The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-11-08
THE STAGE-COAC ROBBERS
What the Passenger With One Eve
Did.


There was an army officer, suffer, a
surveyor and two men who might have
been mine inspectors in the stage when
it drew up at Burt Hill to take on anoth.
er passenger.
"Howdy," said the new passenger az
he crowded in.
As he stood for moment in the light
of the station lamp all cav that his left
.ye was gone. He wore no shade or
patch to conceal the loss, and those who
ave him a second look fel: that the fire
n his remaining eye was bright enough
% answer for two. Dark as it was in
The stage, he seemed to have "tized up
every man inside of a minute, and.
seeming to be satisfied regarding the
crowd. he settled himself back in his
seat and had no remarks to make.
By and by the army officer mentioned
something about road agents, and d.
rectly the conversation became interest
ing. Coaches had been stopped at vari-
GUS points on the line within a week.
and 1t 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
ike lene star, but not wor! esnped
bis mouth. The captain had said what
he would do in case the coach was halt
cd, and this brought out the others. 1t
vas firmly decided to fight. The pas
,ensers lad money to fight; or and:weap-
ons to fight with.
The man with one eye said nothing,
At such q time and under such circum-
stances there could be but one interpre-
tation of such conduct.
"a coward has no business travelling
this route" said the captain in a 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 hack again
without having replied.
If he wasn't chicke9-hearted. why
didn't he show his colors? If he intend
ed to fight where were his weapons? He
had no Winchester, and SO tar as any
one had seen as he entered the coach
he was without revolvers. Everybody
felt contempt for man who calculated
to hold up his hands at the order, and
permit himself to be quietly dispoiled.
"Pop! pop! haiti"
The passengers were doing as the
salute 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:
mo nonsense, now, You gentlemen
climb right down here and up with your
hands! The first man who kicks on me
will get bullet through his head!'
We have agreed to fight. III, cap
listening for his yell Of defiance and the
click of his revolver when he stepped
down and out as humblv 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
intimated that he never passed over
the route without killing at least three
highWaymen, 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 hur; himW
Where was the man with one eye?
the robber appeared to believe that we
were all out. and he WIS just approach
ing the head of the line to begin his
work when dark form dropped out Of
the coach, there was yell as if from
wounded tiger, and revolver be-
gan to Tx. The robber went
down at the first pop. His partner was
just coming around the rear of the coach.
lie was the game man. He knew what
had happened. but he was coming to
the rescue. Pop!p pop! pop! went the re-
volvers, their flashes lighting up the
night until we could see the driver in
his seat.
1t didn't take twenty seconds. One
of the robbers lay dead in front Of us
the other under the coach. while tho
man with one eye had a lock cut from
his head and the Craze of bullet across
his cheek. Not one Of US had moved a
finger. We were five fools in row.
There was painful lull after the last
shot, and it lasted full minute before
the stranger turned to us and remarked
ill a quite cutting manner:
Gentlemen, ye kin drop yer hands"
We dropped. We undertook TO thank
him, and we wanted to shake hands,
and some body suggested shake-purse
for his benefit, but he motioned us into
the coach, banged the door after US, and
climbed up to a seat beside the driver.
His contempt for such crowd could not
ho moasurcH