The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-02-09
ROBBING THE STAGE.

ROBBING THE STAGE.
The four horse mud wagon, called by
common consent stage, which ran be-
tween Bokey's and Logtown, was crawl
ing up the long grade which cork
screwed around TO the summit of Pilot
Knob. 1t was necessary to do this in
order that q good preparatory start
might be had for the succeeding rafting
plunge down the other corkscrew road
which led to Logtown.
BY the side of Black Pete, the driver,
sat an Eastern importation of the genus
drummer" Pete rolled his tobacco
into his cheek, snapped fly off the ear
of his nigh leader and said:
''No, sir, don't git no pay fer fight
in, an don't do no tGhtin' for Their
Company. If airy galoot stops this hyer
stage and perlitely like asks for the
cash box, he's gwine ter git it. Tain't
no use, no ways. to fight them tellers,
they always hev Their drap on ye.
but" said the drummer, "were you
ever robbed on this routeP"
oval, no, but I've seed fellers Loaf
in round heer ez thought mought do
it some time er other"
"And if they did stop you, you would
give them the express box and drive on,
eh?'
eyer bet! If Their Express Company
wants to perfect Their box they must send
a messenger along"
The stage crawled up slowly to the
top of the hill, and Black Pete settled
his foot firmly on the brake-strap, and
with 'tscat 'em, boys" the sweating
horses started to Investigate the myster-
les of the almost Invisible road below
them OH a keen gafop.
Round and round the rapidly-varying
road the stage and the passengers
whirled, sometimes losing sight of the
horses around the sharp turns and again
Slowing sharply outward toward the
dangerous eoge of the canyon which
yawned below them.
The sun was down and the moon was
painting weird and restless shadows on
the powdered dust 0. the grade.
1t was just the time for the magma
ton to picture scenes of violence, rob
berry and blood Suddenly the chapar.
raj bushes by the roadside slightly part.
ed, and long shining black object was
waved over them toward the stage A
shadowy figure rose in the moonlight
among the bushes and from behind 6
+. black veil, which smothered the voice
somewhat, came the hoarse command o.
''stop, stopn'
Black Pete hurriedly pushed his foo
heavily down upon the brake, reached
down into the bottom of the stage, pull
ing out the express box and. muttering
''cuss yer, take it." threw the box int
the road. The restless horses immedi
ately plunged away into the shadows o
the forest.
"Wa-was that highwayman?" gasp
ed the drummer.
''In course it was," answered Pete
t'didn't yer see ther shootin' iron
Thar goes cool thousand dollars, as
knows on. You bet ther boys III be on
arter him tonight. Shouldn't wonde
if that war old Bart himself. He's
cool. one, he is, He always shoots hi
mouth off in some potry. Leaves it il
the box when he gets through with il
Didn't yer notice how level he held tina
thar shootin' iron right towards meP'
The lights of Logtown now glistene'
below them, and few turns of tn
corkscrew brought the stage up to tn
hotel porch where it stopped with lou
WuOdt HUN DldCh L cue. NOU IldU
minutes elapsed before the prophecy 9
of Pete was realized, for as soon as tn
story of the bold robbery of Wells
Fargo's box was related dozen or S
ready miners volunteered to search tn
woods for the road agent. After ha
an hours swearing and drinking owe
the matter they saddled their horses an
started for the scene of the robbery.
1t was little, cramped-up heller
SHELTER mining town among the Sierras
One need Dotrise early in Scar Hole t
see the sun rise, for he will not see it
he does. Old Sol is never visible ther
until ten in the morning. The rougl
picturesque cabins looking for all til
world like dilapidated dice thrown
random from the box, and built dee
down in hole between the surroundin
peaks. And yet they actually had
telephone connecting them with tt
outside world The denizens of Scar
Hole were not given to an indulgence
business communications with the gre;
commercial centers, but their telephor
was the means of preventing many
tie inhabitants from spending the +
mainder of their earthly days at the il
sane asylum. Every morning when Il
echoing of the booming blasts and ii
thud of the pick had ceased in the ha
dozen mining claims surrounding Il
camp the wearied, lonely miners gathe
ed a. the little cabin in which W
placed the telephone, and gaye vent
their pent-up feelings by, hot a fir
fight, but by free interchange of GO
sip with the residents of the cam
above and below them on the line of Il
wire.