Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-08-21
BAFFLED ny THE sun.
nnOrdinRte Greed ats Own Punish
nseNt-A Tulo OF 100.

Chicago Tribune.
Chad Ia his bullet-proot coat of mail,
the truaty guard of the loo wagon sat In
the iron plated turrst on tho hurricane
deck of the hicle, with his Winchester
rifle In his hand, . collection of hand
Rrenades within easy reach, and his belt
full OF navy revolvers of the largest sizo.
On little shelf 10 front OF him was a
pair Of pabres ready for instant usa in an
emergency requiring hand to-hand fight.
ing, and powerful fiald glass for detect
ing an enemy at long range swung on
pivot in such way as to command
view Of The landscape in every direction.
The driver Of the wagon, as heavily
armed as tae nature OF lis duties would
permit, sat in a bomb-proof Enclosure
aud guided the horses by means Of lines
passing through portfolios in front,
while the athlete who occupied the re-
sponsible and dangerous position at the
rear of the wagon and delivered the ice
to customers was equipped with bottles
Of vitriol for defensive use. and wore
under his outer garments suit Of chain
armos that had belonged once to base
ball umpire.
Under tue watchful protection OF tho
guard on the roof the wagon had stopped
ct it's regular places, the man in the rear
had maids severa, deliveries of ice to Gus.
toners in perfect safety, and as the
driver turned down q wide street In q
thiokly-ssttled portion OF the town, with
few persons In sight except children at
play, the vigilance OF the trio in charge
of tina les wagon relaxed and sense Of
sacnIity stole over them.
Suddenly as they passed an alley e
troop OF horsemcn dashed out OF i, with
q wild yoil, hglt dozen lagsos hsw
through tbs air, and before they could
recover from their confusion the guard
on the roof aud the mau on the rear step
OF the wagon were dragged from their
points, thrown to tho ground and bound
with ropes. This done, part of the
gang opened fire with revolVers on the
bomb proof oasemate where the driver
sat aud succeeded in occupying his at
tention while the others, with crow bars
and sledge hammers, forced open the iron
doors in the rear.
The plans of the daring robbers had
bsen laid with care and in lens time than
il takes to tell of it they had succeeded
in their desperate undertaking and were
on the way out OF the town with
their booty, q chunk Of ice weighing at
least 10 pounds, carefully wrapped in
blanket.
The knowledge that the news OF the
robbery would be flashed through tine
plePe aui telegrgphsd far and wide, 40.
companied by offers Of large rewards for
theis cRpiure, dead or alive, lent wingd
TO the 4 .eing Villains, They la held
up many train on the plni Of Texas
end in the rocky fastnesses of Missouri,
but had never engaged before in a gohema
OF plumber on so gigantic scale, and
they rode from the scene OF their exploit
with the wild haste Of men fleeing for
their lives,
In little clearing in the henrt 'of
dense wood, miles and miles from ahe
town they had invaded, these men halted
oil last.
Turning their jadsd animals loose, they
gathered eagerly about their prize. Un.
rolling il with the utmost care, they
Toasted their eyes on its glittering out.
lines aud, with hands trembling with ex-
citement, they prepared to divide it.
No cheating" Numbered Broken
nosed Pete, es gaunt villain with saw
drew il across the block little to the left
of the tine he had drawn across it with
dagger.
Hare.lipped Nose sprang TO his feet
With terrible oath, knives flashed in the
air, Derlingers were drawn and the
sounding aisles Of the dim woods rang
with the voices of men in angry strife.
High rose the din of conflict. The
plying sun looked down ON Google. eyed
Hank and Grizzly Jake, the terror of
Bloody Gulch, engaged In fierce COM
bat while Oouanche Dick AID Wild Mike
rolled over and over on the ground, bit,
ing and gougtng one another in frantic
rage. Daredevil Sam and One.eyed
Jackeon emptied their pistols ct eaon
other and then fought at close quarters
with brass knuckles aud slungisiots. IL
this way the battle had raped for some
| time, without any decisive result, when
frightful, od.curdling yell from one Of
| the conbatants caused q suspension OF
hostilities. He had stopped fighting and
Yves standing in wild dismay over the spot
where the captured treasure had lain.
1t had vanished.
While they had been fighting over its
possession the sun had melted away a
fortune!
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