The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-07-20
4 ROMANCE OF The ROAD.
From the Home and Farm.

IlGSn misery TO stage travelling III W Is
tern Texas. The coach in which tickle
fortune had seated us was old and ram
shackled; the horses were poor and
weak, being often unable to drag their
burden along the muddy prairie road,
cut at frequent intervals into holes.
When the team failed to goa thing
which often happened-the male passen-
sers simply had to step out and take it
afoot. 1t is hard to say who were the
more deplorably situated, those outside
in the drenching rain, or the unfortu-
mates inside, expecting every minute for
the crazy vehicle to collapse and mash
them to death. Among the three or four
lady passengers was a little, thin-faced,
weary-looking woman, who had joined
our party the previous afternoon. She
would have been quite pretty if there
had been some color in her face, and she
could have gotten rid of that fatigued
look, Very quiet was this lady, and my
wife, hoping TO make the tedium of the
wretched journey less irksome to the
solitary woman, endeavored to draw her
into conversation. The effort succeeded
only to very limited extent, apparently
less because the silent passenger wished
to conceal anything, than for the reason
that she was pre-occupied with her own
thoughts. We aScertained, however,
that she was going one hundred miles
farther west, where her husband owned
a cattle ranch. He had been in the
country two years, and, becoming estab-
lablished, had sent for his wife to join
him. 1t was plain enough that she was
very devoted to her husband and we had
no doubt that her forlorn appearance
was due to their separation.
On we went, creaking and sloshing and
humping. Just as the rickety old coach
plunged, with groan, into an unusually
deep hole, we heard a gruff voice, out in
the rain, saying:
'Haltl Throw up your hands,
In moment there was flare of torch
'es, and, on looking out, l saw we were
surrounded by trOup of masked men
mounted on mustangs. From hasty
survey of the party concluded that all,
expect the leader, tall, powerfully built
American, were Indians and gle1sers.
The gigantic commander ordered every
male passenger, including the driver,
whose exhausted team needed no hold
ang, to dismOunt and form line beside
the road This being done, the big
brigand, as if to satisfy himself that his
orders had been fully obeyed, strobe to
the open door of the coach, held up a
huge lantern and peered in. For an in
slant there was the silence of death, save
for the monotonous pelting of the fine
ceaseless rain.
'My God, Martha! wifer' came in
jerky, spasmodic tones from the lips, or
rather throat, of the highwayman.
ooh, Henry, is it you? Thank heaven
ana with you againr' cried our pale
little fellow-passenger as she sprang
through the door to the arms held to re-
ceive her.
The woman's cry died away to sob.
Not word was spoken. Not one of the
silent statuesque circle of bandits moved
or made sign. At length, which was
really scarce minutes time, the stalwart
chief turned to the row of travellers, and,
with traces of emotion in his rich, sono-
rous ice, said:
Friends, we have made a mistake.
This is not the party we were looking
for, hope you will accept my apology
for such inconvenience as we have caused
you, as well as my thanks for the kind
ness which l am sure you have shown
my wife,
Securing ''Martha's" small articles of
baggage, and addressing few hasty
words in an unknown tongue to his
dusky followers, the highwayman sprang
into his saddle with our late companion
in his arms and galloped away over the
wet prairie, surrounded by his motley
troop
None but those who have been SINH
dairy situated can appreciate our graft
, tude for this unexpected denouement.
,Nota few of US fingered our plethoric
money belts and blessed the pale little
woman for lucky mascot.
Many years afterward / was in Austin
ON business which made visit to the
capitol necessary. My errand being dis
charged, / was led by curiosity to look
in en- the Legislature which was then in