The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-05-04


Santa Barbara and southern points
the night before. it was decided that,
as we had lost half a-lay, the same
stage would start on it's return trip
in the course of an hour. As the
only business had to do was to
draw money, was perfectly ready
to start the same afternoon. While
/ was in the bank getting my
coin, old Williams came in and also
made out draft. l was q little Gu
rious as to the amount and purpose
~ hung around to see what was paid
him. noticed that the clerk count
ed him out just four hundred and fif-
ty-two dollars.
"At one o'clock we left San Luis,
again taking extra horses to see us
over the hill. There were now four
passengers, old Williams, a well
known landowner in Santa Barbara
now deceased, q whiskey-drummer,
and myself. AS the weather was
cold, we all got inside the coach and
enlivened the tedium of the route as
well as we could in the various ways
known to old stagers. BY the time
we got to San Miguel it was quite
dark, and as We approached the
Nacimiento River, about an hour
atterward, | noticed that old Will
liams's trepidation, which had been
noticeable for some time past, be-
came more apparent than ever. As
the horses FLASHED out of the steam
upon the. further bank, | remarked
that the old man had retired into
the iurthest corner of the coach, had
muffied his head in q travelling rug,
and was snoring heavily.
''As soon as we gained firm ground
the driver whipped up and the stage
bowled past the approach to old
Williams house at a lively pace.
Not, however. before a female figure,
in whom by the coach-lantern l rec
Ognized Mrs. Williams, had looked
into the stage and detected her re-
creant spouse, muffied up as he was,
in the corner.
Z" Il saw We, 81. she shouted after
us, as we bowlcd along; we can't
fool me. thought ye'd try to play
me, you old whelp, but wait bit
- the rest of her speech was lost
in the distance.
From the Nacimiento Crossing to
the Pleito Ranch is some ten miles,
and here the north-bound stage in
these days always stopped to change
horses and let the passengers eat
supper. Halfan-hour afterward we
resumed our journey. We began to
get livelier under the influence of the
good cheer to which we had done
ample justice. The colonel from San
tn Barbara was particularly enter
tanning. The drummer best samples
circulated freely, and even old Will
liams joined in the general exhilara-
ton, when, all of Gaudden, the coach
drew up with jerk which nearly
threw us out of our seats, and the
familiar muzzle of a double barreled
shotgun was showed in at the win
dow.
"Never mind THROWN down the
box, Jim,' shouted a voice, which |
fancied | had heard before; 'that
amt what I'm after. Come, pile out
on the road. you galoots inside, an
be quick about 1T. Wake up, old
man. continued the voice, ironically,
evidently addressing old Williams,
who had shrunk half dead with ter
ror into his corner.
1T is needless to say we Obeyed
the Injunction with alacrity. People
always DO under such circumstances.
But who shall depict our astonish-
ment when we saw that this daring
road agent who had stopped US was
a woman, and still more to my sur
prise l saw that it was neither more
nor less than Mrs. Williams.
"'Hold up yer hands, gents, said
our captor, quietly; ''tain't you as
I'm after. It's you, egood-for-nOth-
in nincompoop,' she continued, ad-
dressing her husband as she covered
him with the shotgun. "Jest shell
out that money We got to-day at the
bank-all-every cent of it.
with trembling hand old Will
iaIhs drew from his breast an old
leathern pocket-book and handed it
to his spouse, who opened it and
glanced at the contents, still keeping
tho shotgun leveled in our direc-
ton.
-Four hundred an fifty-two
donars,' she said, slowly, after a
careful scrutiny; Il thought SO. 81,
ye're forty-eight dollars short.
Hain't We got no more?
"'Not a cent, Marthy,' returned
the terror-stricken man, 'as Gods
my Witness
"'Well, We kin borrow it off some
O. them gents. They know ye're
good for it. returned his obdurate
spouse.
1.-The whole situation was so ludi-
crous that we other three passengers
and the driver burst into a roar OF
laughter. / Immediately reached
formy purse, but the colonel was be-
fore me, and with II low bow and be-
nignant smile rendered his. The
woman accepted it with utmost
gravity, and took from it two twen-
ties, a five and three dollars in silver
"''This, she said solemnly, as she
returned the purse, lis q loan to the
old man. Never fear. He'llpay. I'll
make him. Now, ST. she continued,
turning to her husband, you'll find
my boss tethered over thar. Git an
his back an go to San Luis for more
money. I'm goin' to Frisco in this
We: stage, if them gents has no OBJ
jections. I'll meet you up thar
eve, gallantly, simultaneously,
and unanimously assured her we had
none. Two minutes afterward we
were bowling along merrily again as
if nothing had happened. Mrs Will
Hams was the lion, or rather lioness.
of that trip. She had, of course,
mounted ON horseback after the
stage passed the ranch, with the inten-
ton of overtaking us while we were
taking supper at the Pleito, which
she did with the above result.
"None of us, ! think, ever gave the
business away, not even the colonel,
though he relished the joke hugely.
.o,.a l. - L. kho,,