The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-02-09

the team behind which was riding that
We would pass the stage before reaching
New braunfels, and az was sure my
German friend was An honest fellow I
made confident Of him aud told him Of
my dilemma. I had in my possession
some very valus,ble jewelry. and there we're
TWO men in the stage ahead who had
planned to rob me. He naturally asked how
that could be done, when there were over y
dozen passengers besides, who were
doubtless armed, while I was able to do
something in my own defense.
Il see, he answered.; they have an un.
derstanding With the James boys, who
will stop the stage somewhere along the
road"
The dickens!" exclaimed, ARE the
i saw them ride through New Braunfels
last week and We shall meet them some
where along the road"
This was rather disquieting information,
but l could only make the best Of it. I
drew from my valise an old coat and dam
aged hat which donned. In the hat was
some frowsy yellow hair which "bagged"
about my forehead and ears, 50 that my
German friend broke out laughing at my
changed appearance.
A"Now," said I, "let me- hold tho reins
and you can keep the team going. If am
ullvlng less attention will be attracted 10
me-"
The accommodating fellow complied at
once and striking the spirited horses q
sharp blow we ratified of over the country
at lively gait. was considerably dis
turbed for could feel no assurance that
the not over brilliant strategem Of mine
had thrown my dreaded acquaintance of
the scent. At the first stopping place,
where the conveyance changed horses, We
pectsd to gain sight Of it within O short
time.
And sure enough we did. Only few
miles away We saw tho stage standing still
on the top Of hill. as if the driver was
giving his horses a rest after the heavy pull.
There were eighteen passengers, as We
learned, so that tho four animals had an
unusually heavy load. So We pushed
steadily up the long incline until within q
hundred feet of tho motionless stage, when
my German friend exclaimed:
Great thunder! That's Jesse James!"
There was ore medium sized man sitting
on small Texan pony, with his Winches-
ter rite cooked and pointed toward the
stage. On the other side was another rob-
Der. standing close TO the vehicle with
cooked revolver in each hand, while third
was experimenting the spoliation of the
purses and valuables with the alacrity al
ways displayed on such occasions.
was SO startled that drew out TO hurry
by when Jesse James called to me with q
frighttul oath to stop where was and wait
TIL the picnic was over. 1t is needless to
say compiled and was an absorbed Spec
tator of the robbery. The passengers joked
and laughed and tried to hide their possess
ions ia all sorts of places. The James
boys lndulged in few coarse oaths. but Of
fered no violence and were not very exact
ing in their demands. Ther took the gold
watches, diamond rings and sucn money as
was passed out to them, but no passenger
vas entirely Cleaned out.
When they were through it was plain 10
me they were disappointed, and they GAL
loped away. firing their pistols over their
heads, quickly vanishing in the mezquit
bush. We passed the stage and arrived at
New Brsunfels an hour ahead. There
donned my usual clothing, compelled my
German friend to accept gra:uity and
waited for the stage.
It was rare enjoyment to me when the
latter drove up and entered to study the
expression of the two men who had Swallowed
me all the way from St. Louis and had
doubtless arranged the robbery for the pur-
pose of making sure of the diamonds l
carried with me. They never heard, and
unless they come across this sketch, they
will never know how it was that the man
who carried this concentrated wealth and
whom they left i'll in Austin on the 10th of
May, 1876, stood on the porch of New
Eraunfels, on the afternoon of the same
day, when the stage drove up and journeyed
with thom to San Antonio, where the prop
erty was safely placed in the hands Of the
owner and by him presented to his daughter
that Same aVanino