The Russellville Democrat., 1883-06-07

all her queer little plans and conn.
dences, and am afraid forgot all about
the truth in listening to that merry Lit.
tie voice as 1t chatted all night long n
plumb daylight
"A half hour after sunrise we drove
into the little ranch where we were Ia
change horses and breakfast. / noticed
a crowd around the relay-house long
before we reached it; say . dozen men
armed TO the teeth, and horses all sad
died, as though party had been stay.
ing there over night and were about 70
start on. But you can imagine how the
blood curdled in my veins when, as ,yo
drew up in front Of the piazza, two men
with drawn revolver> came out of the
door, and between them was a tall, fair
man, with blue eyes and curling hair,
and wearing the most daredevil tx
| preston / ever witnessed. II was the
| Sheriff's pose taking prisoner to Santa
Fe. And Just at that moment the New
foundland made one spring from tho
roof of the coach to the plaza, and a
ringing voice shouted: why. that is
my Jackr and my little woman MAIDS
one flying leap to the ground, with .
glad-like cry that | shall never forget
to my dying day, and then l saw Sey-
mour struggling with his guards, heard
muffled oaths, saw him wrench a re-
volyer from the belt of one of them.
Stand Off he shouted. Stand of.
men, or l will have some ones
hearts blood! Stand off, l sayr Then
saw the burly Sheriff advance toward
him, when, quick as q flash, Seymour
leveled and fired square at his head
But the Sheriff had lodged, and as my
little woman had been trying all the
time to reach his side the cruel bulle;
struck her full in the breast, and she.
fell forward just as Seymour sprang and
caught her in his arms. Then we, all
gathered around them as she lay there
with her little white arms around his
neck, talking to him in her sweet little
voice, while the anguish on SEYMOUR
face was terrible to witness. How Inc
cursed and imprecated his captors and
petted and soothed the dying woman,
and swore by all the heavens that he
would make mankind pay dearly for
that moment. And she-the dear tie
angel-oh, shall ] ever forget itP-she
talked of nothing but Jack Never
mind. my darling she whispered. It
was not your fault; you couldn't help
it. you sec. and am so sorry that YOU
are taking it SO hard. Jack. Never
mind, sweetheart, it will soon be
over. And, Jack, here She
pulled his head down to hers and whis-
pered with her last breath after / am
gone look in my little satchel and you will
find the money. 1t was to be all yours,
any way, you know; and am so glad
reached you in time, and the pure,
faithful little heart had ceased to beat.
| could stand it no longer, Cap, and
with tears streaming from my eyes, |
sprang back on the box, aud drove my
team the next twenty miles at dead
gallop. What became of SEYMOUR
Oh! he swung Just the same. He had
a score of murders against him, you
know. besides this, the last and worst
Of all. And speaking Of murders, let
me tell you of something that happened
to me in Utah in 80. - But though mY
driver galloped away all night with his
everlasting adventures, heard nothing
but the last words of Seymour's little
wife, and for the next week lived oyci.
in memory the thrilling story of how
she met him.
A month later, while lunching az
Menger's in San Antonio, with General |
Armstrong, the then efficient chief Of |
Ill the stage lines north of the Braaos, |
happened to think of my quandom
riend, the driver.
"A queer character, General I re-
marked, that driver of yours at Santa |
&c. Johnson / think is his name, Ben /
Johnson. A most remarkable fellow
seemed TO have picked up s deal Of in
ormation for man OF his snl
Jses good language you , ,ere.
many original IDEAS, rr'' now; has
Iuence, pathos. .ae sort Of eio-
hing, you r. and all that sort OF
most w aow And besides, he il q
.0nderful raconteur.
Yes, said the General. musinglg,
land the biggest bar this side of the
Rocky Mountains ii johnson ever told
you anything for fact, you can betten
dollars TO a cent that il isn't so. Why,
that unprincipled scamp lays awake
nights studying out yarns to begilile
travellers on the box Do you know,
Carl, he once told me cold-blooded
fiction about woman and dog
that"
"Pass the wine, General" / faltered;
"never mind the woman and the dog;
dare say have heard it before. What
time do we leave for Concho?-W Wash
fn., r<,sa;fuJ