The daily gazette., 1883-10-22
rnE srAeE CoAoH ROBnERs.
The One-Eyed Passenger Who Couldnt
Boast, But Could right.

Boast, HUT Could right.
fpetroit Free Press.l
By and by the army officer mentioned
something about road agents, and directly
the conversation became interesting.
Coaches had been stopped at various points
on the lire within week, and It was preIiy
generally believed that bad gang had de-
scended on the route aud were still ripe LOT
business. The man with one eye had moth
ing to eay. Once or twice he raised his head
and that single eye blazed In the darkness
like lone star, but not 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 de-
cided to fight The passengers bad money TO
tight for aud weapons to fight with.
The man with one eye said nothing. Al
such a time and under such circumstances
there could be but one Interpretation OF such
| conduct.
"a coward has no business travelling thi:
| route" said the captain, in voice when
every man could hear.
The stranger started up, and that eye oil
his seemed to shower sparks OF fire, but.
after moment, he fell back again without
having replied.
If he wasn't chIcken-heartcd, why didn't
| he show his colorsl If he Intended TO light
| where were his weaponsl He had no VIM
| chester and, 80 far as any one had seen a
| be entered the coach, he was without revol'
vers. Everybody felt n contempt for mat
who calculated TO hold up his hands at Tho
order, and permit himself TO be quietly de
spoiled.
"Popl pop! haiti"
The passengers we're doing as the salut
OF the road agents reached their cars. ThG
l.coacn was halted In way TO tumble every
body together, and legs and bodies wer
still tangled up when voice at the door
the coach called out:
"No nonsense, now You gentlemen
climb right down here and up with you
hands The first man who kicks on me vii
get a bullet through his head i''
We had agreed to fight. The captain hai
agreed to lead us. We were listening 70
his yell OF defiance and the click OF his re
volver when he stepped down and out q
humbly as you please. The sutlsr had bee
aching to chew up dozen road agents, an
now he was the second man out. The sui
veyor had intimated that he had never passe
over the route without killing at least thre
highwaymen, but this occasion was to be q
! exception. In three minutes the five of I
! we're down and in line and hands up, an
, the road agent had said;
"Straight matter OF business First or
who drops his hands won't ever know VIII
|
e Where was the man with one eyel II
robber appeared TO believe that we were a
: out, and he was just approaching Il
head OF the line to begin his worl
when a dark form dropped out
s the coach. There yell as
from wounded tiger, and revolv
,e began TO crack. The robber went down
q the first pop. His partner was just comil
} around the rear of the coach. He was
l. game man. He knew what had happene
,r but he was coming TO the rescue. Po
:. pop pop went the revolvers, their fash
le lighting up the night until we could see t
al driver in his seat.
lie 1t didn't take twenty seconds. One OF
d robbers lay dead in front Of us-the otl
" under the coach, while the man with one {
{ had a lock cut from mis- head aud the grs
n of bullet across his cheek. Not one OF
re had moved finger. We were five fools
So a row. There was painful lull after {
n last shot, and 1t lasted q full minute befC
n- the stranger turned to US and remarked IL
Sc quiet, cutting manner:
I'd "Geutlemen, yc kin drop yer hands p
c- We dropped. We undertook to tina
he him, and VIC wanted to shake hands, o
ID somebody suggested shake-pursc for
yer benefit, but he motioned us into the Goa
Der banged the door after us, and climbed VI
to a seat beside the driver. Ills contempt
cir such crowd could not be measured.