Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-01-21
with an attempt at easy familiarity.

Cllnch Drleny aSsenteo, Il reckon.
"rm up yer examining into it for the ex-
press"
"Lost muchir asked Rawlins.
"Not so much ez they might hev. That
fool Harkins had 100000 in greenbacks
sealed up like an ordinary package of 81 1000,
and gave it to a friend, Bill Guthrie, in the
bank to pick out some unlikely chap among
the passengers to take charge of it to Reno.
He wouldn't trust the express. Hal hal"
The dead, oppressive silence that followed
his empty laughter made it seem almost arti-
fetal Rawlins held his breath and looked
at Clinch. Hale, with the instincts Of q re-
fined, sensitive man, turned hot with the
embarrassment Clinch should have shown
For that gentleman, without lifting his eyes
from the fire, and with no apparent change
in his demeanor, lazily asked:
aye didn't ketch the name o. that passen-
ger?"
NATURALLY, no! For when Guthrie hears
what was said agin him be wouldn't give his
name until he heard from him."
"And what was said agin himl" asked
Clinch musingly.
"What would be said agin man that give
up that sum O money like claw Of to-
bacco, for the askinga Why, there were but
three men, as far ez we kin hear, that did the
job And there were four passengers inside,
armed, and the driver and express messenger
on the box Six were robbed by three!-they
were a sweet scented lott Reckon they must
hev felt mighty small, for hear they got up
and skedaddled from the station under the
pretext of lookin' for the robbers" He
laughed again, and the laugh was noisily re-
peated by his five companions at the other
end of the room.
Hale, who had forgotten that the stranger
was only echoing part of his own criticism
of eight hours before, was on the point Of
rising with burning cheeks and angry indig-
nation, when the lazily uplifted eve Of
Clinch caught his, and absolutely held him
down with its paralyzing and deadly signif-
cance Murder itself seemed to look from
those cruelty quiet and remorseless gray
pupils. For a moment he forgot his own
rage in this glimpse of Clinch's implacable
resentment; for a moment he felt thrill Of
pity for the wretch who had provoked it.
He remained motionless and fascinated in
his chair as the lazy lids closed like sheath
over Clinch's eyes again. Rawlins, who had
probably received the same glance of warn
ing, remained equally still.
"They haven't beard the last Of it yet, you
bet," continued the infatuated stranger
"Ive got a little statement here for the
newspaper" he added, drawing some papers
from his pocket; "suthin' just run off in
the coach as 1 came along. 1 reckon it'll
show things up in a new Light. It's time
there should be some change. AL the cuss-
in that's been usually done hez been by the
passengers agin the express and stage com
pany. Ipropose that the company should
do little cussin' themselves. See! P'r'aps
you don't mind my readin 1t TO yet It's
just spicy enough to suit them newspaper
chaps"
"Go on" said Col. Clinch quietly.
The man cleared his throat, with the pre-
liminary pose of authorship, and his five
friends, 10 whom the composition was svi
IDENTIFY not unfamiliar, assumed anticipatory
smiles
II call it Prize Pusillanimous Pa@sn-
GERS Sort Of runs easy of the tongue, you
know.
alt now appears that the success of the
late stage coach robbery near the summit was
largely due to the pusllanimity-not to use
more serious word'"- He stopped and
looked explanatorily toward Clinch: "Yen
see in a mint what I'm gettin' at by that pu-
sillanimity of the passengers themselves. 1t
now transpires that there were only three
robbers who attacked the coach, and that al
though passengers, driver and express mes
ssnger were fully armed and were double the
number Of their assailants, not q shot was
fired. We mean no reflections upon the we'll
known courage of Yuba Bill, nor the expert
ence and coolness Of Bracy Tibbetts, the
courteous express messenger, both Of whom
have since confessed to have been more than
astonished at the Christian and lamblike sub
mission of the insiders. Amusing stories Of
some laughable yet sickening incidents Of the
occasion-such as grown men kneeling In the
road and Offering to strip themselves COM
pletely if their lives were only spared; Of one
of the passengers hiding under the seat, and
only being dislodged by pulling his coat tails;
of incredible sums promised, and even offers
of menial service for the preservation Of their
wretched carcasses-are received with the
greatest gusto; but we are in possession Of
facts which may lead to more serious accusa-
tions. Although one of the passengers Is said
to have lost large sum of money intrusted
to him, while attempting with barefaced
effrontery to establish a rival carrying"
business in one Of the express company's own
coaches'-I call that good point" He in
terrupted himself to allow the unrestrained
applause of his own party. Don't yous"
"Its just h-u," said Chnch, musingly.
"'Yet the affair."" resumed the stranger,
from his manuscript, " is locked up in great
and suspicious mystery. The presence of
Jackson N. Stanner, ESQ., that's mel, special
detective agent to the company, and his staff
in town, is guaranty that the mystery will
be thoroughly probed' He'd to put that in
To please the company," he again deprecat-