The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1888-06-30
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
a u Passengers Adventure
with Stage Robbers.


1t is debatable question whether q
woman ha more curiosity than man,
or vice versa. However that may be,
the writer OF this has always felt a
great curiosity rs to just how it would
seem to be ''stood up" by highwaymen
in the course of her travels. Duty and
lhclination calling her many times
over the stage lines running into Lake
County from Calistoga and Clover
dale, she has heretofore felt somewhat
injured and slighted that certain gen.
uemen of the road have always man.
aged TO arrange their little, intervie ws
with the stages either just before or
just after she has passed along. Every
other courtesy had been rendered most
generously by the hospitable people
within the borders of this romantic and
charming region. Now why did the
road agents use her so slighlingly?
This question has troubled her very
much. 1t doesn't bother her any more.
Her curiosity is satisfied to her heart s
content Why? Because she has been
there, knows just how it is done and
can now die happy.
The stage from Cloverdale to Lake
port swung around the corners of the
former village and took the road over
the mountains the other dav, bearing
three passengers besides the driver.
The seat behind the driver was occu-
pied by lady with hand -bag-in
fact, between you and me-vour mod
est correspondent The other seat on
the upper deck was kept in place by a
Santa Rosa gentleman, and one pas
senger was inside the coach. The air
was hector to our souls as it came
laden with all the odors of the mount
ain woods and blossoms. The sun
was as warm and ardent as one of
Joaquin Miller's heroines. and. in
fact every thing was bowling along
after the most approved fashion. The
''only lady passenger" was reeling off
mentally a lot of verses suitable to
the occasion and half listening to the
driver and the other outside passenger.
who were swapping lizard stories.
The driver was in the midst of a
graphic account of a section of
Arizona where the heat was so in
tense that the lizards were compelled
to shed their caudal appendages to
keep cool The poem protoplasm had
reached the formation stage rs far as
the line: ''The glory of an emerald
earth, o'erhung by sapphire skies"
The drivers lizards had, every
mothers son of them, dropped
his tail, the outside passenger
was getting green with envy that the
lizard story discounted his, when the
coach swung around a little turn.
about three miles from Cioverdale,
and passed between two great rocks
called, from their position. the "Dev-
lis Gateway" The name seemed to
MS very appropriate on this occasion,
for just in the gateway we encount-
cred, on either side of our wheelers,
two gentlemen in black masks bear
ing q whole arsenal in their hands
and about their persons.
'Haltr commanded the leader
We're in for it." remarked our
driver
However, we halted. 1t seemed a
good place 10 do so. The horses
were, perh APPS, tired. and would be
better for little rest. At any rate
we halted. 1t would, perhaps, make
one feel like doing so 10 suddenly find
his gaze turned down the barrels of
three loaded and cooked guns, one of
them being a rifle, said barrels held
in range of his head. 1t gives you a
queer little feeling, to be sure, and.
it was my first appearance
Oh any stage in that role. 1 tried not |
10 be awkward.
Dump out the box" commanded |
tie leader.
'All right" replied the driver, who |
realized that the horses might get |
over the road better if they did not |
have the express box to carry.
In getting out tn e box he threw W a
heavy mailbag on an upper-deck Sc at
occupied by carefully-tended pack
aye containing an extra hat freshly |
with bunch of buttercups. |
belonging. of course. to the lady |
Oh" cried the owner, utterly OBJ
livous of circumstances. whatever |
you do, don mash my flower"
You may threaten woman's life |
with guns and pistols, you may bring
her face to face with all sorts of trials |
and suffering and danger, and she |
will meet them with heroism and
courage, but just interfere with her
if you wish to upset her self