The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-06-06
A STAGE DRIVERS STORY.
IEXchanQe.l

of two or three coaches, and l did not start till after dinner, very often had a good distance to drive after dark. It was in the dead of winter, and the season had been rough one. A great deal of snow had fallen, and the drifts were plentiful and deep. The mail that carried was not due in Littleton by contract until one o'clock in the morning, but that winter little later than that hour for me.
 One day in January, when drove up for my mail at Danbury, the postmaster called me into his office.
 "Pete," said he, with an important, se- rious look, there's some pretty heavy money packages in that bag" and he pointed to it as he spoke. He said the money was from Boston to some land agents up near the Canada line. Then he asked me if I'd got any passengers who were going through to Littleton. 1 told him l did not know. "But sup pose have not2'
 Why" said he, "the agent of the lower route came in to- day, and he said that there were two suspicious characters on the stage that came up last night, and he suspects that they had an eye upon this mail, SO it will stand you in hand to be little careful this evening""
 He said the agent had described one of them as short, thick-set fellow, about forty years of age, with long hair, and a thick, heavy clump of beard under his chin, but none on the side of his face. He did not know anything about the other man. told him l guessed there wa sn't much danser.
 "Oh, no, not if you have got passengers all the way through, but only told you this so that you might look out for your mail, and also look sharp when you change horses"
 answered that should do so, and then took the bag under my arm and left the office. slowed the mail away under my seat little more carefully than usual, placing it so that could keep my feet against it, but beyond that did not feel any cencern. It was p-st one o'clock when we started, and had four passen- gers; two of them rode only to my first stopping place. Preached Gowan's mills at dark, when we stopped for supper, and where my two passengers concluded to stop for the night.
 About six o'clock in the evening left Gowan's mills alone, having two horses and sleigh.
 1 had seventeen miles to go, and hard seventeen it was, too. The night was quite clear, but the wind was sharp and cold, the loose snow flying in all di- rections, while the drifts were deep and closely packed. It was slow, tedious work my horses soon became leg-weary and restive. At the distance of six miles came to little settlement called Bulls Corner, where took fresh horses. As was going to start, man came up and asked me if l was going through to Lit tleton. l told him l should go through if the thing could possibly be done. He said he was very anxious to go, and. as he had no baggage, told him to jump in and make himself as comfortable as possible. was gathering up my lines, when the hostler came and asked me if knew that one of my horses had cut him. self badly. jumped out and went with him, and found that one of the animals had got deep cork cut on the of fore foot. gave such directions as consid- cred necessary, and was about to turn away, when the hostler remarked that he thought came alone. l told did.
 " Then, where did you get that passen- ger?' said he.
 He's just got ia," answered.
 Got in from where?"
 |" don't know"
 "Well, now," said the hostler, Chats kind of curious. Ther ain't been no such man at the house, and know there ain't been none at any of the neigh bors."
 Let's have look at his face," said l. " We can get that much at any rate. You go back with me, and when get in- to the sleigh, just hold the lantern SO as the light will shine in his face"
 He did as wished, and as slipped into the sleigh 1 got fair view of such portions of my passengers face as were not muffled up. saw a short, thick frame, full, hard features, aud could almost see that there was heavy beard | under his chin. thought of the man whom the postmaster had described to | me, but dii not think seriously upon it | until had started. Perhaps had gone half a mile, when noticed that the mail bag wasn't in its place under my feet.
 A'oAoo. S~yS |, AoiotuS up my horses little, where's my mail?"
 My passenger sat on a seat behind me, and turre ed toward him.
 Here is bag of some kind slipped back under my feet, he said giving it a kick, as though he would shove it for ward.
 Just at this moment my horses lum- bered into deep snow-drift, and l was forced to get out and tread down the snow in front of them, and lead them drought.
 This took me all of fifteen minutes, and when got in again I pulled the mailbag forward and got my feet upon it. AS was doing this saw the man take something from his lap, beneath the buffalo, and pat it into his breast pocket. I had caught the gleam of barrel in the starlight, and when had time to reflect l knew could not be mistaken.
 About this time l began to reflect somewhat seriously. From what had heard and seen soon made up my mind that the individual behind not only