The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-11-03
THEDEADW00D STAGE



wood SsaEp Co. in Denver. and desired -
engage a SEAT for the next day. TIE cserk
eyupnei his eyes with asz0nishmeEf 81 the
{ t1id LAWS semerEfy. ard yenfareo 80 asa Il
she knew shat she wxs undertaking. Very
wei the Gil lady knew. ard she hal 10
5siea OF being persuaded fE0ua her purpose
Her son. she said. was cut there IN Dead
weed city. she had not seen hiEn II ten
vears. ard now that she had come al the
way from Georgia % take hisia BY surprise,
nothing sAcat OF death should stop her on
the road.
The merit tixy -hsn the stage started Tor
Deadwoed ne old lady was IA her place
There were only three other pas sengers-
two sfaiwExf pioneers with al their worldly
goods tied up IN their blankets and gen
tienlaniy-loo man in black who sal d.
reeEly opposite the old lady. ST first the
three men looked Oh their eilow-passengeF
OF the opposite sex with evident doubt, 10
travel over \ rough country fun OF CAN
gers with simid woman VINO night throw
herself on their protection AZ the riyst
symptom OF anything unusual was lar
from an allaring prospect. At The end Of
the tFst days travel. however. all such
fears were dispellesf By the eondaet OF the
old lady. Fully able 70 take care OF her
self. undaunted by the diseomtcrts OF stage
travel. and wiling 20 take an interest IN
everything, she soon proved herself a
pleasant companion and anything but a
burden.
The two prospectors and the lady we're
on intimate terms Of friendship by the
middle of the second day. The gentlemaniy-
looking man in black, on the other hand,
toned on any subject he answered. but
never joined in the conversation, and II he
listened 10 what was said he had no APP
pearance of doing so. Most of his time
was passed sunk back in the corner of the
stage. with his eyes closed. apparently
asleep. When the foot hills were reached
and the dangerous part OF the journey was
about 10 begin, the conversation naturally
turned 10 the daring deeds of
Captain Jim Huxtable The pros
ucctors told story after story of how the
outlaw had first appeared years before in
the northern part OF Colorado; how for
time he was lost sight of. and then again
had made his appearance on this occasion
in the vicinity of Deadwood. only more
terrible than before. because he had with
him a companion as reckless of all danger
and as willing 10 take human life as him-
self. They told of incidents when these
two had halted a stage load OF men, and
while one OF them kept the passengers and
guards quiet at the point OF his rifle the
other had deliberately cut the mail bags,
extracted their contents and robbed the
terrified passengers OF everything valuable
they had about them.
Gradually other outlaws had gathered
round their standard until they were the
leaders of as dangerous a band as ever
terrorized country. The prospectors said
that Captain Jim Huxtable's partner was
only known as Captain Sid. and this in
formation was obtained by hearing his
companions call him so when a robbery
was in progress. The features of both
men were unknown, as they invariably
wore handkefGhiefs over their faces when
holding up a stage The man in black
paid little attention to these stories, and,
save for an impatient movement OCCASION
ally when some more bloody anecdote was
told, he appeared rot to notice what was
being said.
Once or twice he muttered something
about the folly of frightening an old
woman TO death without cause, but these
were his only remarks. His solicitude for
the old lady was quite unnecessary. No
idea of danger seemed 10 disturb her MA
cidity. AS the stage was crawling up the
lofty mountain side she told her fellow
travellers about her boy. He had been a
little wild in the PARKWAY home in the
South. she admitted, and when people be-
gan to look at him askance he decided TO
20 out West, where no narrow preiudices
would restrict him, end make fortune for
himself. For months he had met indifTer-
ent success.
His letters came more rarely and told of
only disappointed hopes. Then they ceased
altogether. The lady told how her agony
grew 10 be almost greater than she could
bear. Then came a letter which changed
everything. Her son had met friend
the best man, the old lady asserted, that
ever liyed-and he had lent her boy help
ing hand and since then he had been sue
cessfni. and every month he sent his old
mother money, until she had been able to
save enough TO come and take him by sur
prise. IL was TO thank this matches
friend that the old lady had come West, as
well as 10 see her boy.
The letters spoke of the stranger only as
Jim, and il was on this Jim that The strong
est feelings OF gratitude were lavished nv
the mother miles away. He not only saved
her boys life bat be cared for him when he
got well. took him into partnership and en-
aided him TO satisfy his ambitions. When
this good mother had finished her story she
found the eyes OF the gentlemanly looking
man fixed on her with an almost terrified
expression. When he saw. however. that
be was observed be restrained himself and
sank hack into his corner in the same old
iistleSs attitude
That night the stage, with its four pas
SengerS. reached the very heart OF the
mountains. But change had apparently
come over the travellers. For the first
time the old lady and the two prospectors
slept peacefully, and the gentlemanlv man
in black gazed eagerly into the dark night
from the window at his side. Suddenly
number Of figures sprang into the road.
voice commanding and stern ordered a
halt, and dozen pistols we're pointed AZ
the driver and through the windows OF the
stage For a moment the traveller in black
seemed surprised. then throwing the door
open by which be sat he sprang into the
road, and before a shot could be fred AT
him his voice rang out above every other
sound
stop he cried. "it's me, It's Captain
Jim For moment he sslggg3 by the side
81 ihs Stage surveying the masked men.
wao. az the sound 81 hls voice had lowered
their weapons his eyes nnallv rested on
= figure taller thaa the rest, standing near
the horses heads In a few peyenptorv
words lie ordered tfe t~o prosrectors xho
hSa beeu bis iellOw.travelers n agtgbs
Waen shey bad obeye4 Captain Jim ~trt.gs
70 the lgyrc BE- had singled oat. and ~ess-