The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-12

10 liia1 80! ne exclaimed, Evt
often wanted to lit a mail bag. i
it very heavy~
"Not very," replied, actual,
llnnding it to him in my bewilder
ment.
He took it, held it up by the enc
strap as high rs his hend, and shoot
It gently as II to make test OF its con
tents.
II telieve there's q letter in ther,
for me, BILL" he ynid to his compan
ion, "nnd il there is it's necessar,
TINT l should have it at once. De
lnys nre dangerous.
"The only way to find out for Ger
tain" replied the other man, gruffly
lis to open the bag"
True, responded the first speak
or. but We must not open it on the
public highway; some evil minded
passer.hy might seek to appropriate
the contents thereof, which would be
a crime against the government, III
deed an objectionable offense. Sup.
pose we retire to some secluded wood.
land dell, and there study the situa.
ton. Young man," he added, ad
dressing me, you are cordially in
vited to accompany u.s."
cid rather not Co." replied,
beginning for the first time to fully
realize my position. eff it's all the
same to you,' added, I'll go on
home"
We'll, my denr young friend and
iellow-worker," began the man, but
his gruffvoiced companion interrupt.
ed him: "Oh, let up on that, Andy!
We amt got any time to lose. Come
along, young feller!'
And before | had time to protest
! was seized by one arm, hurried to
the roadside, across the ditch
and in among the trees. believe
! began to cry and beg; it would
have been strange if had not done
SO; but, in language more forceful
thnn elegant, was ordered to hold
my peace. In the meantime the
first robber was threading his way
carefully through the thin underbrush
among the hcmlocks, in thick dark.
ness, and We following him. 1t
seemed to me very long time that
We journeyed thus. In reality it
must have been only a few minutes.
When we stopped, the leader suid:
"Here's kind OF an open place;
let's hold up here. Bill, where's that
candle?!"
Presently heard the swapping OF
a match and saw Billlighting piece
of a candle from which he had un-
rolled bit Of newspaper. Looking
around me, by the light of this can.
die, was not slow to recognize the
place. We were in the path OF which,
have spoken on n little plateau
just above the brook. Indeed, tile
soft ripple ofwaters could be heard
at no great distance from US.
lnow, for the first time, recognized
the two men as those whom ! had
seen step from the stage.coacl Mt
the crossing, and knew instinctively
that they had followed me for the
purpose ofrobbing the mail. The
one addressed as Andy had already
laid the mail pouch fiat on the
ground, and with nn open jack-knite
poised in one hand, was passing the
thumb and forefinger of the other
hand carefully along the leather
surface, rs if considering the proper
point for the blade to penetrate.
had seen butchers do the same thing
before cutting up side of beef, and
the similarity of movement now was
very suggestive.
"Here goes! he said finally, push
ing the knife point firmly into the
leather; then with strong, dexter
GUS sweep, he drew the blade down
open nearly from top to bottom.
GIVE the candle to the boy, Bill, "
he said, "and you help me sort this
stuff over. Here, you," lie added,
addressing me, hold it here, here
where | can see. If you move it IN
inch I'Il-I'll excommunicate you!"
With trembling hand teeth chat
tering in my head, and too greatly
overcome with astonishmcnt and
fear to speak, sat and held the far
ing candle while he spread wide the
gap in the ruined mail bag and
poured the contents of it to the
ground. The packages of papers
were quickly cast aside und the
bundle OF letters taken up. In those
days cnch seperate bunch ofletters
was carefully folded in brown wrap.
ping paper. and the postoffice address
placed en- the outside before entrust.
ing it to the mail bag. These wrap
pers were pulled hastily off by the
robbers, and the letters inclosed in
them overlooked over rapidly, many
of them being torn open before they
were thrown down. Nearly the en-
tire contents OF the mail bug were
gone over in this way before any
money was found, and both men be-
ganto look disappointed and angry.
Atlast Andy came upon n thick enve.
lope of brown MANILA paper, with O
seal in red wax ON the back.
Here it isl" he sai,l, holding it up
triumphantly for Bill TO see. 81
knew l couldn't be mistaken about
its being here. Bob told me, YOU
know, and Bob always tells the
TRUTH
He had risen to his feet in the
meantime, scattering the remainder
OF the letters from him disdainfu!ly,
had opened his coat, and was about
to put the package in an inner breast
pocket.
"Hold ont" exclaimed his compan-
ion, rising also. "Open it up, Andy;
let's see how much there is in, any
way"
"Oh, that's all right" was the re-
ply. Il know how much there is in
it, Well open it when we get to
n safer place. Come, let's fix the
boy, and get out O. this"
l tremblcd till the candle nearly
dropped from my hand. What did
lie mean by fixing the boy? pre-.
sumo l should have begun to cry and
beg again hud not Bill spoken up
somewhat threateningly:
Look here, Andy! That's the
trick you played the last time. You
pocketed the swag an held off an
spent it. till it turned out
l didn't git more'n half my fair
share. That's played out. l want
n divide on this, and wantit now. "
Andy looked at him coolly u min
ute before replying.