Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-05-11
The nail CARRIERS STORY.
AIbany Evening JournaI.

Albany Evening Journal.
We were gathered round the stove
In the little station of the frontier
town of s., waiting for the mid
night express. The wind howled dis
mally among the branches of the old
elm behind the station and the
hard flakes of snow ratified against
the panes in way suggestive o
cold weather.
Suddenly we heard a tremendous
stamping on the platform outside, the
door opened and a sturdy-loOking
fellow entered with a lantern and a
couple of mail bags. He wore heavy
army Overcoat and long riding boots,
at the heels Of which jingled an ugly
looking pair of Mexican spurs. On
the front of his blue cap, which was
held down by a heavy muller, was a
metal band, on which were stamp
ed the words GU. s. Mail'' in large
letters.
We'll, " he said. throwing the snow
covered mail bags down in a corner,
blowing out his lantern and coming
over to the stove. at guess you gents
III have a long wait; they Jest tele-
Rraphed up from Julesburg that the
train is an hour late and on account
of the snow driftin' so don't imagine
We'll see her short Of two hours.'
Here was pretty fix. Finally one
of our number, short man dressed
in buckskin, who sat behind the stove
proposed that we ''ten yarns" To
this all agreed, and he began with
mining adventure. When each had
spun his yarn and there was still no
sign OF the train, the man in buckskin
turned half around and said to the
mail carrier, who sat quietly smoking
behind him, and who had taken no
part in the proceedings, t'I say, jim,
tell the gentlemen about your little
discussion with French Pete"
After much persuasion the mail car
rler, who must have been siX-feeU-twO
IN his stockings. recharged his pipe
and began:
''Pve carried mails between the
towns around here for something like
ten years. My story lays in the win
ter Of '76 IN January, about the 10th |
think. One night, an awful cold
night, the postmaster of Laramie |
was runnln' between Fort Laramie |
and DeadwOOd-says to me, Now,
Jim, l got some important mail to- !
night, and ye want to be mighty keer- |
full of it.
90 All right says I, and takin' the |
mail bags, J slung 'em in their usual |
place across the saddle and STARTED on !
my jOurney,a matter of 60 mile or so.
81 was jest gettin' into the |
open country when 1 heard some |
body call Jim, Jim Fentonl' I
refined IN and a teller I knew came /
up and said kinder low, Jim, We /
want to watch yerself mighty close /
French Pete got away agin last |
night, and Pm pretty sure he knows !
we've got Vallyble MALL heard my |
self tibet ye had $40, 900 in bonds for |
Col. r. at DeadWoOd. So be |
kinder keerful to have them seven
shooters OF yOurn ready for 'mergin-
cy.'
. " All right, Fred says I, much
Obliged to ye.' I must own as this bit |
OF news made me feel very squeamish.
and took partlc'l lar care to see that |
my pistols was IN trim for Immediate /
use-I had a pair of navies, seven
shooters as long as yer forearm, reg
iar beauties, and 1 was a pretty fair
shot. I've put nine out of ten shots |
into playin' card (only way ever
use 'em) at 100 yards: French Pete |
was a what we call q road agent, and !
ne d done some pretty ticklish stealin'
on that very road. He'd been cap
tured two or three days previous,
and accOrdln' to what Fred Jones |
had told me was loose agin-he /
never could be held on to when he |
was catChed-so, as I said, telt kind /
er cur US, to say the least. He'd been !
described to me as tall, with piercin' /
black eyes and a long flowin' beard, !
as quick as a cat, and with a deep, |
gruH voice. I'd never seed him but |
I'd seed his boss, a little black mare |
with white feet and nose and a white |
star on her forehead. I felt a little /
more Uneasy at the idea of MS havin' |
his eye on me and my vallyble mail. /
So Jest made up my mind to keep /
away from any hOrsemen that I might /
see layin' around loose.
'Well after l got out on the open
prairie the wind, which was kinder |
held back by the buildings, at Lara
ME, struck me full force. You call
this hard wind, do yer? Well, ye'd
Oughter ha' seed that wind-my landl
this is only a zeffer. Anyhow, it did
blow fearful hard, drivin' the small
frozen bits Of snow into my face like
so many needles.
''By midnight the wind all went
down till there was scarcely a breath,
and the moon came out white and full,
till it was most like daylight.
Suddenly, heard a horses foot
steps. clickin' on the frozen ground.
My heart jumped into my mouth and