The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-07-27

"Ill bet $40 he makes 1t rp afore he
yits to Stoney Greek and not turn
nairl" said the station keeper to him
,elf. Then, after further contempla
ton of the fast receding cloud of dust.
he added in a more reckless tone, "Tll
vet $40 he makes it up afore he gifts
to Dick Days ranch, and not turn a
hairl' As no one accepted either OF
these generous propositions he shook
his head and remarked confidently,
''There amt many can copper the
Lieutenant, now, if you year mel" and,
disappearing in the gloom Of the inter
ior of the house, the City of Rocks
was left once more to the hot silence
of its fantastic stones.
lin THE SILENCE OF THE
CANON.
The sun was setting behind Bald
Butte as the Johnstown stage ap-
preached the 6ve-mile grade which led
down to Stoney Creek. Down grade
the stage went, with the driver on the
brake and the horses trotting loosely
in their harness, until, with final jolt
and lurch, they fetched up on the
bank of Stoney Creek! The driver
swung himself off the box and taking
an iron pail out of the boot, proceed
ed to water his horses. The elderly
passenger emerged from the stage with
a tin cup, and scooping up some of the
bright, cold water from the noisy
mountain stream, gallantly took it to
the lady inside. Then, helping himself,
he said to the driver, with laugh:
81 jedge you've been making up
time. Ye herded 'em along pretty
lively down that grade"
The Lieutenant nodded his head.
The position in which he found him
self had responsibilities that discour-
aged sociabiity. Going to the other
side of the stage he got out his overcoat
and put it on. 1t was a garment
made of rough blue cloth, long and
>oluminous, with cape that came to
his waist. Quietly slipping his re.
volver from its holster he put in mar
row pocket in the lining of his coat.
This pocket, apparently made for the
purpose, dispensed with the ostenta
ii US and cumbrous method of boiling
the pistol on outside. These prepara-
tions for the night completed, he
mounted to bis place and made the
usual warning inquiry, "All set?'
eff you don't mind, pard," said the
passenger, "I'll ride outside for Ways
and give the lady chance to stretch.
81 don't mind,' sas the Lieutenant,
and the elderly stranger climbed labor.
iously to his side. The horses hoofs
splashed and the stage wheals crunch
ed their way through the stream, while
the water fretted and foamed noisily
about the wet fetlocks and through the
cleaned spokes. The hoofs and wheels
came out of the soft bank and the
stage sped silently along the dam bot.
tom land. Dark forms shaped them
selves into cottonwood trees and alder
bushes and dissolved again into the
darkness, while the fresh odor of tn,
earth and growing things scented the
cool night air.
"Have drink?" said the passenger
socially, drawing out bottle.
"No, thank YOU said the Lieuten
ant; 81 don't drink on the box
"Right you are" said his companion
swell here's luck! You h'aint beeI
long on the line, / take it.
The stage had commenced to ascent
the grade on the other side of Stone,
Greek. The road wound up through
canon or gulch in the bottom O
which was the dry bed of winter tor
rent. 1t was a long, tedious pull t.
the top of the mesa. and the horse
hal to take their time to it. Notwith
standing that thin line of light O.
the brow of distant mountain signal
ed that the moon had risen, it was yer
dark in the canon; so dark that al
though the Lieutenant kept peerin
ahead of the horses, he could see bu
little more than bend of the windiD
road, family defined by the denser oil
scurity on each side of it. The pa,
senger himself, Notwithstanding hi
steady flow of talk, seemed affected b
the gloom, and maintained an alel
gaze upon the side of the road. Tt
Lieutenant spoke to his horses, whic
were showing restive disinclinatio
to proceed. They were almost at tt
top of the grade now. A clump {
scrub-oaks at the top of the canon WI
in sight. The shadows here were vel
dense by contrast with the moonligh
which lay in the open beyond. 1t W;
at these shadows that the horses we
pricking their ears. The Lieutenal
cracked his whip over the unruly an
mails, but as he did 30, he looked shar
ly in the direction of the oaks. w
not something moving there' Or WI
it the moonlight shadows playing the
usual tricks on highly strung nerve
Then he remembered that there was
spring under those oaks, and that catt
were always around it; or perhaps
stray deer from the mountains mig
have come there to drink. His mi
tary training and frontier experien
made him guard against unreasoniI
aldIill, AJ lue sdlle llllle Jne bldIlO
keepers open secret that the paymf
, ter's funds were aboard flashed aero
} his mind. 1t would never do for hi
an army officer, to hand down Wei
Fargo's box to the first road age
, who asked for it. Professional prif
> if naught else, forbade it. He sa
/ nothing to the man at his side, but u
der cover of his cape he slipped t
| lines and whip into his left hand, al
. with his right cooked the revolver
, his pocket. The elderly passeng,
t notwithstanding that his eyes we
also fastened on the clump of oal
t seemed quite unsuspicious, and cont
2 ued to talk.
Q A shrill whistle suddenly startl
: the silence of the night. The pass,
ger on the box, almost without
r pause, leaned over, and leaning O
a hand on the lines, with the other poi
7 ed pistol at the drivers head, a
J, said, but no longer in the accents of
uneducated person:
= "Hold up your hands, Lieutenan
At the same instant a man with
It masked face and holding a gun ,
Q peared in the middle of the road a
o stopped the horses.
a The Lieutenant turned pale a