The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-03-15
A Stage Drivers Story.

a Stage UflV6r . OlOry
HOURTEEN years ago drov,
T. from Danbury to Littleton, 6
@A distance offorty-two miles, an6
5kS as I had to await the arriva
of two or three coaches, and / did
not start till after dinner, / very
often had good distance to drive
after dark. 1t was in the dead Of
winter, and the season had been g
rough one. A great deal of snow
had fallen and the drifts were plenty
and deep. The mail that carried
was not due at Littleton by con
tract until l o'clock in the morn
ing, but that winter the postmaster
was obliged to sit up little later
than that hour for me.
One day in January, when / drove
up for my mail at Danbury, the
postmaster called me into his Office.
"Pete," said he, with an impor-
tant, serious look, "there's some
pretty heavy money packages in
that bag" and he pointed to it as
be spoke. He said the money was
from Boston to some land agents
up near the Canada line. Then he
asked me if I'd got any passengers
who were going through to Little
ton. i told him / did not know.
But, suppose have notT'
why" said he, "the agent of the
loRer route came in to day, and he
says that there were two suspicious
characters on the stage that came
up last night, and he suspects that
they have an eye upon this mail, so
it will stand you in hand to be q
little careful this evening"
He said the agent had described
one of them as a short, thick set
fellow, about 40 years of age, with
long hair, and thick, heavy clump
of beard under his chin, but none
on the side of his face. He did not
know anything about the other
man. ] told him ] guessed there
WASH much danger.
"Oh, no, not if you have got
passengers all the way through, but
1 only told you this SO that you
might look out for your mail, and
also look sharp when you change
horses"
1 answered that / should do SO |
and then took the bag under my |
arm and left the office. | slowed |
the mail away under my seat little
more carefully than usual, placing |
it so thst l could keep my feet
against it, but beyond that 1 did
not feel any concern. 1t was past
l o'clock when we started, and l
had four passengers; two of them
rode only to my first stopping place.
l reached Gowan's mill at dark,
when we stopped for supper, and
where my two passengers concluded
to atop tor the night.
About 6 o'clock in the evening I
left Gowan's mills alone, having
two horses and q pung.
i had seventeen miles to go, and
a hard seventeen it was too. The
sight was quite clear, but the wind
was sharp and cold, the loose snow
flying in all directions, while the
drifts were deep and closely packed.
1t was slow, tedious work, and my
horses soon became leg-weary and
FESTIVE. At the distance of six
miles came to q little settlement
called Bulls Corner, where / took
fresh. horses. AS I was going toJ
start, q man came up and asked me
if / was going through to Littleton.
l told him should go through if
the thing could possibly be done.
He said he was very anxious to go,
and, as he had no baggage, i told
him to jump in and make himself
as comfortable as possible. l was
gathering up my lines when the
hostler came up and asked me il |
knew that one of my horses had cut
himself badly. 1 jumped out and
went with him and found that one
of the animals had got deep cork
cut on the of fore foot. / gave
such directions as ] considered !.
necessary and was about to turn
away when the hostler remarked
that he thought came alone. 1
told him ala.
Then where did you get that
passenger said he.
-"He just got in" / answered. /
SCOT in from whereT'
III don t know" ~
"Well, now" said the hostler,
that's kind of curious. There
amt been no such q man at the
house, and / know there amt been
none at any of the neighbors.
Lets have look at his face,N
said 1. "We can get that much at
any rate. Do you go back wi h
me, and when ] get into the pung,
just hold the lantern SO the light
will shine in>his face"
"He did as / wished, and as / |
stepped into the pung l got a fair
view of such portions of my passen
gers face as were not muffied up.
/ saw short, thick frame, full,
hard features and could almost see
that there was heavy. beard under
his chin. thought Of the man |
whom the postmaster had described
to me, but did not think seriously
upon it until l had started. Per
haps 1 had gone half mile, when
noticed that the mail bag wasn't
in its place under my feet.
"Halloo! says l, holding up my
horses little, where's my mailT
My passenger sat on q seat be-
hind me, and turned toward him.
"Here is a bag of some kind |
slipped back under my feet" he
said, giving it q kick, as though he |
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