St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-22
A WILD NIGHT RIDE.
A Robber Disguised as an Invalid Pas
senger.
FIRED ON BY HIGHWAYMEN.
Anew York Dude Who Proved Every
Inch a Man at the Right
Time.

HUI Nldu dt tuc nlyut
Time.
Youths Companion.
I At 9 o'clock one September evening
in 1876 took the coach which left Gus
ter City-or Custer village, for the town
consisted Of twenty or thirty log struct-
ures-to go to Sidney. Neb. A coach,
/ suppose it should be called, though
on the plains this vehicle, which has the
drivers seat on the same level as the
passengers seats, is called shack"
had gone to the "Hills' to engage In
| mining, but after four months of pros
pectlng had decided to open general
supply store at the new town of Dead
wood, and was on my way to Omaha to
purchase goods for the venture.
A tin lamp, fastened i'll one corner Of
the 'hack," discovered to me two pas
sengers within as entered and took
my seat One was an old gentleman,
apparently weak and i'll, for, although
it was not cold night, he was muff1ed
in coarse, heavy ulster Overcoat.
Moreover, such of his face as could
SEE DeLNo0u Sldy UCdIus WilCh uliuOot
covered it, and the rim OF SLOUGH hat
was pale and thin, and the eyes looked
Sunken and unnatural. AT least, SO
they struck me at a cursOry glance.
The other passenger was young fell
low of twenty-five or tWenty-three
years, Judged, decidedly dandified in
his dress for that region. He wore
stiff hat and stand-up collar enclrcled
by neat tie, and had on dark suit,
evidently custom-made, which was an
unusual "get-up'' for that region, and
one which at once aroused my suspicion.
for the only persons l had seen about
The mining towns dressed in anything
like that fashion were gamblers, class
| Of men had made it point to avoid.
just before setting out the driver came
to the side of the vehicle. thrust in a
light Winchester carbine, and placed it
between my knees.
Il see you didn't have no gun," said
he, IAN | keep a couple OF extra ones
fer sech."
That was all. No further explanation
was necessary in those days.
l took charge of the weapon, although
| was as little expert in its use as was
IN handling the Smith and Wesson in
my hip-pocket, which, indeed. l had
never yet discharged.
ku6W 6UUuSu VI lllt Ill tllo illuOo w
know that the
"Bad Man With a Gun"
Is usually the man who gets into diff
Guilty rather than the peaceable and UNI
armed citizen: but a stage ride from
Custer to Sidney at that time was trip
not altogether likely to be without its
adventures, and for once | regretted my
unfamiliarity with shooting irons"
1t occurred to me that if we were
Jumped by road agents." as the phrase
went, the freeGooters Of the route would
have little to fear from the occupants of
the hack, whether they got much money
or not. There were usually valuables
of sort in the iron box unuer the drivers
seat.
The young man who sat opposite me
had carbine across his lap, but l
than [ did. AS we started he sat with.
out noticing me, twirling slight
mustache and humming a tGue. "a
fresh gamester, if one at ALL" said to
myself upon second look at him,
The old man had no arms in sight.
The driver no doubt regarded him as
out of the fight in any evet.
As we rolled OIL up into buffalo Gap,
[ had few words of conversation with
my companions, 1 learned that the
elder was an Iowa farmer, who had
come out to see what he could do in the
new mines, but he had been ill with
mountain fever, and afterWard attacked
by rheumatism, SO that he had been
forced to abandon his projects and re-
turned to the East. He spoke freely,
and in the careless English of Western
men.
The young fellow said he was from
New York. "Neh Yawk." he pro-
nounced it. He was, he said, student
of mining engineering. but he did not
mention what his business had been in
that region: but that was not strange,
for we could not talk much. A jolting
stage bowling over rough country at
eight miles an hour does not give the
best opportunity for conversation.
l soon became sleepy, and, leaning
back in my corner, took such moment
airy cat-naps as the nature of the road
permitted. At IL o'clock we made a
brief halt alta temporary stage station,
where the drivers four-in-hand team
was exchanged for fresh horses.
/ peeped out and got glimpse of the
teams, of two men with lanterns, of
low structure of sod or adobe family
outlined, and of the black side of q
pine-covered mountain beyond. The
night was quite dark, with floating
clouds and no moon. 1t became some
what lighter as we passed out OF the
gap little later. as noted through a
crack in the swaying flap opposite.
The road was now smoother, and / |
settled back in my corner. as my COM
paniOn had done, to get little solid |
sleep if possible. l dozed off for time,
but was awakened by the grooming of |
the old man beside me. He seemed to
be in great pain, and wrlthed about |
nerbously. I asked him what was the |
trouble. He replied that the rheuma-
tism in his legs was
Nearly Killing Him.
81 wisht the driver'd let me aout we
git to- tn mex crick. He'll water likely,
m Pve jest got t. stretch my legs er
die. Ye see I'm troubled with cramp
rheumatism, an tn amt no room in |
hyer to- git the cramp out o. my legs"
l told him | would speak to the driver |
when we halted, few minutes later. at |
the bank of a stream-White river. | |
believe. / thrust my head out at the |
side, and asked that the old gentleman |
might be let out for moment to stretch |
his legs.
'AiI right" said the driver, as he
clambered down from his own seat. |
s'I'm gOin' ter oncheck m let the bosses |
take pull at tn drink"
l then helped the old man to dis |
mount, steadying him by the arm as he !
got down. He seemed to have good |
deal of difficulty in alighting. and |
groaned in a most lugubrious fashion. |
The flap swung to after him, as had |
unbuttoned it all around to let him
out. The young man opposite me lay |
curled up on his seat. but l could see
that his eyes were wide open, and that
he was cycling me with sharp. keen |
glance. My eyes probably responded |
when they fell upon his, for he straight |
ened up in an alert fashion and leaned
toward me.
"Say." he whispered, do you think |
that old chaps all right? Strikes me |
that grooming of his was put on. What |
dye thinkY''
The question startled me no less than |
the young fellows manner. and was |
about to make some reply when gun |
s7+o IL, iY,o fall