can get that much at any rate. Do
you go back with me, and, when get into
the pung, just hold the lantern so that
the light will shine into his face.
He did as / wished, and, as l stepped
into the pung, L got fair view of such
portions of my passengers face as were
not muffied up.
saw short, thick frame, full, hard
features, and j could almost see that
there was heavy beard under the chin.
/ thought of the man whom the post
master had described to me, but / did
not think seriously upon it until had
started. Perhaps l had gone a half a
mile when noticed the mailbag vast
in its place under my feet. r.
'Hehop says holding up my horses a
little. where's my mail?' rl,
NV passenger sat on seat behind me,
AMI L turned towards him.
.lIere is bag of some kind that slip
pei back under my feet he said, giving
it a kick, as though he would shove 1t
forward.
Just at this momene my horses lumb-
cred into deep snow drift, and 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 got in again pulled the
mailbag forward and got my feet
upon it. As was doing this l saw the
man taking something from his lap, be-
meath the buffalo, and put it in his breast
pocket, this / thought was pistol. II
had caught a CLEAN of barrel in the
starlight, and when had time to reflect
I knew could not have been mistaken.
About this time began to think some
what seriously. From what had heard
and seen, soon made up my mind that
the individual behind me not only want
ed to rob me of my mail, but was pre-
pared to rob me of my life. If resisted
him he would shoot me, and perhaps he
meant to perform that delectable opera
ton at any rate. WhileI was pOndering
the horses plunged into another snow
drift, and / was again forced 10 get out