The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-06

Z saw them ride through New Brannfels
last week and we shall meet them some-
where along the road"
This was rather disouieting information.
but I 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 abagged"
about my forehead and ears, 20 that nv
| German friend broke out laughing ct my
changed appearance.
aNow," said !, "let mo hold the reins
and you can keep the team going. IF am
driving less attention Will be attracted t.
me-" ~. 5@=gt3
The accommodating fellow complied OF
once and striking the spirited horses q
sharp blow we ratified oDover 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 off
tie scent. At the first stopping place,
where the conveyance changed horses, we
were less than on hour behind. so we ex-
pected to gain sight CT it within q 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 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 the motionless stage, when
my German friend exclaimed: xZ",
Great thundsr! That's Jesse James!n
- There was ore medium sized man sitting
on small Texan pony, with his Winches-
ter rife cooked and pointed toward the
stage. On the other side was. another rob-
ber, standing close to the vehicle with q
was experimenting the spoliation of the
passengers, who were passing over watches,
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
frightful oath to stop where I was and wait
till the picnic was over. It is needless to
say complied and was an absorbed spec
tator of the robbery. The passengers ioked
and laughed and tried to hide their possos-
sions in all sorts of places. Tho James
boys INDUCED in few coarse oaths, but Of
fered no violence and were not very exact
ing in their demands. They took the gold
watches, diamond rings and such money as
was passed out to them, but no passenge,
was entirely cleaned out"
When they were through it was plain to
me they were disappointed, and they gall
loped away. firing their pistols over their
heads, quickly vanishing in the mezquit
bush. We passed the stage and arrived at
New Braunfels an hour ahead. There
donned my usual clothing, compelled my
German friend to accept gratuity and
waited fo1 the stage.
1t was rare enjoyment to me when the
latter drove up and entered to study the
expression Of the two men who had shadowed
me all the way from St. Louis and had
doubtless arranged the robbery for the pur-
pose Of making sure of the diamonds I
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 ill in Austin on the 10th of
May, 1876, stood on the porch of New
Braunfels, on the afternoon of the same
day. when the stage drove up and journeyed
with them to San Antonio, where the prop
erty was safely placed in the hands OF the
owner and by him prese- ted TO his daughter
that same evening.