St. Landry democrat., 1894-02-10
OJTWIITLD THE BANDITS.
in a Mountain Pass Back OF
AcaDulcO

IF you are going to travel alone in
this country YOU must carry two rcy0Iv-
crs, but one of them may be worthless;
in fact it may be better to have one OF
them of somewhat old-fa>hioncd makc,'
said Mr.. j. V. Hawkins, Of Pueblo,
Mexico. "Mcxico has improved mar
velIousIy i'll the past ten years, but ban
dts are still too numerous, and | can
tell you how to protect Yourself by rcInt-
ing the experience of q friend Of NINE.
His name was Mccoy Shepard, and he
was on his way alone from Acapulco to
the capital. 1t is an easily followed
trail; he had been over it once, and he
spoke the language very well. lie had
little thought Of danger, although hold
ups are common enough Oh that route,
but he Went prepared for business. He
put in the holster of his saddle A.
calibre revolver loaded with cartridges
that barely had enough powder in item
to blow the bullets out OF the muZh!r,
and then in the small Of his back he
hung the handiest IS calibrc he
could find when in Frisco. lie was
making u trap, and it worked.
1T happened that as he was coming
down out 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 machetcS, but for
some reason did not shoot before they
spoke, as not infrcGuentIy happens.
They invited Mac to get down, and he
4 4 Nt took
the big revolver from the holster.
Good. 1t is big said he.
% YES sad Mac, but it's worth
less thing after all. never want to kill
any one. l only carry it because must
make people think am armed.'
1.-The bandits laughed at that. It was
incredible that such pistol should be
worthless, and they said so.
So But, gentlemen, will put my hat
in the road and you may shoot at it with
the pistol. The bullet will not go
through the hat
LAT that he took off his hat, COR
gcous Mexican affair that cost S o in
Acapulco, and put it Oh rock, not ten
feet away, and stepped back toward but
about five feet at one sile Of the bandits.
They were interested at oHcc. The idea
was novel to them. The man with the
pistol aimed deliberately AMI fired at the
mat Then tEc three ran to look at the
effect of the shot Mae" turn to shoot
had come. Whipping out the unnoticed
revolver he shot two OF them down tcIore
they could turn on him. The third did nc
more than turn round before he caught
his dose IS well.
"Leaving everything as it lay-bolics,
guns, hat, and all, Mac sat dN%n i'll the
shade of rock and waited for some one
to come along. lie di'! not even reload
his revolver. lie had 20 make out a
good case before the Government Oil
Gals, and he knew just how to d. it.
''After an hour or 50 Il nttive planter
Nth his servant cam riding along.
'IIavc the guc'i!.css 70 inform the
Alcalde that an American gentleman has
had trouble here with b.ndit@, said he
to the native, and the native did as re-
qucstcd, Of course. Three OF four hours
later came tie Ale .ldc Of the next place
with IL half dozen soldiers. Mac told his
story briefly, and the Alcaldc noted each
point of it with the cOrroborat!ng vi
ucnce on the ground.
"'You have done WELL he said. 4
know the ra>caIs we'll You have saved
cartridges for my soldiers by killing
them
"Then he stopped. lie could not I'm.
dclstand how the big revolver had failed
to shoot through the hat. He thought
there was some kind Of nccromancy
about it. So Mac cut bullet from a
cartridge and showed that the usual
powder space was for the most part
filled with cork. The Alcalde turned
the cork in his hand and then said:
L" 'Those wise Yankees. But they do
by subticty what we would do by valor'
Then Mac gathered up his hat and
revolver, mounted his mule, and rode on
with the AIcal,ic, leaving the soldiers to
look after the dead bandits. Take my
word for it, and carry a good gun out Of
sight when travelling in Mexico, and
another where all can see it, New
York Sun.