The morning call., 1891-06-26
THE ROAD AGENT.

long grade which cOrkscrewed around to
the summit Of Pilot Knob. 1t was necessary
to do this in order that a good preparatory
start might be had for the succeeding rat
Ting plunge down the other cOTkscrew road
which led TO Logtown.
BY the side Of Black Pete, the driver, sat
an Eastern importation Of the genus ''drum-
mer." Pete rolled his tobacco into his cheek,
snapped fly off the ear OF his leader and
said
mo, sir; don't git no pay fer fghtln'.
and don't do no fightin' for Their company.
II airy galOot stops this hyer stage, and per-
litely like asks for the caShbOx, he's gwine
ter-get it. faint no use, no ways, to fight
them fellers! they always heV ther drap on
ye."
But" said the drummer, "were you ever
robbed on this route?"
"Wa], no; but I've seed fellers loafng
round heeT ez I've thought mOught do it
some time or other"
And if they did stop you, you would
give them the express box and drive on, ell ?"
You bet! Ii Their express company
wants 20 perfect tier box they must send a
messenger along with it,"
The stage crawled slowly up to the top OF
the hill, and Black Pele settled his foot
firmly on the brake strap, and with Scat
'em, bOySW the sweating horses started to
Investigate the mysteries of the almost in
visible road below them on a keen galOp.
Round and round the rapidly varying
road tile stage and passengers WhlTled,
sometimes losing sight Of the horses around
the sharp turns and sgain Slowing sharply
outward toward the dangerous edge Of the
canyon which yawned below them. The
sun was down and the moon was painting
weird shadows On the powdered dust Of the
grade
It was just the time for the Imagination to
picture scenes of violence, robbery and
blood Suddenly the chaparral bushes By
the roadside slightly parted, and a long,
shining, black object was waved over them
toward the stage. 4 shadOwy figure rose in
the moonlight among the bushes and from
behind back veil, which smQthered the
voice somewhat. came the hUaTse command:
stop! StOp!'
Black Pete hurriedly pushed his foot
heavily down upon the brake. reached down
into the bottom Of the stage, pulled out the
express box and threw it into the road, NUT
tering:
''Cuss We, take itp'
The restless horses Immediately plunged
away into the shadows of the forest.
"Na-was that highwayman?" gasped
the drummer.
'In course it was" answered Pete; didn't
yer see Their sbOOting-irOn? Thar goes a
cool thousand dollars, as l knows now. You
bet, Their bOyS'll be out aTter him tonight. |
shouldn't wonder if that war old Bart him
self. Hes cool one, he is. He always
shoots his mouth of in some poetry He
leaves 1t IN the box when he gets through
with It. Didn't yer notice how level he held
that thar shcoting-iron right toward me?"
The lights OF LOgtOWn DOW gliStened be-
low them. and few turns Of the cOrkscrew
brought the stage up TO the hotel porch,
where ], stopped with loud "WhOal" from
Pee.
Not many minutes elapsed before the
prophecy Of Pete was realized, for as soon
as The story Of the bold robbery of Wells &
taFgO's box was related q Zen or so ready
miners volunteered TO search the woods for
the road agent After half an hours swear
ing and drinking over the matter they
saedled thelr horses and started for the
ectne Of tbs robbery.
1t was a little cramped-up. helter-skelter
mining town among the Sierras. One need
need not rise early IN Scars Hole 70 see the
sun rise, for he viii not see it il he does
Old Sol Is never visible there until ten in
the morning. The rough picturesque
cabins looking for all the world like dilapi-
dated dice thrown at random from the box
were built deep down in hole between the
surrounding peaks And yet they actually
had telephone connecting them with the
outside world.
The deuizeas of Scars Hole were not
klFFu ~ oil lllA lstuCt III BUSINESS GOiNlOu-
Dleauons with the great commercial centeTs
but their telephone was the means of pre-
venting many of the inhabitants from spend
Ing the remainder of their early days at the
insane asylum. Every morning when the
eChoing # the booming blasts and the thud
Of the pick had ceased in the half-dOzeu
mining claims surrounding the camp the
WeaTled, lonely miners gathered at the little
cabin in which was placed the telephone.
and gave vent to their pent-up feelings by,
not free fght but by free interchange
OF gossip with the residents of the camps
above and below them on the line of the
wire
Such was their Unborn detestation of any
man who followed any pursuit which did
not require active labor with his hands. and
such was their chivalTic devotion to the fair
sex, mat the management OF their part Of
tine telephone WIS given TO young lady by
the name of Frances Goldsmith.
On the afternoon of June %. 1880, Miss
Frank, as she was usually called, sat n the
little telephone Office waiting for the nightly
crowd OF manly gOssipers to come to it.
TIE little T0cking-chair ia which she sat
went humping to and fro nOisily and ner-
V0usly upon the pine floor, and the tiny
slipPered foot beat nervous tattoo 10 uni
son with il.
IT'S too bad" she cried, impetuously.
'for Charlie to work down in that old hole
n the ground all the winter. and then sell
out Tor paltTy thousand. And he's doing
II Just so he can be married this summer"
and pretty little wave Of blood swept over
the sweet neck and face. He sha'a't do it.
Charlie don't know anything about mine,
aud he might have a little bonanza and not
know It. Just hear the dear simpletOnP
Ny Precious Frank: Bonn Is negotiating with
me for my claim, and he offers me $1,000 cash.
lhaye not YET accepted 1t, but have about
made un my mind that l had better do so. You
know Il | mad That much cash L could have The
face 10 ask you 10 hasten that lonR-hoped-for
gW FOR Ia hnF1f uv I half
VIII be test for me TO take this offer. II do.
you may look for me down early next week.
For ever yours, CHARLES MOTLEY"
Hello, Frank" shouted a smothered
voice close to her ear, "are you there yet?'
Frances jumped to her feet and ran to
the telephone.
Dear me. l left the receiver hanging
down, aud they could not ring the bell"
She put 1t 10 her ear, and shouted back
through the transmitter-
Yes I'm here; what is itP"
Don't you forget to send that thousand
up on the stage tonight to LOgtOwn. Tom
says. there's at least $4,000 in sight. Mot
ley Is schOolmarm, and don't know it.
Don't forget, now. G0Od-by."
Franks pretty eyes and mouth spread
wider and wider as those words came OutOf
the wonderful little instrument.
For goodness SakeI WHO is he talking
TOT Oh, y-e-sl why, it must be to Frank
DOwneY, the express agent at BOkev
They've been talking together and Downey
has stopped and switched my end on. Mot
ley is a schOolmarm, is he? There's $4,000
in sight and Charlie doesn't know il, and
the money is going up there on the stage
from Bokey Tonight Oh, dearl what shall
L doP I'll 90 up there. l will. It's only
eight Niles, and it's twenty from Bokey
It's o'clock and the stage gets there at g."
Frank was California girl, and there
was no perilS to her on the eight-mile trail
20 LOgtOwn; and il there had been the slur
cast upon Charles keenness and the eager
desire tn save that ''ten thousand dollars in
sight" for him, would have been sufficient
Incentives TO induce her to dare them,
though she knew they awaited her. Run
ming over to the postOffice, she hurridly en-
gagged the young clerk to take care Of the in
strument for her, and, dashng hack to her