Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-10-19
HANDY WITH a GUN.

mails and tie passengers WoulO
not be followed by so many des-
peradOes If few more Of the pass
engers we're like o'd Robert Lane,
who lives near Dllton, Montana"
said George Craig, OF Butte, to a
reporter of the Washington Star
"Laue is as quiet aid peaceful a
citizen as eyer went to church on
Sunday and put his fonr bits into
the contribution box. He has lived
in Montana for twenty years, and
even iu his youth he never person.
ally INDUCED in the old time wild
excuses of life out there, nor in
and of the hurly burly of froDtitr
existence. He has always pursued
the even tenor of his way on his
little ranch near Dalton, and has
ever been regarded as the safest and
most peaceab!e citizen In the whole
community. He is called "Old
Man Lane,1 out in Montana, and
everybody knows him. Several
years ago the old man went down
to Red Rock, which is near to his
ranch that DiItOn is, to take the
stage for Junction. The mules
were pulling the craft along pretty
lively through a right nasty pit ce
of road, when the passengers were
startled by bearing voice com
manding the driver to throw down
the relns. There were three or
fou passengers on the inside, and
if 1t had Geen light enough to see
them they would have looked
mighty white | tel yOr. But old
man Lane vas made of different
kind Of stuff. When he heard the
driver drop the reins he just reach
eG back and pulled out two guus
that he used to carry, because II
vas the custom Of the country to
do II, and kept his eyes fixed on
the doors, looking first at one and
then at the other quickly, so as to
see thieves when they made an ap-
pearance.
"a shadow fell in each door
window abOnt the same time, and
Quick asa fash Old man Lanes
guns were stuck through either
Opening and off they went. He
got meat, both Cracks. Then lie
eaned OUT the window and banged
loose at the fellow who had Ordert d
the driver to hold up. He got him
too, aud theu jumped out Of the
stage. There were tour OF the road
agents, and The last one alarmed
at the fate OF his companions,
stuck spurs INTO his horse and rode
away up the trail. The passengers,
who had nearly recovered from
their terror and surprise, were now
amazed TO see old man Lane cut
the harness from the lead mule,
Jump on his back ana 90 sailing
away after the fleeing fugitive.
Shots were heard pretty soon, and
in ten minutes or so back came the
old man Lane leadlug the bandits
horse, while the man himself was
sitting up IN the saddle, shot
through the back. On eXamina-
tion 1t was found that two OF the
attacking party were dead and Two
were wounded, and the whole OF
the quarteite were brought into
Junction. When old man Lane
was asked what caused him to
bloom out into such a progressive
citizen of the territory, he drawled
out: We'll, [ had a good deal OF
business TO attend 10 here at juno
ton, and l didn't like the idea of
being stopped when | was on my
way to attend to it, One OF The
men was not very badly wounded,
and before leaving Junction to re-
turn home old man Lane went to
see him in the temporary lookup.
Look here, my iriend,' he remark
ed, Il just want to give you a little
bit of advice. If you persist in q
following OF the business that you
started out in when | sOrter stop.
ped you, L think 1t would lie SAFER
for you if you would look over the
way bill OF any stage you might
intend to hold up, and find out in
advance who it was a carry ing
Old man Lane is living yet, and is
az hearty as you please, and if he
starts on a stage ride Row any
here IN Montana, they don't even
think 1t necessary to look the
treasure box
Old soldiers who have really seen
war oro aqa panaral thing. not