Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-06-19

clump of beard under his chin hut
none on the side of his face. He
did not know anything about the
other. / told him ] guessed there
wasn't much danger.
"Oh, no, not II 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"
i answered that I should do so,
and then took the bag under my
arm and left the Office. / slowed
the mail away under my seat a
little more carefully than usual,
placing il go that / could keep my
feet against it, but beyond that 1
did not feel any concern. 1t was
past one when we started, and /
had four passengers, TWO of whom
rode only TO my nrst stopping
place. / reached. Gowan's dill at
dark, when we stopped for sup
per, and where my other two pas
seEgers concluded to stop for The
night.
About six o'clock in the eve
ming Ileft Gowan's Mills alone.
having two horses and puDg.
/ he'd seventeen miles to GO, and
hard seventeen it was 90. The
night as quite clear, but tie
wind was sharp and cold,the loose
snow flying in all direc, ns,wh lie
the drifts were deep and closely
packed. 1t was slow tediorH
WORK, and my horses soon become
leg-weary and FESTIVE. AT the
distance of SIX miles / came toia
little settlement called Bulls Cor
.Ier, where took fresh horses. I'd
been two hours going that dis
tance. AS /, was going to start, a
man came up and asked me if /
was going through to LittletOn.
j told lim I should 60 through If
the thing could possibly be done.
He said he was very 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 me
If I knew that one of my horses
had cut himself badly. Jumped
out and went with him, and
found that one of the animals had
got deep cork cut on off fore
foot. / gave such directions as. l
considered necessary, and was
about to turn away when the hos
tier remarked that he thought /
came alone. I told him / did.
"Then where did you get that
passenger ?" said he. ~ (, i
HE just got in" i answered.
"Got In from where ?"
~ don't know"
swell, 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 neigh
bors." %a}
"Let's have a look at his face"
said I. 1--WE can get that much at
any rate. Do you go back with
me, and when / getint0 thepung,
Just hold your lantern so the light
will shine into his face"
He did as / wished, and as /
stepped into the pung ] got q fair
view Of such portions of my pas
senger's face as were not muffied
up. I saw short, thick frame,
full, hard features, and / could al
most see that there was heavy
beard under the chin. / thought
of the man whom the postmaster
had described to me; but did
not think seriously upon 1t until
/ had started. Perhaps / had gone
half a mile, when / noticed The
mail bag wasn't In its place under
my feet. ai1 i'iA's' ,t..
"Halloo ~ say 8 /, holding up
my horses q little, where's my
mail?' tgL.r 4. t.sl ..oh.
My passenger sat on seat be-
hind me, and turned towards
him.
"Here is a bag of some kind
slipped back under my feet" he
said, giving 1t kick, as though
he would shove 1t forward. .l
Just at this moment my horses
numbered into deep snow-drift,
aud / 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 min
utes and when 1 got in again /
pulled the mail bag forward and
got nay feet upon it. AS / was do
ing this / saw the man taking
something from his lap. beneath
the buffalo, and put it into his
breast pocket. This / thought
was a pistol. l had caught a CLEAN
of barrel in the starlight, and
when / had time to reflect, /
H. aA,rI1 sNk ha ~ ;ok 10 l~nr1