The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-07-28

ing, halted and wiped his perspiriug brow
with his shirt sleeve.
Fur enough from home now" said he.
faint no use bein' gentleman il yer
have to work too herd" ...r
Safe enough. I reckon" replied the
colonel. "Well do the usual; I'll halt EN-,
Logroller tend to the driver, Cranks take
the boot, and Mack and Perk takes right
and left. An know it's tough-but con-
s,derin' how everlastiu', eternal hard
up We. are, reckon we'll
have to ask contributions from
the ladies, too, if there's eny aboard-eh,
Reckon so, replied Logroller, with a
chuc4le that seemed to inspire his black
domino with wrinkle or two. "WhAts
the use Of women's rights Of they don't ever
their purses borrowed II show EN- tho full
doctrine in bran new light"
"Come. come, boys" interrupted tho
colonel, that's the crack of Old Blacks
whip; pick yer bush-quick! All jump
| when I whistle"
Each man secreted himself near tho road
| side. Tho stage came swinging along
handsomely; those inside were laughing
heartily at something, and Old Black was
| just giving delicate touch to the flank of
the offleader, when the colonel glve a
shrill, quick whistle and five men sprang
into the road.
The horses stopped as suddenly as If it
were matter of common occurrence. Old
Black dropped the reins, crossed his
legs and stared into the sky, and the pas
sengers all put out their heads with rapid
ity equa!led only by that with which they
withdrew them as they saw the dominoes
and revolvers of the road agents.
"Seems to DO something the matter, gen.
tlemen,' said the colonel blandly as he
opened the door. Wont YOU please get
out? Don't trouble yourself to draw, cos my
friend here's got his weapon cooked an
his fingers rather nervous. Amt got a
handkerchief, hev yer?" asked no of the
first passenger who descended from the
stage. "Hev? Well, now that's lucky. Just
put yer hands behind yer, please-so-that's
it," And the unfortunate mans arms were
securely tied behind in an instant.
| The remaining passengers were treated
with similar courtesy, and the colonel and
his friends examined the pockets of the
captives. Ola Black RENAME unmolested
for who ever heard of stage driver having
money!
"Boys," said the colonel, calling his
brother agents aside and comparing receipts,
faint much Of haul; but there's only
one woman and she's old enough to be a
feller's grandmother.
| Like enough she'll pan out more than
all the rest Of the stage together" growled
Cranks, carefully testing the thickness of
the case of the gold watch. "Just like the
low-lived deceitfulness of some folks to
hire an old woman to carry their money, so
it'd 20 safer. Mebbe what she's got amt
nothin' to some folks that's got bosses that
can win money at races. but
The colonel abruptly ended tho CONVEX
sation, and approached the stage. He was
very chivalrous, but Crank's sarcastic refer
ence to Tipsie needed avenging, and as he
could not consistently with business ar
engagements put an end to Cranks, the only
lady would have to suffer.
| Il beg your pardon, ma'am," said the
colonel, raising his hat politely with one hand
while he drew open the coach door with the
other. "bnt we're taking up collection
for some deserving object. We was goin'
to make the gentlemen fork over the hull
amount, but ez they amt got enough, We
will hev to bother YOU"
The old lady trembled, felt for her pock-
et-book and raised her veil. The colonel
looked into her face, slammed the stage
door, and sitting on the hub of ono of tho
wheels, stared vacantlv into space.
"Nothin'?", queried Perkins in whisper,
and with face full of genuine sympathy
| "No-yes,' said the colonel dreamily.
THAT is, unite 'em and let the stage 90
ahead, he continued, springing to his feet.
| "Ill hurry back to the cabin" And the
colonel dashed into the bushes and left his
followers SO paralyzed with establishment
that Old Black afterward remarked that if
there'd been anybody to attend to the
horses he could have cleaned out the whole
crowd with his whip.
| The passengers, relieved of their wcap-
ons. were unbound, allowed to enter the
stage, and the door was slammed, upon
which Old Black picked up his reins as if
he had laid them down ut the station while
the horses were being changed, then
cracked his whip and the stage rolled OF.
while the colonels party fastened back to
their hut, fondly inspecting as they went
certain TASKS they had obtained while trans
acting their business with the occupants of
the stage.
Great was the surprise of the road agents
as they entered their hut. for there stood
the colonel in clean white shirt and in q
suit Of clothing made from the limited
srare wardrObes Of tho other members of
the band.
But the suspicious Cranks speedily sub
ordinated his wonder to his prudence, as
laying on the table heavy purse, he ex-
claimed:
Come, colonel, business before pleasure,
let's divide and scatter. Eff anybody should
hear about, and find our trail, an ketch the
| in kho~~
divide yerselyes?" said the colonel,
with white abrubtness and great oath, u
Il don't want none of it,
Colonel" said Perkins, removing his
own domino and looking anxiously into the
leaders face, ''be you sick? Here's some
bully brandy which found in the passen-
gers pockets"
1T hain't no:hin', replied the colonel
with averted eyes. I'm goin' and I'm re-
trim from business forever"
Amt going to turn evidence?" cried
Cranks, grasping pistol on the table.
I'm going to make lead mine of you eli
you don t take that back" roared the colonel,
with bound that caused Cranks to drep
the pistol and retire precipitately, apologize
ing rs he went, I'm going to at
tend to- my own business, and that's
enough to keep anybody bizzy. Somebody
lend me fifty dollars ill see him agin."
Perkins pressed the money into the COL
onels hand, and within two minutes the
colonel was on Tipsie's back and galloped
off in the direction the stage had taken.
He overlook it, passed it, and still he
galloped Oh.
The people at Mud Gulch knew the
colonel vel! and made it rule never to be
astonished at anything he did; and they
made an exception to the rule when the
colonel canvassed the principal barrooms
for men who wished to buy horse, and
when a gambler who was flush obtained
Tipsie for 90 slugs- only 81, 900, when the
colonel had always said there wasn't gold
enough on the top Of the ground to buy
her-Mud Gulch experienced decided
sensation.
But when the colonel, after remaininein
the barber shop for half an hour, emerged
with his face clean shaved and his hair
nicely trimmed and parted. betting was SO
wild thata cool-headed sporting man made
q fortune by betting against every theory
that had been advanced.
Then the colonel madea tour of the stores
and fitted himself with new suit of clotehs
carefully eschewing all of the gorgeous pat