Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-02-05

third ranchmnn, aud the other two
were prospcctozs and miners. None OF us
thnd met each other previous 10 the start.
Those were pcrilous times. and the first
half hour was spent in sizing each other
w. DOM know to WIN, conclusion the
others came, but 1 looked over the four
men and said TO myself;
The lieutenant ought to fight in case
we are attacked, but he sccf~s too nervous
TO be ganicy. The tourist isilI and has no
fand 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 of, but in most
cases the passengers submitted 10 being
"hcld up. and were glad to get of with
nothing worse had with me over s..
OO0 in bank bills and gold and was dc.
tereincd not TO part with that money with
out fight The rancbman had $4,000
and the miner about So, 900, as was after
ware learned and both had determined 10
fight We had Just forded the MERGED
river, and had come to n lonely strntch of
road, when the ranchman pulled his re-
volver and examined the caps. IL was not
yet restored TO the holster when we heard
a shout, the report Of q pistol, and the
stage came TO full stop | reached for
my pistol, as did the miner, k.owing that
robbers were at hand, but before mlne was
out the lieutenant lung his arms around
me and cried out:
"For your lives, make no move or we
shall all be murdered Let them take all
we havew
AT the same time the toofst flung him
sell upon the miner. aud neither of us had
q weapon when n robbcr showed himself
at eitner door. The ranehman was ready,
however, aud he killed the man on his
side. He would have also killed the other,
but his revolver faiitd ON the second shot,
and the TO Der pushed his revolver in and
fired with the revolver pressed against the
poor fellows heart. A third robbcr 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 left the
stage. There were four of us and only
two robbers, but whel a man has the drop
on you aud means business it's no 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 watch and
f40, the tourist watch and 800, and they
got from the other two of US the sums 1
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 rancbman was pulled from the
coach and robbed.
have no doubt that the robbers meant
10 shoot every one of us after securing the
piunder In order 10 avenge the death of
their comrade, but the unusually large
booty put them in good spirits. and they
underwent change Of heart. The one
who searched us stepped over the dead
body dozen times without seeming to
care whether II was log or d man. When
finally through with us he bent over the
body and began robbing II. saying TO his
companions:
"Bill won't have any more use for
money. and we might as well take his dol
lars along. Poor Bill 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 firearm. and drank
10 our health from a hask the tourist had
with HIM. They made oil for the foothills
10 the east, having 50 little care for us that
neither of them once looked back. was
mad and no mistake. and the miner gave
utterance 10 his feelings In curses which
. almost cracked the stones around US. We
had been robbed Of every dollar. and. with
tin money, our every prospect The tour
\ ~ <4onld get more ut Stockton. and the
jie,,<RTant was out only few dollars any,
wav. ~ was not yet drespdv when he be.
IN 10 ~. n ~, claiming hat e
we had not been 50 haay I'D Ilould { lave
managed the affair 70 the defeat OF the
robbers, This added .onv anger, and /
suiicd In and pounded him until he yelled
for mercy.
II was Just sunset when the stage was
ready 10 20 on, but there were two Of US
who did not propose to so thai way We
were unarmed, but determined, and while
the stage numbered OF down the road we
found club apiece and set out or che traii
Of the robbers. Luckily fc-us, the miner
had been long In the corLtry ard seen q
good deal Of ilie hnnfsr's 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 OF
stronghold out there They took matters
SO cody that they could not have been a
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 thai a ravine or rift would be
found not far away. We were then be-
tween the foothills and the true mountain.
in a narrow valley, and a full moon had
come up. Without this light we could moi
have made our way, as the ground was
much broken and bowlders lay thickly
scattered about
We went ahead very cautiously up this
valley for about mile, and of sudden q
rift opened TO the left and the glare of q
campfire greeted our eyes. IL was moi
over 200 feet away. and after minute we
made out the forms Of the two men a
Jlley seemed TO be preparing supper. We
had found them .sbut what Of itS They
Ind all the arms and we were defenseless.
We crept back few yards TO hold con
sultation. and the miner carefully studied
ihe lay Of the land. He was Of the opinion
,lini it was short. dry rift, with cave al
ne Iar emo. 1nrrr Hues were encIosed Dy
walls 0foorth and rock and our only way
was 10 Attack the men from above. How
high We would have 10 climb and what
the difficulties, we could not say We
were not three minutes deciding 10 make
the attempt, and we prepared for II by
leaving coats, vests, hats. and boots be-
hind. We began the ascent about Il 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,
vs1es. aud rocks. and progress WAS made
almost entirely by creeping. Once we
drew ourselves up cliff fun twenty feel
high by grapevine hanging down. and
again we made use of q tree TO seek d
higher elevation. We had been going up
for half an hour before We bore oil 10 the
right In the direction Of the rift. We then
had 10 move far more cautiously, and
presume II was full hour from the time
we left the valley before we lay on ouI
stomachs hundred feet above the camp
recily beneath ms. sitting close together.
and smoking as they counted the money,
We had but one way TO attack. Luckily
lnr ~ Ia ,una a alr.lin.lll dnacnnl [ nnIlll