Arizona republican., 1891-12-18
THE ROAD AGENT.


 common consent stage, which ran be- ing gup the long grade which corkscrewed around to the summit of Pilot Knob It was necessary to do this in order that a good preparatory start might be had for the succeeding rattling plunge down the other corkscrew road, which led to Logtown.
 By the side of Black Pete, the driver, sat an eastern importation of the genus drummer. Pete rolled his tobacco into his cheek, snapped fly off the ear of his leader and said:
 No, sir; don't git no pay fer tightin, and don't do no fightin for ther com pany If ary galoot stops this hyer stage and perlitely like asks for the cash box, 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 routey
 "Wal, no. but I've seed fellers loafing round heer ez I've thought thought do it some time or other"
 And if they did stop you, you would give them the express box and drive on, eh?"
 You bet! If ther express company wants to perfect ther box they must send a messenger along with it.
 The stage crawled slowly up to the top of the hill, and Black Pete settled his foot firmly on the brake strap, and with a "Scat 'em boys!" the sweating horses started to investigate the mysteries of the almost invisible road below them on keen gallop.
 Round and round the rapidly varying road the stage and passengers whirled, sometimes losing sight of the horses around the sharp turns and again slew. ing sharply outward toward the danger ous 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 imagina- tion to picture scenes of violence, rob- bery and blood Suddenly the chapar- ral bushes by the roadside slightly part ed. and long, shining, black object was waved over them toward the stage A shadowy figure rose in the moonlight among the bushes, and from behind a black veil which smothered the voice somewhat, came the hoarse command:
 "Stopl Stopr'
 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, muttering;
 "Cuss ye, take itr
 The restless horses immediately plung- ed away into the shadows of the forest. "Wa-was that highwayman?' gasp ed the drummer.
 "ln course it was," answered Pete. Didn't yer See ther shooting iron? Thar goes cool thousand dollars, as knows now. You bet ther boys'll be out arter him tonight. shouldn't wonder if that war old Bart himself He's cool one, he is. He always shoots his mouth off in some poetry. He leaves it in the box when he gets through with it. Didn't yer notice how level he held that thar shooting iron right toward meE'
 The lights of Logtown now glistened below them, and few turns of the cork screw road brought the stage up to the hotel porch where it stopped with a loud "Whoa" from Pete.
 Not many minutes elapsed before the prophecy of Pete was realized, for as soon as the story of the bold robbery of Wells 6 Fargo's box was related dozen or so ready miners volunteered b search the woods for the road agent. After half an hours swearing and drinking over the matter they saddled their horses and started for the scene of the robbery.
 
 1t was little, cramped up, helter skelter mining town among the Sierras One need not rise early in Scars Hole tc see the sun rise, for he will not see it if he does. Old Sol is never visible there un. til 10 in the morning. The rough, pic. turesque cabins, looking for all the world like dilapidated dice thrown at random from the box, were built deep down in a hole between the surrounding peaks And yet they actually had telephone connecting them with the outside world
 The denizens of Scars Hole were mol given to an indulgence in business com munications with the great commercial centers. but their telephone was tht means of preventing many of the in habitants from spending the remainder of their early days at the insane asylum
 Such was their inborn detestation o any man who followed any pursuits which did not require active labor witt his hands, and such was their chivalrit devotion to the fair sex that the man agement of their part of the telephon, was given to young lady of the nam, of Frances Goldsmith.
 On the afternoon of June go, 1880 Miss Frank, as she was usually called sat in the little telephone office waiting for the nightly crowd of manly gossip CTS to come to it The little rockin! chair in which she sat went pumping t, and fro noisily and nervously upon tn pine floor, and the tiny slippered foo beat nervous tattoo in unison with it