Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-10-09

and tread down the snow before them.
help me, but he didn't feel very we'll,
and wouldn't try; SO worked all alone,
and was all of IA quarter of an hour get
ting my team through the drifts.
When got into the sleigh again, |
begin tn feel for the mailbag with nv
feet. found il where ] had left it, bl {
L discovered it had become fast in sOE G.
thing-I thought it was the buffalo, and
tried to kick il clear; but the more /
kicked the more closely it held reach
ed down my hand, and after feeling
about few moments, found that my
foot was in the mailbag. | felt again
and found my hand in among the pack
ages of letters and papers. | ran my
fingers over the edges of the opening.
and became assured that the stout
leather had been cut with knife.
Here was discovery. l began to
wish / had taken a lite more fore
thought before leaving Danbury; but as
waste of time quickly gave it up and
began to consider what had better do
under existing circumstances. wasn't
q
essential points. First, the man behind
was villain; second, he had cut open
the mail bag and robbed it of some valu
able matter-he must have known the
money letters by their size and shape;
third, he meant to leave the stage on the
| first opportunity; and fOurthly, he was
prepared to shoot me if attempted to
arrest or detain him.
rocaIvo1 fboco fbiuoc in INV mind
and pretty soon thought Of course to
pursue. knew that to get my hands
safely upon the rascal must take him
wholly unawares, and this / could not
do while he was behind me, for his eyes
were upon me all the time. so must
resort TO stratagem. Only little dis
lance ahead was house, and an old
farmer named Lougee lived there; and
directly before it a huge snOwbank
stretched across the road, through which
track had been cleared with shOvels.
AS we approached the cottage / saw
light in the front room, as felt conf
dent should, for the old man generally
sat up until the stage went by. l drove
on and when nearly opposite the dwell
ing, stood up, as / had frequently done
when approaching difficult places. l
saw the snOwbank ahead, and could dis
tinguished the deep cut which had been
shOveled through it. urged my horses
to speed and when near the bank forced
them into it. One of the runners mount
ed the edge of the bank, after which the
other ran into the cut, thus throwing
the sleigh over about as quick as though
lightning had struck it. My passenger
had not calculated on any such move
ment, and wasn't prepared for it; but l
calculated, and was prepared.
He rolled out in the deep snow with
heavy buffalo robe about him, while |
alighted directly on the top of him. /
punched his head in the snow and sung
out for old LOugee. did not have to
call second time, for the farmer had
come to the window to see me pass, and
as soon as he saw my sleigh overturned
he had lighted his lantern and hurried
out.
what's to payY asked the old man, as
he came up.
Lead the horses into the track, and
then come here said.
As l spoke l partially lOOsened my
hold upon the villains throat and he
drew pistol from his bosom; but saw
it in good season, and jammed his head
into the snow again, and got it away
from him.
We hauled the rascal out into the road
and, upon examination, we found about
twenty packages of letters which he had
stolen from the mail bag and slowed
away in his pockets. He swOre, threat |
ened and prayed, but we paid no atten-
to his blarney. LOugee got some stout |
cord, and when we had securely bound |
the villain we tumbled him into the |
pung. l then asked the old man if he
would accompany me to LittletOn, and
he consented. n
So he got hisovercoat and muller, and |
ere long we started on.
Preached the end of my route with my
mail all safe, though not as snug as it |
might have been, and my mail bags a |
little the worse for the trick that had
been played on them. However, the
mail robber was secure, and within
week he was identified by some officer
from Concord as an old offender, and |
am rather inclined to the opinion that
he is in the State Prison at the present
time. At any rate he was there the
last time heard of him.
That is the only time ever had any
mail trouble, and think that, under all
the circumstances, came out of it pref
well. N