The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-12-05
THE ONE-EYED PASSENGER.
HIS FELLow-rRAvrLE THOUGHT
HIM CHICKEN -HEARTED.
hut Hse Proved the Reverse When
the Road Agents Came--sA West
eru StagesCOaCh Episode.

hut Fse Proved the Roverso When
the Road Agents Came--sA West
ern StageaCOach Episode.
The Detroit Free Press tells how a
number of passengers travelling in a
Western stage-coach were mistaken in
one of their number, and how they found
out their mistake. The passengers were
discussing the probabilities of being at
tackled by "road agents" By-and-bye
an army officer mentioned something
about road agents, and directly the con-
versation became interesting. Coaches
had been stopped at various points on
the line within a week, and it was pretty
generally believed that 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 blazed
in the darkness like 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 passengers had money to
fight for and weapons.to fight with.
The man with one eye said nothing
At such time and under such circum-
stances there could be but one interpreta-
tion of such conduct.
"A coward has no business travel
ing this route" said the captain in
voice which every man could hear.
The stranger started up, and that eye
of his seemed to shower sparks of fire,
but, after moment, he fell back again
without having replied.
If he wasn't chicken-hearted why
didn't he show his colors If he in
tended to fight where were his weapons
He had no Winchester, and so far as any
one had seen as he entered the coach he
was without revolvers. Everybody felt
contempt for a man who calculated to
hold up his hands at the order, and per-
NIT himself to be quietly despoiled.
"Pop! pop! halt"
The passengers were doing as the sa-
lutte of the road agents reached their
ears. The coach was halted in way to
tumble everybody together, and legs and
bodies were still tangled up when a
voice at the door of the coach called
| out:
''No nonsense nowl You gentlemen
climb right down here and up with your
hands! The first man who kicks on me
will get bullet through his headw
We had agreed to fight. The captain
had agreed to lead us. We were listen
ing for his yell of defiance and the click
of his revolver when he stepped down
and out as humbly as you please The
sutler had been aching to chew up a
dozen road agents, and now he was the
second man out. The surveyor had in
timated that he never passed over the
route without killing at least three high
waymen, but this occasion was to be an
exception. In three minutes the five Of
us were down and in line and hands up,
and the road agent had said:
Straight matter of business! First
one who drops his hands won't ever
know what hurt himm
Where was the man with one eyei
The robber appeared to believe that we
were all out, and he was just approach
ing the head of the line to begi3 his
work when dark form dropped out OF
the coach, and revolver began to crack.
The robber went down at the first pop
His partner was Just coming around the
rear of the coach He was game man
He knew what had happened, but hi
was coming to the rescue Pop! pop
pop! went the revolvers, their flashes
lighting up the night until we could SCI
the driver in his seat.
It didn't take twenty seconds. One o.
the robbers lay dead in front of us-tht
other under the coach, while the MAJ
with one eye had lock cut from hi
head and the Craze of bullet across hi
cheek Not one of us had moved fin
ger We were five fools in a row. There
was painful lull after the last shot, anC
it lasted full minute before the stranger
turned to us and remarked in a quiet
cutting manners:
Gentlemen, ye can drop yer hands y
We dropped. We undertook to thanh
him, and we wanted to shake hands, ant
somebody suggested shake-purse fo
his benefit, but he motiOned us into the
coach, banged the door after us, anc
climbed up to a seat beside the driver
His contempt for such a crowd could no
be measured.