Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-02
NERVE THAT Wis ENvIED
Held Up by Road AgentsVand a 0entipede
Without Wincing.
LOOKING DEATH STRAIGHT IN THE EYE
The slightest Motion Meant Enough Poison
to Kan "a Horse, While n Desperate
Stood Ready to Fiii His tar
cass with Lead.

Cass WIN Lehus
The question whether the d~enizens of
Chicago or New York possessed that
quality OF a%damantine nerve to claim the
prize is in a fair way of early solution.
For the moment New York takes the
lead. and If Chicago has anything APP
preaching the article herein detailed,
let 1t be trotted out. The mere fact that
Now York nerve is lauded by the New
York Sun does not initiate against it.
1t tends rather to give it that color of
truth which tho Gotham Oracle keeps
constantly on hand.
Il have been held up twice by road
agents" said a New Yorker who has had
u wide range in the field of western ok
pcrlence, TO a sun reporter, and al
though hundreds of other met have had
to look into the muzzle of u Henry or q
Winchester rifle in the hands of "a des-
perado under similar circumstances. |
don't believe any one ever had his
nerves put to anything approaching the
strain mine were subjected to during
one of the seances | was u party to.
The first time | had to hold up my
hands, with the request that | keep
them up until further notice under pen
atty of Il bullet through my heart if ] let
even one hand fall below my head, was
down in New Mexico. 1t was just after
the war, and a party of us were on our
way to Pueblo. | had $500 in good, hard
earned government money on my person,
with which | believed | was going to
make my everlasting fortune by invest
ing 1t in q gold nine hat one of our
party had found, he said, not many miles
from PUEBLO.
Were After the Mail.
'The United States mail coach was
carrying us to that place, and the gen
eral impression in those days was hat
the overland mail was generally we'll
loaded with valuable matter. This
seemed to have beer the opinion of three
enterprising citizens of New Mexico
about that time, as we learned when the
stage came to a sudden stop in one of
the widest spots in all that country,
and the muzzles Of three rifles appeared
at the stage windows, with a rough
and tough looking man at tho
butt end of each rifle. One of
the men ordered US to tumble out on the
double quick. We did not trespass even
u little bit on the time of these gentle
men, who seemed to be in Il hurry, but
tumbled out at the word. Then we were
ordered to stand in a line, front face and
close dress, and to hold our hands above
our heads, ali of which was lone with
military promptness. One of the three
bustling citizens was set to guard us,
and to whom the leader of the gang re-
marked:
blow a hole that you can shove a
stovepipe in through. the first man tina
stirS!'
Coming of a Horror.
"Then the other two went to cutting
open the mail bags and riiling them. |
couldn't tell how the pouches were pan
ming out, for the rifing operation vas
out ofthe range of my vision, under
orders,a as l was, to preserve arigid eyes
front | guess we had stood there five
minutes, and the strained position was
beginning to tell on me, when [ saw
something as [ rolled my eyes toward
the ground that drove all thought of
heavy and painful upheld arms out of
my head. Moving directly toward me
of those terrors of that region,
a centipede. This ono was
hideous looking fellow, at least eight
inches long. He kept straight toward
me-. and | never moved my eyes from
him. He drew nearer and nearer, until
he was at the very tip Of my shoe. |
didn't dare move, for L knew the muzzle
of a Derringer was only a rod away,
ready to drive a bullet through my
heart. The centipede stopped for a sec
ond or two when he came to my shoe,
and then turned and passed On by.
raised my eyes and breathed easier.
The robber guard didn't seem to be
aware of the existence of anything else
ON earth except us and himself, and he
seemed to have us all under his eye at
once.
II didn't dare turn my head, of
course, to see what direction the cent?
pede had taken, and | didn't need to, for
suddenly | felt a sensation, first at my
ankle and then gradually passing up my
leg that made my blood turn cold. The
centlpede had crept up my shoe at the
ins.ep and was even then climbing my
leg under my trousers. There was no
installing the pricklng of the long row
of sharp claws as the centipedc worked
his way along my flesh. | knew that the
least movement | made would disturb
the climber and he would
instantly sink every one of his numerous
claws into my flesh and squirt from
each one its quota of deadly poison into
my blood.
Pecuiiari los of the Critter.
'There is nothing 50 quick or SO sen.
sitive to disturbance as a centipede.
They are harmless if their temper ISM
reused, and the falling of a shadow on
them is frequently enough to do that,
If you ever 60 into "a centipede country,
and some morning wake up and find one
of these ugly fellows crawling over your
leg, just let him crawl. Don't breathe,
if you a help it. His sharp claws will
prick you unpleasantly and probably
leave two red streaks on your flesh
which will itch and burn for half al
hour, but let him take his time. If you
make the slightest movement 1T will jal
on his nerves, and hee7will squat righ'
down, SO to speak, and force every one
of his toes into you its full length
Then you will have, poison enough IN
you to kill a horse. You cam
possibly be quick enough tC
throw centipede off before
he sinks his poison claws into you. III
tell you how sudden n cen ipede is. TIVE
New Mexico miners once were camping
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