The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-25
the sTAsE.uOACH ROBBERS.
what the New Passenger with One ~
Did.

what the New Passenger with One Ey'
Exchange M
There was an army officer, q sutler, asur
yeyor and two men who might have beer
mine inspectors in the stage when it drey
up at Burt Hill to take on another passen
ger.
"Howdy,n said the new passenger as h,
crowded in.
As he stood for a moment in the light o.
the station lamp all saw that his left eye
was gone, BE wore no shade or patch to
conceal the loss, aud those who gave hima
second look felt that the fire in his remain.
ing eye was bright enough to answer fr
two. Dark as it was in the stage, he seem.
ed to have ''sizsd up" every man inside Of
a minute, and, seeming to be satisfied re.
garding the crowd, he settled himself back
In his seat and had no remarks to make.
By and blythe army officer mentioned
something about road agents, and directly
the conversation became interesting.
Coaches had been stopped ct various points
on the line within 9 week, and 1t was pref.
ty generally believed that q bad gang had
descended on the route and were still ripe
for business. The man with one eye had
nothing to say. Once or twice he raised
his head and that single eye blazedin the
darkness like q lone star, but not a word
escaped his mouth. The captain had said
what he would do in case the coach was
halted, and this brought out the others,
1t was firmly decided to fight. The pas
sengers had money TO fight for and
weapons TO fight With.
The man with one eye said nothing. Al
such a time and under such circumstances
there could be but one Interpretation Of
such conduct.
"a coward has no business travelling
this route" said the captain in a voice
which every man could hear.
The stranger started up; and that eye Of
his seemed to shower sparks OF fire, but
alter q moment he fell back again without
having replied.
II he wasn't chicken.hearted why didn't
he show his colors? II he intended to fight
here were his weapons? He had no Win.
chester, and 50 far as any one had seen as
he entered the coach he was without re.
yolvers. Everybody felt a contempt for 3
man who calculated TO hold up his hands
at the order and permit himself to be
quietly despoiled.
"Popl pop! haltl'
The passengers were doing az the salute
Of the road agents reached their ears. The
coach was halted in a way to tumble every.
body together, and legs and bodies were
still tangled up when q voice at the door Of
the coach called out:
"No nonsense, nowi You gentlemen
climb right down here and up with your
handsl The iiIst man who kicks on me
will get . bullet through his headin
We had agreed to fsnt. The captain had
agreed to lead us. We were listening for
hls yell OF defiance and the click Of his re-
volver when he stepped down and out as
humbly as you please. The sutler had been
aching to chew up o dozen road agents, and
now he was the second man out. The sur
veyor had intimated that he meyer passed
over the route without killing at least three
~highwaymen, but this occasion was to be
exception. In three minutes the five Of us
were doHnand in line and hands up, and
the road scent had said:
"Straight matter OF business. First one
who drops his hands wont ever know what
hurt him."
Where was the man with one eye? The
robber appeared to believe that we were
all out, and he was Just approaching the
lead oil the line TO begin his work when q
Gark form dropped out Of the coach, there
was a yell as II from q wounded tiger, and
q revolver began 10 crack. The robber
went down at the first pop. His partner
was Just coming around the rear OF the
coach. He was q game man. He knew
what had happened, but he was coming to
the rescue. Pop pop! pop! went the re.
volyers, their flashes lighting up the night
until we could see the driver in his eeat.
1t didn't take twenty seconds. One OF
the robbers lay dead in front OF us-the
other under the coach, while the man with
one eye had q lock cut from his head and
the Craze Of a bullet across his cheek. Not
one Of us had raised q finger. We were
five fools in q row. There was a painful
lull after the last shot, and 1t lasted q full
minute before tie stranger turned to US
and remarked in a quite, cutting manner:
"Gentiemen, ye KIN drop yer nands!n
We dropped. We Undertook to thank
him, andwe wanted to shake hands, and
somebody suggested a shake purse for his
benefit, but he motioned Us into the coach,
banged the door alter US, and climbed up
TO q STAT beside the driver. His contempt