Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1888-10-20
ATTACKED BY BRIGANDS.
Saved By a Quick Witted Wo-
mans Prompt Action


Robert Matlock had been mining for
four years and, though not invariably
successful, he gathered through en-
ergy and industry, what he considered
would be ample to keep him COM
Portable in his home, near Portsmouth,
Ohio,
He had been in Carson City three
weeks making preparations for his de-
parture, and waiting for the coming of
an agent that had been promised at that
point by the express company,
Weary of waiting, hs decided to start,
and carry through with him, in bulk, all
the money he could not change into con-
vertible paper
The day before his departure, Mr..
Waddell, a miner on a large scale, and
gentleman who had shown Robert
Matlock many attentions during his
stay in Carson, came to him and asked
If he could place his daughter under
his charge as far as Sacramento,
whittier she was going to pay visit to
her aunt
He had met Ida Waddeli once before,
and, as she was decidedly pretty, with
good conversational powers, and that
distinctive mark of the well-bred lady,
great self-posession, the duty assigned
him was not nearly so disagreeable as
it might be in escorting a less favored
person.
The stage coach, with its six horses
and piles of trunks and packages, was
standing before the Office door, waiting
for the passengers to get in, when Mr..
Waddell drew Robert Matlock to one
side, and, calling his attention to a
dark featured, over dressed mali OF
thirty, who was about TO enter the
stage, asked,
'Do you know that manp"
Robert glanced at the person referred
to, and replied very frankly:
II do not; and unless he is friend of
yours have no desire to form his ae=
quaintance," "
81 see you can read faces, Mr.. Mat
lock- But lot me say that man is known
as Pete Norman. He is frequent Wis
itor to Carson, and is looked upon as a
gambler without principle, and des-
perado without courage. You must
watch him."
81 am glad you have confirmed my
suspicious, propose TO let MIR. Pete
Norman alone, and am equally de-
termined that he shall in no way inter-
fere with me-
The stage-driver, a perfect autocrat
in his way, shouted "All aboard!'
Good-byes were said and the stage
rolled away, not to halt again, night or
day, save to change horses, till navigae
tion was reached at Sacramento,
Besides Robert Matlock and Ida Wad-
dell, there were four other passengers
Pete Norman; Chinaman with q
skull cap, blue frock and very large
queue, and two sturdy-looking, brown
faced men, who looked like miners of
the better class.
The stage continued its journey with
out interruption until sunset; the con-
versation between the passengers had
ceased and all dozed the doze peculiar
to stage coaches in mountain coun-
try.
"Get up, thar!" "Whoaw "Stop,
or we'll shoot!'
Bang! bang! bangl
These cries and voices, coupled with
the sudden stopping of the coach, woke
the passengers, who set rubbing their
eyes, under the firm conviction that
something unusual had happened.
Robert Matlock, who sat on the mid
die seat, near the window, having re-
signed the back seat to Miss Waddell,
that she might the better rest, looked
out, and at glance saw three things
first, that it was near sunrise; second,
that they had stopped in narrow
mountain valley; and third, that a num-
ber of armed men were standing in front
of the horses.
1--WE must fight for it, my friends, .
said Robert Matlock, opening the door,
as If to spring out.
Don't leave that stage, or you are a
dead manr shouted one Of the rob
bers
Robert would not have needed this,
but Ida Waddell laid her hand on his
arm and begged him to remain.
In the meantime the robbers held a
consultation outside, and one of them
said aloud:
If you fellows come out one at a
time and surrender your weapons we
won't do you no hurt, We've three to