Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-10-03

the emu OF the week TWO coaches met al
Lance Creek, the halfway station.
Each was guarded by two armed messen-
gers. 1t was near nightfall. All the
messengers received orders to return to
Deadwood by the up coach. 1t was
feared that the up coach would be at
tackled by the Towle gang. Boone was
confident, however, that the gang was
at Old Woman's Fork, some distance
below, and that it would hold up the
down coach. He told Scott Davis, the
Captain, of his fears, and asked leave
to continue with the stage bound south.
Davis replied that the orders were i'm
perative and not optional, and they
must be obeyed. Boone again protest
ed, but in vain. He sat upon his horse
and saw the Cheyenne coach fade away
in the gathering twilight. 1t had hardly
disappeared before he again asserted
that if any coach was robbed it would be
the down coach. He was so impressed
with the idea that he finally declared
that he would follow it in defiance OF
orders. Zimmerman, comrade, shout
ed, $50 ahead, I'll stand by you"
They dashed after the stage at full
gallop. Old Woman's Fork was fifteen
miles away. Boone and Zimmerman
we're few rods behind the coach when
the fork was reached. The passengers
we're unaware of it. Old Woman's Fork
is wide prairie stream. As Boone had
foreboded, the coach was halted upon
entering the brush lining the north
bank. 1t was starlit night In a
twinkling the armed messengers sprang
from the horses. The faithful animals
we're trained to await their return.
Boone ran into the sage brush to the
right of the stage. He saw a robber in
the road at the heads of the horses. A
pal stood at the roadside near the rear
of the vehicle. He heard a rafting in
the brush, and was on his guard. He
turned like o flash. Both Boone and
the robber fired simultaneously. The
highwayman fell dead. Boone was I'M
hurt. In a second he dropped the man
at the head Of the team. The rest of the
gang was hidden in the brush at the left
of the road. Zimmerman stationed
himself near his partner. He saw man
in the rear of the coach, and brought
him down at the first fire. Boone then
shouted to the driver to go on. The
robbers ordered him to remain. The
driver picked up the reins and hesita-
ted.
''Drive on" Boone repeated in clear
voice. '1f you don't, I'll kill you"
The driver knew the voice. He evi-
IDENTIFY feared Boone May far more than
the robbers. "Geedap," he shouted to
the horses, and the team dashed into
the shallow but rapid stream. The
messengers were left to make the fight
alone. There were eight or nine of the
desperadoes in the scrub. The two
wounded robbers in the road crawled
toward them for protection. They
opened a hot fire. There was much
random shooting, each aiming at the
flash of the gun The highwaymen
finally secured their wounded comrades
and withdrew. Boone stumbled over
the man he had killed while making his
way back to his horse. He was positive
that he had met the Towle gang, and
fancied that the one he had killed
might prove to be Towle himself. The
suspicion was strengthened by his
knowledge of the bandits bravery and
determination. If Towle had been
alive, he would hardly have allowed his
associates to withdraw from the fight in
so inglorious a manner.
STOPPING in the starlight, Boone
seized tie corpse by the coat collar and
dragged it through the scrub to the
bank of the stream There he covered
it with brush and left it. He then
Joined Zimmerman near the scene OF
the robbery. They mounted their
horses and rode back TO Lance Creek.
Two of the gang we're fatally wounded.
One was buried by the robbers near
Hot Creek on the following day. The
other found grave along the North
Platte, near Fort Laramie, twenty-four
hours later.
Not long afterward the stage route
was changed The run from Dead
wood was made to Sydney, 100 miles
east of Cheyenne. The encounter with
the Towle gang had fastened Boone
Nav in the estimation of his employers.
The robbers made no secret of the
death of their leader. He was the
desperate ain by Boone at the first
shot Along in November Boone slipped
run to Sydney, and galloped over to
Old Woman's Fork. He found the
body of the robber beneath the brush
where he had concealed it. The air is
so clear and dry in Wyoming in the
autumn that bodies of men or of animals
rarely decay. They dry out and become
partly mummified. Boone found Towle's
body in fair condition. He cut off the
head, showed it into grain sack, and
carried it into Cheyenne, where he re-
ceived the S4, 000.-[ New York Sun.