Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-05-25

dead moral certainty - 1t was true, as
the gentleman from Texas had remark
ed, that luck cut no figure in the play
1t was a question of skill and science
As Jim was the only person i'll Fair
play who had anything like an intimate
acquaintance with the scientist from
Texas. tho landlord presented him with
the little implement that had worked
the formers financial ruin. Jim s first
impulse was to secrete the hodout upon
his person and seek revenge upon tho
unsuspecting miners in the gulGh, but
he remembered that he had hired him
self to the stage company and forsworn
gambling. He was man of his word,
and a stage driver he became. 1t was
monotonous life until the road agents
began to pay frequent visits to the line,
and Jim liked it. The only thing that
disturbed his serenity was the recollcc-
tion of the gentleman from Texas If ho
could but once meet that scientist face
to face, life would take on new charms
for him
had seat beside Jim on the Lead
vile coach, and as tho horses crawled
slowly up the grade of kenosha noun
tain, preparatory to a wild dash down
the other side into tho South park, re-
marked to him that it was going to DO
pleasant night. He replied that you
never could tell much about nights in
that country until the next day; he had
seen nights just as promising as this
one turn out real bad before daybreak
The very best of meteorological predic-
tions were likely to fail in country so
thickly infested with gentlemen of the
road
| expressed a desire to have Wow of
Red hill as we crossed that famous clo-
vation and wondered if tho moon would
be down before we got there. Jim
vouchsafed the information that tho
moon would be up, but added that he
had known of peoples appetite for seen
cry being permanently destroyed by
gazing on Red hill by moonlight.
was sound asleep with my head on
Jim's shoulder when he nudged me and
said:
"Wo're going up Red hill now. Help
yourself to the scenery, and if you've
got any valuables about you you'd bet
ter hide them. We're liable to see more
things than scenery.
Then the horses came to sudden
stop, and Jim and | were looking down
the muZzle of revolver in tho steady
hand of horseman beside tho wheclcrs
"Will you step down for moment,
f1ri,, hn
back.
Jim replied that he was just thinking
of getting down, as he was tired of sit
ting followed him and took my place
beside him in time to see the other pas
sengers descend one by one from tho in
side of the coach with their hands above
their heads and take place in line be-
side us.
There were but two of the road
agents. While one of them relieved the
passengers of their weapons and all ar
ticles of value the other was in tho
front boat Of the stage securing the
treasure box
When the first robber came opposite
to Jim, he drew back in surprise, ex-
claiming, "Well, I'll be haIgedp'
For second only he was off his
guard, but that brief space of time was
fatal one, A pistol cracked, and he
fell shot through the head.
"Bang, crack!' went two more shots.
Both took effect. The second road agent
reeled and fell from the boot of the
stage, and Jim was lying beside the
first robber 1t was the big six shooter
of the man OH the stage that had an
swered Jim's first shot, and it was the
crack of derringer that had terminat-
ed the brief battle.
Jim was wounded in tho leg A young
doctor in the party stanched the flow of
blood, and we proceeded on our way
with the bodies of the two bandits
thrown into the hind boat.
The shooting was shrouded in mys-
terry so far as the passengers were con-
cerned. They had seen Jim S six shooter
taken from his holster by one of the
bandits, after which careful search
had been made to see that ho had no
other weapon, but when we picked him
up derringer was clasped in either
hand. The question was how had he
managed to conceal them and bring
them into use at such an opportune
time? The mystery was solved when his
clothing was removed at the hotel in
Fairplay. Under his waistcoat was the
wire and elastic poker holdout formerly
belonging to the gentleman from Texas.
The nippers for holding the cards had
been removed, and circular clasp large
enough to securely hold the handle of a
derringor had been attached in their
place. The gentleman to whom the con-
trivance originally belonged was in the
hind boot. His surprise upon recogniz-
ing Jim accounted for his presence there
Jim's leg was broken, and the doc
tor informed him that when he recover
ed that leg would be shorter than the
other; that he would always limp when
he walked.
"It's all my own fault" said Jim.
Il don't sec how you can make that
out. j."
"Well, it was this way: When l let
the derringers down into my hands, l
calculated to shoot the man on the boot
with the gun in my right hand an take
the highest feller with my left, but just
then recognized him as the gent was
mostly seekin after, gent from Texas
who skinned me out O. my pile with
this yere hold out, an, doc, the tempta-
tion was too great. l give it to him
with my right, an it took me too long
to get bead on the other one. But,
say, doc, this science is great thing "
Chicago Times.