The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-07-06
How FRANCES ROBBED THE
STAGE.

The four-horse mud wagon, called by
common consent stage, which ran be-
tween Bokey's and Logtown, was crawl
ing up the long grade which cork
screwed around to the summit of Pilot
Knob. 1t was necessary to do this In
order that good preparatory start
might be had for the succeeding rat
Ting plunge down the other cork-screw
road which led to Logtown.
BY the side of Black Pete, the driver,
sat an eastern importation of the genus
drummer" Pete rolled his tobacco
into his cheek, snapped fly off the ear
of his nigh leader and said: mo, sir,
don't git no pay fer fightin' an / don't
do no fghtin' fer Their company. If airy
galoot stops this hyer stage and per-
litely like asks fer the cash box, he's a
gwine ter git it. faint no use, no ways,
to fight them fellers, they always hev
ther drap on We.
But, said the drummer, were you
ever robbed on this route?"
oval no, but I've seed fellers q
loafin' round heer ez thought mought
do it some time CT other"
"And if they did stop you, you would
give them the express box and drive
on, eh?"
dyer bet If ther express company
wants to perfect ther box, they must
send messenger along"
The stage crawled up slowly to the
top of the hill, and Black Pete settled
his foot firmly in the brake-strap, and
with "scat 'em boys" the sweating
horses started to investigate the mystic
ries of the almost invisible road below
them ON keen gallop.
Round and round the rapidly-varying
road the stage and its passengers
.whirled, sometimes losing sight of the
horses around the sharp turns and
again Slowing sharply outward toward
the dangerous edge of the deep canon
which yawned below them.
The sun was down, and the moon
was painting weird and restless shad-
ows on the powdered dust of the grade
1t was just the time for the magma
tion to picture scenes of violence, rob-
berry and blood. Suddenly the chap
arral bushes by the roadside slightly
parted, and long shining black
object was waved over them toward
the stage. A shadowy figure rose in
the moonlight among the bushes and
from behind black veil, which smoth-
cred the voice somewhat, came the
hoarse command of "Stop, stop"
Black Pete hurriedly pushed his foot
heavily down upon the brake, reached
down into the boot of the stage, pulled
out the express box, and muttering,
"Cuss yer, take it," threw the box into
the road The restless horses i'm
mediately plunged away into the shades
of the forest.
"Wa-was that highwayman gasped
the drummer
"In coarse it was, answered Pete,
~didn't yer see Their shootin' iron? Thar
goes a cool thousand dollars, as | knows
On. Yer bet Their boys III be out arter
him tonight. Ishouldn't wonder if that
war old Bart himself. He's a cool one,
he is. He always shoots his mouth off
in some potry. Leaves it in the box
when he gets through with it. Didn't
yer notice how level he held that thar
shootin' iron right forwards me?"
The lights of Logtown now glistened
below them, and few turns of the
corkscrew brought the stage up to the
hotel porch, where it stopped with a
loud whoa" from Black Pete. Not
many minutes elapsed before tlfe proph-
ecy of Pete was realized, for as soon as
the story of the bold robbery of Wells
Fargo's box was related a dozen or so
ready miners volunteered to search the
woods for the road agent. After hall
an hours swearing and drinking over
the matter they saddled their horses
and started for the scene of the rob-
berry.
1t was little, cramped-up, heller.
sheltered mining town among the Ser
ras. One need not rise early in Scars
Hole to see the sun rise, for he will not
see it if he does. Old Sol is never visi.
BILE there until 10 in the morning. The
rough, picturesque cabins, looking for
ell the world like dilapidated dice
thrown at random from the box, are
built deep down in hole between the
surrounding peaks. And yet they act
ually had telephone connecting them
with the outside world. The deni
zens of Scars Hole were not
communications with the great CONNER
cial centers, but their telephone was
the means of preventing many of the
inhabitants from spending the remain
der of their earthly days at the insane
asylum. Every evening, when the echo
Of the booming blasts and the thud o
tho pick had ceased in the half-doZeI
mining claims surrounding the camp
the wearied, lonely miners gathered a
the little cabin in which was placed tn,
telephone, and gave vent to their pent
up feelings by, not free fight, but {
free interchange of gossip with th,
residents of the camps above and below
them on the line of the wire.
Such was their inborn detestation o
any man who followed any pursui
which did not require actual labo
with his hands, and such was thei
chivalric devotion of the fair sex, tina
the management of their part of tn
telephone was given to young lady b.
che name of Frances Goldsmith.