The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-03-02
every one Of whom had bis rife leveled

eVcty Vuo VI Wnom uuu utS Hbuo sov0iOV
at us. .1
Strange as It may seem my oompan-
ion, Perkins, carried no weapon o. any
kind. He gave rs o reason that bis
grandfather was killed by big horse
pistol, when he was going one eye on a
squint down the barrel, and the grand
son promised the mother that he never
would form the habit Of sporting such
gigantic weapons less he,too, might meet
with some accident.
/ Supported revolver, and I had my
hand on It ct the time the startling sum-
mons to surrender reached Us. ] might
have made q respectable fight, and gone
down perforated like q sieve with bullets,
led on by the ambition to be referred to
10 my obituary notice as Q passenger
Who had made plucky fight against q
party Of road agents.
But Z am old enough aud have tfav-
eled enough to use little discretion, and
to take matters philosophically. ] pre-.
ferred to surrender, and was much re-
lieved, therefore, when the driver drew
up without any show Of resistance.
There were Eve of the highwsymen
altogether, and they instantly closed in
about us. The leader thrust his hand
into the coach with his pistol pointed and
ordered us to get out.
It wasn't necessary for him to repeat
the command. We understood and re.
spected it.
The robbers we're disappointed. There
was q treasure-box In the stage, and the
"loot" upon the person Of Mr.. Perkins
and myself was Of little account.
MY watch wss OF the bulls eye pat
tern, descended to me from Revolu.
tionary ancestor. and il put up at auc-
ton, before q lot OF antiquarians, might
have excited an enthusiasm that would
have brought Eve dollars.
Perkins claimed that bis timepiece was
q f1ll half century older. and don't
doubt IT.; hut my New England neigh
bor, with oil his simplicity, possessed q
vein Of shrewdness which was sure to
stand him we'll.
He was worth considerable money ,and
he had prepared for this contingency by
putting It in such shape that no one
else could get hold of il. My property
has always been 10 such shape that /
couldn't get hold Of it myself. The dri-
yer, as matter of course. didn't carry
expensive about him.
Up to this point the proceedings par.
took more Of farce, but the tragedy
was close at hand. The leader Of the
road agents announced. in . spirit OF
that he was Mike McCracken,
for whose head there was reward OF
Eve thousand dollars offered, and who
invited all who might banker for that
sum to come and take him.
Perkins and / would have been glad
to earn such q comfortable little sum,
but We didn't see our way quite clear to
perfect our arrangements just then.
When it was evident that McCracken
and his pals bad made ..Natar-haul.n :
there were considerable threats and NUT
terings; and Pete, the driver, who had
remained on his seat ell the time, made
some jesting remark to McCracken. The
latter Was so enraged that be raised his
rife and shot the poor fellow dead.
This horrible proceeding appalled, as
for the time, and we scarcely spoke until
The gang we're gone. Then we picked
up poor Pete's body, placed It within the
ooach, took the seat ourselves and drove
by turns until We reached Deadwood.
We rode in silence for . mile or 90,
Perkins holding the reins, and then, a.
be drew the team down to walk, he ex-
"By the great horned spoon do you
Know what am going to do :"
"No."
"l'm going to square with that Nc
cracken. ! will pay him for shooting
Door Pete"
"Howf"
"Never mind how. It's gsixg to BE-
lsasl that's % sure % you're born. I've
been thinking over the thing, and I've
got It oil. fixed. Do you want to jine
ne e3' !
Yes, provided I know Of the nature OF
he undertaking. In . matter Of this
lind / don't propose to 60 it blind"
The moon was up, 80 that We could
zee each Others faces with the greatest
iistinctness.
Perkins turned his hesd % II he we're
about to explain. and then checked him
,elf and switched Of in another direc.
ion.
"There aibt . bit Of danger in my
,cheme-"
"Not even McCracken p
"What are you talking aboutf You
ought to be ashamed Of yourself to
peak with such disrespectful remarks.
mean there won't be any danger to you
,r me, but the biggest kind OF fun. win
1ou go along ?"
"very likely" answered hoping to
iraw the scheme from him by course
,f oss-examination, but in that respect
was disappointed.
I couldn't gain the least inkling Of the
nature of bis plan, and l began to sus-
,ect had committed piece OF stupidi-
y in consenting to 60 IN bis company.
A man who ventured into the Black
Hills country without carrying firearms
,f any description could not be looked
,pon IS very formidable sort OF . per-
Ionsge.
During the sncceeding few days It be-
,ame generally known that the stage
which was TO leave for the East on
would carry large amount Of
gold-dusf consigned to Perrin d Broth
RS, 81. Louis.
In accordance with the custom this
vas placed in On iron box, which Was
astened to the bottom OF the stage In
Iuch a secure fashion that it would be
he work Of hours to loosen it.
On the day before starting Perkins
rave me to understand that il ] wanted
o see the fun was to register and start
IN an Eastern trip on that stage. He
'aid he and / wdRld be the only passen.
yers, and repeated that he had dead
lure thing of 1t.
I had noticed that during the previous
eW dava that porkins eeemed to he in