The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-01-01
oJTwrrTED THE BANDITS.
Mccoy shepard's Adventure In n Mountai,
Pass Back Of Acapulco.

A@BH S@S@ VI #M
"If you are going to travel alone IN
this country you must carry two revoly-
ers, but one OF them may be worthless.
In fact, it may be better to have n OF
them of somewhat old fashioned Make
said Mr.. j. v. Hawkins of Pueblo, Mex
leo. Mexico has improved marvellous
~ in the past 10 years, but bandits are
still too numerous. and / can tell you
how to protect yourself by relating the
experience of friend of mine. His name
was Mccoy Shepard. and he was on his
way alone from Acapulco to the capital.
IL is an easily followed trail. He had
been over it once, and he spoke the Ian
guage very well. He had little thought
of danger, although holdnps are COM
mon enough ON that route, bnt he went
prepared for business. He put In the
holster of his saddle q "A caliber revolver
loaded with cartridges that barely had
enough powder in them to blow the bull
lets out of the muzzle, and then in the
small of his back he hung the handiest
SO caliber he could find when in Frisco.
He was making a trap, and it worked.
"It happened that as he was coming
down ont of the main range three road
agents stepped from the rocks beside the
road and had him cornered before he
could whistle. They were armed with
shotguns as well as machetes, but fol
some reason did not shoot before they
spoke, as not infrequently happens. They
invited Mac to get down, and he did per
force. Then one of them took the big re
volver from the holster.
"AGood. 1t is big said he.
ayes said Mac, but it's a worthless
thing after all. never want to kill any
one. I only carry it because / must
make people think I am armed
THE bandits laughed at that. 1t wa
incredible that such a pistol should b
worthless, and they said SO.
"eBut. gentlemen, I will put my hat il
the road, and you may shoot at it with
the pistol. The bullet will not go through
the hat
"At that he took off his hat, a gor
geous Mexican affair that cost $50 il
Acapulco, and put it on a rock not II
feet away, and stepped back toward, but
about five feet at one side of, the bandits
They were interested at once. The ide,
vas novel to them. The man with TIT
pistol aimed deliberately and fired at thu
hat. Then the three raj to look at thu
effect of the shot. Macs turn to shoe
had come. Whipping out the unnoticet
revolver, he shot two of them down be
fore they could turn ON him. The thirt
did no more than turn round before b,
caught his dose as well.
Leaving everything as it lay-hodies
guns, hat and all-Mac sat down in tn
shade OF q rock and waited for some on
to come along. He did not even reloat
his revolver. He had to make out a goot
case before the government officials, ant
he knew just how to do it.
After an hour or 80 a native plante
with his servant came riding along.
"'Have the goodness to inform the al
calde that an American gentleman ha
had trouble here with bandits, said b
to the native, and the native did as re
quested of course. Three or four hour
later came the alcalde of the next plac
with half a dozen soldiers. Mac tol,
his story briefly, and the slcalde note
each point of it with the corroboratinI
evidence on the ground.
"FYou have done WELL he said.
know the rascals well. You have save
cartridges for my soldiers by KILN
them
"Then he stopped. He could not III
derstand how the big revolver had faile
to shoot through the hat. He though
; there was some kind of necromanc
about it. So Mac cut a bullet from
: cartridge and showed that the usu
, powder space was for the most part file
; with a cork The alcalde turned the cor
over in his hand and then said:
Those wise Yankees! But they d
by subtlety what we would do by valor
"Then Mac gathered up his hat an
revolver, mounted his mule and rode Q
with the alcalde, leaving the soldiers
look after the dead bandits. Take m
' word for it, and carry a good gun out
!, sight when travelling in Mexico, and a
other one where all can see it."-Ne
York Sun.