The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-10-17

AAAE 0AAAtE1 states lildttSs Dullru UP VIII d
jerk In front Of the hotel" The place
was welcome IS the first habitation we
had passed for miles: otherwise. it didn't
amount 10 much. So far as l could see
in the gray gloom Of scarce broken dawn.
it consisted Of a log cabin with en- in
verted hogshead set in the doorway rs an
al frescO bar, round which some half
dozen miners were clustered for a morn
ing dram.
While I was wondering whether a cup
of decent coffee was within the canabil-
tiles Of the hostelry the guard came TO
the door and addressed me. IF you're
bound for Golden Falls. Judge" he said.
there's two ways open to you. Some Of
the boys have come IN from there with
load OF dust for us to take to the bank
at Parsons City. You can either so back
with them in the mule-cart-a matter Of
fifteen mile-or you can go on in the
coach. and Wen drop you at Blackman's
Corner. From there It's 4 roughish
tramp OF ten miles to Golden Falls
Without moments hesitation. decid
ed to go on in the Coach and walk the ten
miles. I merely changed my position from
the inside, where 1 had spsnt the night as
sole passenger. to the box seat next the
driver. This would be preferable. 1
thought, TO a ffteen-mile drive in a JOLT
ing mule-cart in the company Of roughish
strange-s, who We're showing an i1cl-na-
ton to celebrate the dispatch of Leir
precious earnings by frequent rounds of
rye whisky.
The boxes Of gold dust were soon
hoisted into -1le coach. and. amid cheers
from tlls assembled miners. We started on
our ione.y road again. The route lay FOR
few miles through rugged boulder-strewn
country, LliCkty iuterSpersed with pine
trees. At a spot cal.ed B.ackm3n's Cor
ner il deb0uched into an open pain, and
Il was az thls Junction o. the rocky ground
with the prairie that L was TO be Sc
down. The ou5-eyed guard, with whom
] was bE this time pretty friendly, had
JUS announced cur approach to the Cor
ner, and I was rummaglng for my valise.
with view 10 departure, wnen two
masked mn stepped quietly out Of the
rocks, enc on elmer side OF the road. and
with rifles ievelleJ. shouted the dreaded
cry of, Hands up.'
Road-aseats. by thunderr' said the
guard. ha.tlg his arms h.gh above his
head. ITS no 81, Mike he called to
the driver; they've 500 the Iair drop on
US better pull ND and save our skins.
The horses were pulled almost onto their
haUncaas C.e of The mea kept his rifle
leve'lej at the drivers head. while the
other adVa uc=.i - The side Of the coach
ard sleu- D.. ~ lW tIen. guard. look
alive ard hand cut tae dust-s.xtean
pa S3ses. Neu see I've got the Office
straisa,. 80 is 10 good Your trying 10
If / hadn'; aid down my gun to help
the passenger with his baggage you'd
never have got the drop on Us, 1 guess"
said the guard ruefuIy. But he did as
ne was bid, and one By Ona the sixteen
littie oiiskin packages were thrown the
ground FIN fr1lt of the roober. He gath
cred them into a sack. while the other
roooer kept his rifle ready. There was
m chance for any of us 10 get 10 our pls-
tolls, though I saw the guards fingers
tWitching and the whites Of his eyes
E.isten as his r,ance turned downward 10
his bet. IL was all over il no time and
the sack was removed 70 the roadside.
I was beginning TO congratulate myself
that I was not personally TO be a victim
when the man who filed the sack re-
turned to the coach and dispel.ed my IL
fusion 9y saying: Now mister. your dol
lars please. Don't put me 10 the trouble
" coming up there 20 go through YOU
There was nothing else for it but to
submit. I took out a roll of notes and
handed them down. There was no use
in trying to conceal any Of them with
that pair of sharp eyes searching me
from the sits Of the mask. But the pro-
CeeCing had tha effect of leaving me
practically pennless I'm a strange land.
1000 miles from a friend. Wish the ex-
ceplo1 OF a ten-dO.ldr Bill, which 1 re-
mem0ered was in my waistcOat pocket.
had no resources nearer than New
York
Better help ourselves to a nag apiece.
BIZ, said the more active OF the two to
the one at the horses heads. See here
Keep your shooting-iron handy while
do the trick"
In a moment the two leaders-one q
dappled gray, and the other a bald-faced
chestnut-were detached from the team.
Inc sack was flung on the back Of one
OF them, and the two horses We're led
away behind q Dluff They were no soon
er out of sight than the other man. who
had watched us the while, began 10 re-
treat Backward IN the direction his COM
panion had taken. He. too. disappeared;
and then for the first time for ten minutes
we knew what it was TO exist without
the sensation Of a loaded Winchester
threatening us al point-blank range.
The driver and the guard set about
adapting the cut harness TO the two re-
naming horses; which done, the lumber
ing vehicle started at q crawl to return
70 the hotel 10 replace the stolen steeds
leaving me alone TO make the best Of nv
way to Golden Falls. The guards direc-
tons We're very simple: Point your nose
70 the west, and keep right on till you git
thar"
And while am taking my lonely tramp
u may be well 20 explain how it was that
!, arthur S2ltDlarsha. a young English
barllster. came t. find myself In the wids
and "shOodng-i-ons'' were quite common
place affairs. Just before the commence
ment Of that long vacation, I had seen an
advertisement IN one of the newSpap
which Informed the next Of kin OF The late
Leonard Saltmarshe of New York that
ne would "he2r Of some thing to his ad-
Vant7g" by applying TO wilkins &
CroWdy' attorneys al law in that city To
the best f my belief 7 was that inds-
Vidual, Leonard Sal1marshe having been
my fathers only brother We had never
heard Of his marriage. and, to the day of
his death. my father had asserted that his
brother Leonard would have a pile to
leave behind some day. All I knew of
my uncle was that he was an eccentric
young man. who had gone to America
years before ] was born. Ny father and
he seldom communicated
wrote al once to wilkins & CrowCv
and by return mail received a civi, rep.y
II the effect that my uncle had died sud
denly without "a wiz. leaving property 20
tbs amount Of g 100000 behind him.
Taey were quite prepared 10 entertain
my claim. in the absence Of any other
applicant; al they wanted was 10 be fur
nished with the necessary proofs; and they
hinted that. considering the amount al
stake, l. would be worth my while to run
across 70 View York in person. The idea
of spending the vacation in this wav
pleased me. Ny father had eft me vel
of: so. wasther tbs inheritance proved to
be- mine or no L c1rIfd we'll afford III,