The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-10-05
LUCK WAS WITHBOTH
A HOG SELLERS PLucKY BLUFF AND
ITS SINGULAR SEQUEL.

A HOG SELLERS PLucKY BLUFF AND
ITS SINGULAR SEQUEL.
An Adventure with Highwaymen Who
Unloaded n Miner OF Ills Gold and Silver
and Where Everybody to the Triangular
Transaction Was Satisfied.
: We had finished our game of whist on
the train when one of tine players, red
headed man, said: "Your speaking of
narrow escapes reminds me of one had
years ago in the Sierras. Buckeye
House" he continued. sis public tav-
ern amid the mountains of southern
Plumas county and is a lonely spot,
being surrounded by dense forests of
spruce and pine. On the night Of June
4, 1877, / stopped there and was told by
the proprietor that highway robbery
had been committed in the vicinity dur
ing the preceding day. This made me
exceedingly uneasy, for was carrying
SIS, 500 in greenbacks into the mountains
to invest In quartz mine. The money
was wrapped up in my horse blankets
and slowed away under the seat Of the
buggy, while had about 800 In gold
and silver In my pockets.
Shortly after leaving Buckeye the
road ascends o deep declivity and then
crosses . narrow, rocky, brush covered
plateau. Three miles farther on / passed
Palmetto ranch, an abandoned stopping
place, where I again entered the dense
forest that grew close to the highway.
Iexamined my revolver carefully, placed
fresh caps on it and laid it on the seat
beside me ready for instant use. Moth
ing occurred until reached French
mans hill, when as was climbing one
of the steepest parts was suddenly
stopped-so suddenly, in fact, that I had
no chance to defend myself. A man
sprang into the road and caught my
horses by the brides, while second
robber appeared from behind tree,
holding in his hands shotgun at full
cock. The man with the gun was a tall
fellow with a squint eye and red
mustache, while the other man was short
and stout.
"'Throw up your handsp cried the
squint eyed man in harsh voice. !
glanced at the muzzle of the gun and
then at the revolver on my seat. up
with your hands, or I'll give it to your
and the look on the robbers face indi-
Gated that he meant what he said, so I
reluctantly gave up all my ideas of de-
tense and slowly and mechanically raised
my hands above wy head, at the same
time cursing my luck, for robbery at
that time meant ruin to me. Cit out
and keep your hands up cried the tall
man, till Jim takes yer money and yer
popgun.' got out and walked to the
head of the horses as commanded and
the short robber deity examined my
pockets and took what gold and silver
had, saying as he ratified tho coins, 1T
pays to drive hogs
".Hogsr exclaimed. What do you
mean by hogsT
"'Oh, that's all right. He told US you
were coming, and we laid in the brush
for you,' was the response.
81 glanced up at that second and saw
q murderous look on the squint eyed
mans face, while his finger was on the
trigger of the gun. As l was standing.
close to the small robber, the weapon.
of course, covered rs both. / gave al
involuntary start, which caused the short
man TO look up. His face blanched white
as he exclaimed, Take care there or you
will shoot rs both,' at the same time
stepping back SO IS to bring my horse
between himself and hiscompanion's gun.
81 involuntarily followed his example.
when the short man said in low tone,
i believe that rascal meant to kill us
both. Now he continued in loud
voice, at the same time taking my pistol
from the seat, you pile right in and be Off. ;
II had supposed, of course, that they
would search my buggy, and now that !
was about to escape with my precious
greenbacks my heart beat furiously and
the blood rushed to my face as though I
had Just undergone great exertion. l
hastily obeyed the injunctions of the
robbers to drive on and keep a-going.'
and as soon as / was out of gunshot /
whipped up and drove at full speed until
I overlook a little old man, shabbily
dressed, driving a lot Of fat hogs with
the aid of small dog.
"The old man looked at me with some
establishment as I drove rapidly up and
cried, Say, did some fellers stopper back
thar?
YES was my reply. Did they rob
your
1.-THE old man laughed and slapped
his leg and then laughed again ere he
replied. Kinder curious how 1t turned
OUT he said, but hanged if I knew any
one was a-comin in two boss buggy.
".What do you meanY I asked, for ]
saw nothing funny in the whole matter.
"'Why, you see, them fellows stepped
out in the road, right in front Of my hogs,
and cried for me to stop. This scared
the hogs, and they broke out in the brush.
Ipretended not to understand what they
meant, and sending Boze out on one side
I took the other, at the same time a-cuss-
ing them chaps right lively for soaring
my hogs. When got 'em all back again,
I turned around and said, 'Now, what
do you want?"
Money cried the tall fellow. All
you've got
Money? and roared so you could
have heard me half way back to Buck
eye. You don't reckon that chap as
has got to go afoot and drive hogs for a
living has any money? If You want that,
just stop the boss, who is coming along
in two boss buggy, and you will get
some
"'Get right on then said the tall
chap, and we'll lay for the boss
"'And they got your continued the
hog drover. i hope you did not lose
much
ga hundred dollars, said I, but ]
got off lucky at that
$50 did T. said the old drover, with q
grin, for sold part of my hogs on the
road and had the money with me. 1t
was case of sheer bluff on my part
"And of luck upon mine, answered.
1T was a narrow escape for both of rs.
San Francisco Call.
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