The Penn's Grove record., 1883-11-03
The stage-Coach Robbers,

There was an army officer, a sutIer, &
surveyor and two men who might have
been mine inspectors in the stage When
it drew up at Burt Hill to take on an.
other passenger.
"Howdy," said the new passenger as
he crowded in.
As he stood for a moment in the light
of the station lamp, all saw that his left
eye was gone, He wore no shade OF
patch to conceal the loss, and those who
gave him 4 second look felt that the fire
in the remaining eye was bright enough
to answer for two. Dark as it was in
the stage he seen ed to have "sized-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 di-
rectly the conversation became interest
ing. Coaches had been stopped various
points on the line within a week, and it
was pretty generally believed that n 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 raise his head and that
single eye blazed in the darkness like a
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 a time, and under such circum-
stances there could be bnt one interpre-
tatlon 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 a moment he fell back again
without having replied,
If he wasn't chicken. hearted, why
didn't he show his colors? Ii he inten-
ded to fight where were the weapons?
He had no Winchester, and so far as
any one had seen as he entered the
coach he was without revolvers. Every
body felt a contempt for a man who
calculated to hold up ms hands at the
order, permit himself to be gu city de-
spoiled.
"Popi popl haiti"
The passengers were doing as the
snlute of the road agents reached their
ears. The coach was halted in a way to
tumble everybody together, and legs
and bodies we're still tangled up when
a voice at the door of tue coach called
out:
mo nonsense, nowl You gentlemen
climb right out here and up with your
hands! Tie first man who kicks Oh
me will get a bullet through his
headr'
We had agreed to fight. The captain
lad 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
way men, but this occasion was to be an
exception. In three minutes the five oil
US were down and in line and hands up,
and the road agent had said:
Straight matter of businessl First
one who drops his hands won't even
know what hurt himi"
Where was the men with one eye?
The robber appeared to believe that VT
we're all out, and he vas just approach
ing the head OF the line to begin his
work when a dark form dropped out of
the coach there was a yell as ii from a
wounded tiger, and a revolver began to
crack. The robber went down at the
first pop. His partner was Just coming
around the rear of the coach, BE was
a game man. He knew what had hap
pened, but he was coming to the rescue.
Popi pop! pop! went the revolvers, 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 the
man with one eye had a lock cut from
his head and the Craze of a bullet across
his cheek. Not me OF US had moved a
finger, We were five tools in a row.
There was a painful lull after the last
shot, and it lasted a full minute before
the stranger turned to us and remarked
In a quiet, cutting manner:
"Gentlemen. We kin drop yer handsl'
We dropped. We undertook to thank
him, and we wanted to shake hands, and
somebody suggested a shake-purse for
his benefit. but he motioned us into the
coach, banged the door otter us, and
climbed up to a seat beside the driver.
His contempt for such a crowd could
not be measured.