The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-08-07
AROUND AND ABOUT.

From N. y. "World."
The stage from Virginia City to Gal
latin, Mont, had been "held up" so
often that the horses seemed to know
Just where to halt and how long 10
wait. The ~road-agents worked in pairs
as a rule, but sometimes there were
three or four in q bunch. There were
five of us on the trip | am telling about.
-Four of us were pretty well acquainted;
the fifth man no one knew. He was
not only a mean-lOoking man in a
general way, but he had a cataract
covering his entire left eye and blind
ing it, and this gave him a gruesome
appearance. We noticed the Captain
who was stationed at Fort Ellis, look
ing at him long and sharply, and with
a troubled expression of face, and when
opportunity offered he said to us:
"BOys, Pm satisfied that this stranger
is "a r%oad-agent, and when the proper
time arrives he'll show his hand.
None of you need bother with him.
ia case of attack leave him to me.n
So many road.agents had been killed
of that the survivors began to get a
little shy, and 50 sprung new tricks on
the stage. We had it figured u
pretty straight on the cataract man
though he couldn't have had u suspic
ion OF it.. He aud the Captain sat
opposite, and the two never spoke 20
each other allthat day. Along towards
suudywn noticed that the Captains
face was pale, and now and then he
seemed to catch for breath, but l laid
it to his not being in rugged health. IL
was about half an hour to sundown
when we passed Red Chalk Bluff"
and struck the toughest spot Of the
whole route, Then the Captain cOolly
pulled his revolver and covered the
cataract mar and said:
''lf you stir Il finger I'll kill you!
Boys, leave him TO me aud attend to
the othersl'
1t wasn't two minutes before there
was u hail, and thestage stopped. Then
the voice of aman who stood half con-
cealed behind a rock on the rig hit hand
side called out:
Nov, then, everybody come down
and hold up his hands! 1t Is no use
kicking, gents, we're too many for
you!n
The Captain, whose face was as white
as a sheet, and whose eyes snapped
with excitement, still kept his mai
covered as he called out TO the other:
"If you fire plI Kill your partner!
Driver, sc on!'
"Shoot the driver, TomF' yelled the
cataract man, as he dropped to the floor
and reached for his gun.
There We're two reports, II without
and one within. The Captain had
killed the cataract man stone dead,
while the outlaw hadtired at the driver
aud missed. Heran away as we leaped
down aud the whole thing was over
in half a minute. The dead man was
hauled out and laid on his back and
searched. Nothing of value was found
except his pistols and knife, Ne had
comp. eted the search when it vas
noticed that the Captain sat on a rock
ten feet away with his face IN his hands.
HE got worked up too bigh," OBJ
served one of the men in explanation.
"Here, Captain, have a nip of this.
That cuss thought he had lodged
YOU when he tunlbled, but you bored
BIN beautifully. Can't find anything
with his name on"
81 know III" whispered the Captain,
as he came and stood owe the body.
"Nou do! Why, who the devil was
he?"
"My own brOtherv'
II was a month later before ] learned
all the particulars. That renegade
was truly the Captains brother, who
uad disappeared from home and the
sight of relatives years before. Aye!
that very cataract Ofthe eye was caused
10y an injury accidentally inflicted by
the Captain himself in boyhood days.
| do not think the recognition was
mutual. The outlaw had grouped us
all AS strangers, and he had planned to
be among us when the stage was
stopped and to be ready to kill the first
man that resisted. The Captain, how
ever, whose perception was keener,
knew for long hours who sat in from
of him, and when l remember how
white and stern his face grew a the
day passed away and how he wOulC
sometimes catch for breath, / realiz.
what a struggle he must have haC
with himself aud marvel that he haC
the to carry it to the end. R'
walked away as we gave the body
. rough and hasty burial. When w
took our places in the coach again IN