The National tribune., 1888-11-29

lies loosely between the thumb and foTefneT of
the right hand, while the top rests across the
lines. If saw a man who was driving this
way take all the reins and the whip in his left
hand when he came to a level piece of road or
slight ascent, draw the end of his whip-lash
tenderly through his right hand and then, by
a continuation of the same motion, raise that
hand very slowly as he let the snapper drop
and taking his hat by the brim behind, push it
forward over his eyes, while he squrted big
stream of tobacco juice off over the right fore
wheel, | should be disappointed if, when / ask
ed him if he had not once driven for Wells,
Fargo s. CO., or Ben Holiday, in the olden
time, he did not reply: You bet" or 81
should remark"
Jake Worden was rough in manner and pro-
fame in speech, but, as l have already said he
was a man of undOubted nerve, brave as q lion,
and full of resources when in danger or diff
Guilty. To his friends he was as true as steel,
and he had a very high sense of honor. q
treat every man white who treats me white,
and don't you forget ii" said Jake, that night,
speaking of his relations with his employers, as
we rode over the Black Hills. "They always
done what's right by me, and I can't kick" he
added.
WONDERFUL ENDURANCE.
The power of endurance possessed by the
Western stage-driver is truly wonderful. l be-
lieve some OF them are able to sleep in one part
of their bodies while other parts remain wide
awake. AT a home station in the Rocky
Mountains, one night, a driver who had just
come in from his Found-trip of l20 miles, and
had been "a hours on the box was obliged by
the sickness of his partner" to take out the
coach on which l rode. l soon discovered that
he was too sleepy to keep his eyes open or hold
up his head. But he held the reins as firmly
as though he had been Wide-awake and when
the coach began to go down little decliYity
and she lines slackened in his hands, his right
:. Al
bar, although his chin was not raised from his
breast But ] didn't feel exactly safe riding
behind six horses driven by man who was
asleep, and So although the air was frosty, l
unlocked the corner of the boot and partially
disengaged myself from the blankets and buff
falo robe in which / was wrapped, in order
that my limbs might be free in case of an up
set. Later in the day l found that nothing
had done had escaped the drivers notice He
seemed even to have read the look of uneas-
ness that probably sat upon my face when |
thought that we were completely at the mercy
of the team.
I seemed to get upon the right side of Jake
at the start, and the whole journey to the rail-
road was full of interest and pleasure The
night after we started the driver Strengthened
out the packages that partly filled the boot
beneath his feet, and with the aid of little
hay, my blankets and buffalo robe made me
bed in which / slept more soundly than ever
in palace sleeping car. The jolting motion of
the coach was converted into an irregular and
sometimes violent rocking that, after all, was
conducive to sleep
During the daytime Jake told me some of
the incidents of his eventful life on the box.
cannot reproduce the tones of his voice. his
peculiar manner or the quaint phrases he en-
ployed, but l recall one or two of his stories
The passage of the SWeetwater, whose vicinity
was said to have been the scene of Three-fn-
gered Jims operations turned the conversation
to the subject of road agents.
A COACH HELD UP.
Never heard about one of Ben Holidays
coaches being held up with the old man him
self aboard, did YOU" asked Jake.
l never had.
"That was up in Oregon. It was a moon
light night and all the passengers were ordered
to hold up their hands and get out. They were
stood up in row by the roadside and one of
the highwayman stationed himself in front of
them with his gun cooked and ready to shoot
any one who should resist or put down his
hands, while the rest rifed the baggage and
gathered up the money, watches, etc.
Ben Holidays arms ached and his nose
itched until it seemeda as though he could endure
1t no longer. At last he appealed to the guard,
See here, won't you let me scratch my nose?'
III scratch your nose for you, said the man
with the mask and gun, aud at the same time
began rubbing the nuzzle Of the gun backward
and forward across the end of Holidays nose,
causing the blood to flow. There was no more
itching, and the rest OF the party had a great
laugh at him as he stood there with the blood
dripping down upon his shirt-frout
Ben Holiday wife was clear grit, you bet"
continued Jake. She was riding on a coach
one morning that had lot of bullion aboard.
AS they came up near stock station the male
passengers got out to walk and took short cut
over little hill. Soon after Mrs. Holiday saw
al,
ing more of road agents than anything else, it
wasn't minute before she had the muzzle of
one of the double barrelled shotguns through
the window. The men were going for some
herses that were picketed half mile from the
station"
A treasure-coach had been held mp" the
Winter before on the DeadwOod line between
Sidney and Rapid City, and Tom Lyon, our
chief messenger had been one of the guards of
it. He was very little disposed to talk of the
adventure, but by dint OF much questioning /
got the story out of him in the course of the
two days we rode together
The amount of bullion carried that trip was
small, about $4,000, and so there were sent only
three messengers to guardit There was also one
passenger, a telegraph operator from Deadwood,
who rode inside with one of the messengers.
The attack was made at station ID miles from
another in either direction, and where there
happened to be that night only one man in
charge OF the stock. These stations consist of
rude shanties generally built of logs, to shelter
the horses, and smaller but no better ones for
the men who care for the teams to live in.
Tom said that they arrived at this station at
about midnight, but the road agents five in
number, were there before them, and had
gagged and bound the stock tender and shut
him up in the stable When the coach drove
up one Of the agents stepped out of the door
and took the leaders by the head, and, at the
same time, another who was hidden behind
each corner of the building, opened fire upon
those on top. TOMS partner was disabled at
the first shot, and Tom himself got buckshot
in the calf of his leg
The driver at first attempted to start up the
team, but the fellow at the heads of the leaders
held them securely, and the top of the coach
was too hot place for any one to stay in very
long. Both he and Tom Lyon got to the ground,
therefore, as quickly as possible on the opposite
side from the station, one looking after the
horses while the other attempted to 4" draw q
bead upon one of the robbers.
In the meantime the guard who was inside
and the young telegraph operator had already
opened the door to get out before the first shot
was fired and the latter had one foot upon the
step, when a shot from the door of the station
struck him in the head and he fell beneath the
coach. After that there was short but sharp
hand-to-hand fight. Tom Lyon shot from be-
hind the coach and the other messenger from
inside, but they fought at disadvantage as