News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-09-24
A Narrow Escape.

EOur Oh uS--d young lauy, govern
ess in an officers family; a wealthy
merchant middle-aged, thecompanv's
horseshoer, bound for the stables at
Denver, and myself, government as
saver and mineral expert-had left
Santa Fe, New Mexico, on the Santa
Fe and Denver stage one scorching
summer afternoon. Itwas now about
2 clock in the morning We had
just congratulated ourselves on being
safely out of the most dangerous
passes and were driving briskly to-
ward the Canadian fork.
The full moon lightened our wav,
making the bushes and trees adjacent
cast sharp, decided shadows across
the road | had changed places with
the little horseshoer on the roof for
the sake of little more air. The in
sides were doing, bur | felt wake
flIl and alert. We hetsfa2ed. sultry
hours by story telling. Suddenly |
saw something moving in the shad-
ows ahead of us.
"What is that?" said.
The driver looked, his eyes round
ing like the moon. Nothing but %
burro," he replied, referring to the
pack mules that frequently stravpd
down the mountain side. 1t disap-
peared quickly in the shade, and from
thence, as if by magic, two men, the
polished barrels of their rifles gleam-
ing in the moonlight, sprang into the
road.
They wore huge slouched sombre-
ros and army cloaks. The stouter of
the party caught the brides of the
! leaders; the other, covering us with
his Winchester, rOared:
Stir a finger an yer dead men!"
Advancing closer and keeping US with
in range of his muzzle, he shouted:
"Pitch out of the treasure-box,
quickl We're in a hurry!"
The driver began to stammer a re-
ply, but | stopped him with a NUT
tered "shut up! Let me talk to these
chaps There s no treasure aboard
tonight. -
said this cody, at the same time
swaying my body to and fro, to get
out of the range of the muzZle; the
man was evidently very determined
as well as very near. As | intended
he should, he took me for an express
messenger, and as neither driver or
messenger is supposed to possess any
valuables they are seldom molested.
"None O your nonsense" replied
the bandit. "Hand out the treasure
or we II see trouble, blast ye.''
The scoundrel at the reins, who held
his rifle pointed at me from between
| the horses heads, evidently enjoyed
my efforts to get out of his range, for
he squeaked in q high falsetto voice:
"Does them barrels look big.?"
Yes" | said, echoing the old Joke
current among the miners, 81 can
read all the advertisements on the
wadding"
He gave a hoarse chuckIe. ely ar
by ar; heave out ther specie bOX!"
roared the ruffian with the Winchester.
| insisted there was none. Here,
look at the way-bill; if there S any
such thing aboard, it will be among
the items" and l made n motion to
get down, holding it in my hand.
Stay where yer are, or III shoot
yer d-n head off.
threw him the way-bill. He drop
ped his rifle and, picking it up, looked
it over in the moonlight. Profiting
by the action, undertook to slip my
pocket book into my boot and moved
my hand around to get at the pocket.
The driver. mistaking the move
ment, whispered: "Have you got
one?" The man at the horses heads
noticed our little conference and yell
ed at us. The other instantly leveled
his gun straight at my head. None
o that Hands up"
We threw up our hands and he
again turned to the way-bill. | did
manage though, to slip the money
into my boot.
"You see there s no mention made
of the treasure, and if it was sent it
would certainly be noticed on the bill.
! However, you can get up and look IN
the box and satisfy yourself" :"
He hesitated a moment then climbed
up, rife in hand, and looked in the
box. In doing so he kicked my va
lise CAS- government expert | was
well known to the bankers of Santa
Fe.)
They never hesitated to trust me
with large amounts of money, and
this trip was no exception, having
with me nearly $15, 900 in gold, Sc
cured partly in an inner belt arr und
my waist partly by a false bottom
improvised in my valise by cumming
strong wrapping paper over the prec-
ious parcels, an inner lining of the
bag. "open this by ar gripl" cried
the road agent | did so, carefully
taking out its contents and letting
him look inside; the wrapping paper
deceived him.
"Naw," he growled, "there s no
treasure on the stage, but we've
sworn ter have 5000 ter night, an if
we don t fin it in your treasure-box
we mought fin it in yer baggage
Who IS inside?"
"Two men and a lady. None of
them rich One of them is a horse
shoer going to Denver to shoe the
company S horses"
"Well look at 'em. Whatever
happens don t yer move on yer
life We may find the cash on them
ur in the baggage >
The "inside" appeared to be Sleep
ing. The man ratified the door and
reused them. Levelling his rife he
ordered them to be searched. They
obeyed, apparently half asleep.
He placed them in row. Hands
upl" he said. Now for your pock-
cts"
The horseshoer had but 50 in sill
YER: the merchant S purse showed
only $40 a few small bills and the
young lady S nothing but her papers
and a little change. The poor girl
looked about as if to faint.
"You re onary crowd to have so
little with yer" he snarled, can |
have a good mind ter send yer all to
blazes this cussed night. Two hun
dred we've sworn to have, so Wen
have to rip up yer baggage" This
was uttered with infinite disgust.
The merchant then spoke
"You III find nothing of any ac-
count in our baggage, but if you will
ask this young lady for her hat and
cap, find the $1,000 in bills she con
cealed in it lust before leavino. Santa