Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-02-12

Oh tue fullIOuut anu ~ WAS Y y NADfh ia hha
afternoon Of an August day. We were
on our way 10 Stockton, and Of the passen-
gers one was lieutenant In the regular
army, another tourist Ia search Of health,
|. .s..ssiisaa .s..ssisisa . Eaaehman, and tho other two
were prospectora and miners. None OF US
had met each other previous to the start.
Those were perilous times, and the first
half hour was spent In sizing each other
up don't know 10 what conclusion the
others came. but 1 looked eyer the four
men and said to myself:
The lieutenant ought to fight In case
we are attacked. but he seems too nervous
TO be ganey. The tourist is III and has no
sand, but the ranchman and prospectors
can be depended on"
AT that time the coach which was not
stopped twice out OF tive trips was consid-
cred very lucky. In some few instanc >
the robbers were driven off, but In most
cases the passengers submitted 70 being
held up, and were glad to get OF with
nothing worse. | had with me over So,
900 in bank bills and gold and | was de-
termined not 10 part with that money with
out light The ranchman had "a, 600
aud the miner about 81, 900, as was after
ward learned, and both had determined to
fight. We had just forded the Mcrced
river, and had come to lonely stretch of
road, when the ranchman pulled his re-
volyer and examined the caps. IL was not
yet restored TO the holster when we heard
q shout, the report of a pistol and the
stage came to full stop. l reached for
my pistol as did the miner, k4owing that
robbers were at hand, but before m.ne was
out the lieutenant hung his arms around
me and cried out:
For your lives, make no move or we
shall all be murderedl Let them take all
we havel'
Al the same time the tourist flung him
sell upon the miner and neither of us had
q weapon when robber showed himself
at either door. The ranchman was ready,
however, and he killed the man on his
side. de would have also killed the other.
but his revolver failed OH the second shot,
and the 70 Der pushed his revolver in and
nred with the revolver pressed a. ainst the
poor fellows heart. A third robber then
came up, and we were covered from either
door and called upon TO surrender. The
Jig was up and we climbed out, delivering
our pistols butt foremost as we lett the
stage. There were four of us and only
two robbers, but when man has the drop
on you and means business it's M use TO
kick We were placed in a row, and
while one OF the fellows kept us covered,
the other went through each man in turn
The lieutenant shelled out a watch and
$40, the tourist watch and $400, and they
got from the other two of Us the sums /
have previously named. / had my bank
bills in my bootlegs, but as we were forced
TO strip TO our shirts. they found every last
dollar. While we were dres ing the body
OF the rancnman was pulled from the
coach and robbed.
have no doubt that the robbers meant
10 shoot every one Of US after securing tue
plumber in order to avenge the death of
their comrade, but the unusually large
booty put them in good spirits. and they
underwent a change of heart. The one
who searched us stepped over the dead
body dozen times without seeming to
care whether it was a log or man. When
finally through with us he bent over the
body and began robbing ii, saying 10 his
companion:
Bill won't have any moro use for
money, and We might as well take his dol
lars along. Poor Bull We shan't never
play poker together again. +"
When they were ready to 60 they cut
the harness so that the stage would be de-
tanned a couple of hours broke up or
carried of every every iirearm, and drank
to our health from flask the tourist had
with him. They made off for the foothills
70 the EAST, having so little care for us that
neither OF them once looked back. | was
mad and no mistake, and the miner gave
utterance to his feelings in curses which
almost cracked the stones around us. We
had been robbed OF every dollar, and, with
the money, our every prospect. The tour
ist could get more at Stockton. and the
lieutenant was out only few dollars any
way. was not yet dressed when he be-
gan TO put on airs over us, claiming that if
we had not been so hasty he would have
managed the affair to the defeat of the
robbers. This added TO my anger, and |
sailed in and pounded him until he yelled
for mercy.
1t was just sunset when the stage was
ready TO 20 on, but there were two of us
who did not propose to 20 that way. We
were unarmed, but determined, and while
the stage numbered off down the road we
found club apiece and set out ON the trail
of the robbers. Luckily for us, the miner
had been long in the country and seen a
good deal of the hunters life We there
fore had no difficulty in following the trail
until darkness came on. The fellows made
directly for the foothills, and we had no
doubt that they had some sort Of a cave or
stronghold out there They took matters
so cody that they could not have been
great way ahead of us when darkness fell
was then for resting until daylight, but
the miner urged that we should push on.
From the topography of the country he
felt certain that ravine or rift would be
found not far away. We were then be.
tween the foothills and the true mountain,
In a narrow valley, aud full moon had
come up. Without this light we could not
have made our way, as the ground was
much broken and powders lay thickly
scattered about
We went ahead very cautiously sssss!y up this
valley for about a mile. and of a sudden a
rift opened to the left and the glare of q
campfire greeted our eyes. 1t was not
over 200 feet away. and after minute we
made out the forms of the two men as
they seemed TO be preparing supper. We
had found them, but what of it2 They
lad all the arms and we were defenseless
We crept back few yards to hold a con-
sultation, and the miner carefully studied
lhe lay of the land He was Of the opinion
that 1t was a short. dry rift, with a cave at
ne Tar emo. 1nree slucs were enciosed uy
walls OF earth aud rock. and our only way
was to attack the men from above. How
VIC WOuAA nave 70 dhu VIM
the difficulties, we could not say. We
were not three minutes deciding TO make
the attempt, and we prepared for 1t by
leaving coats, vest, hats, and boots be-
hind. We began the ascent about II hun
dred feet back from the mouth of the rift,
and | do not believe two panthers could
have done better The side of the noun
tain was thickly covered with cedars.
vines, and rocks, aud progress was made
almost entirely by creeping Once we
drew ourselves up cliff fun twenty feet
high by grapevine hanging down. and
again we made use of tree 10 seek
higher elevation. We had been going up
for half an hour before We bore of to the
right in the direction Of the rift. We then
had 70 move lar more cautiously, and l
presume 1t was a full hour from the time
we left the valley before we lay on our
stomachs hundred feet above the camp
nre and looked over. The men were di
recilg beneath US. sitting close together.
and smoking as they counted the money,
We had but one way to attack. Luckily