Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-10-31
WHOLE NUMBER, ,O46.


The stage from Virginia CIV IT, Guil...
tin. Mont, had been "held up" SO OIL
that the horses seemed to know u,
where to halt and how long t" wait
The road agents worked in pair, as a rulr,
but sometimes there We're three or fouI
in bunch. There were five of us on
the trip l am telling about. -Four of II
were pretty well acquainted; the fifth
man no one knew. He was not only a
mean looking man in a general way. but
had a cataract covering his entire left eye
and binding it, and this gave him a grUe.
some appearance. We noticed the cap
tain, who was stationed at Fort Ellis.
looking at him long and sharply and
with troubled expression of face, and
when opportunity offered he said to us
Boys, I'm satisfied that this stranger
is a road agent, and when the proper
time arrives he'll show his hand. None
of you need bother with him. In case
of attack leave him to me-"
SO many road agents had been killed
off that the survivors began to get a lit
tie shy, and so sprung new tricks on the
stage. We had it figured out pretty
straight on the cataract man, though he
couldn't have had a suspicion of it. He
and the captain sat opposite, and the two
never spoke to each other all that day.
Along toward sundown | noticed that
the captains face was pale, and now and
then he Seemd to catch for BREATH but
laid it to his not being in rugged health.
1t was about half an hour to sundowE
~ De- 4
struck the toughest spot of the whole
route. Then the captain coolly pulled
his revolver and covered the cataract
man and said.
"lf you stir a finger I'll kill you'll
Boys, leave him to me and attend to the
others!"
1t wasn't two minutes before there
was hail, and the stage stopped. Then
the voice of a man who stood half con.
cealed behind rock on the right hand
side called out:
Now, then, everybody come down and
hold up his hands It's no use kicking,
gents, we're too many for you!"
The captain, whose face was as white
as sheet, and whose eyes snapped with
eX itement, still kept his man covered
a. ne called out to the other:
If you fire a shot I'll kill your partner,
Driver, go on !"
"Shoot the driver, Tom" yelled tn.
cataract man, as he dropped to the hooI
and reached for his gun.
There were two reports, one without
and one within. The captain had killed
the cataract man stone dead, while the
outlaw had fired at the driver and missed
He ran away as we leaped down and thu
whole thing was over in half a minute,
The dead man was hauled u t and laid
on his back and searched.
Nothing of value was found except his
pistols and knife. We had completed
the search when it was noticed that the
captain sat on rock 10 feet away with
his face in his hands.
He got worked uptoo high, observed
one of the men in explanation. Here
captain have a nip of this. That
cuss thought he had lodged you when
he tumbled, but you bored him beauti-
fully Can't find anything with his
name on.
81 know it," whispered the captain, as
lie came and stood over the body.
You dol Why, who the devil was
he?"
MY own brother!"
1t was month later before learned
all the particulars. That renegade was
truly the captains brother, who had dis
appeared from home and the sight OF
relatives years before. Aye! that yer,
cataract of the eye was caused by an in
jury 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 tc
kill the first man who resisted. The cap,
tain, however, whose perception was
keener, knew for long hours who sat in
front of him, and when l remember how
white and stern his face grew as the
day passed away and how he would
sometimes catch for breath, | realize
what struggle he must have had with
himself, and marvel that he had the
nerve to carry it to the end. He walked
away as we gave the body a rough and
hasty burial. When we took our place.
in the coach again he was crying like
child.-M. Quad