The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-05-11

JIG uSCh. Auo pueuOnlGDal lanuS
held by the gentleman from Texas were
no longer a mystery to Jim. He now
understood that it was not "Chinaman's
luck that had beaten him, but this lit
tie continuance, worn under the cloth
ing, by the operation of which all ele-
ments of chance were eliminated from
draw poker and the game reduced to a
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 in Fair
play who had anything like an intimate
acquaintance with the scientist from
Texas, the landlord presented him with
the little implement that had worked
the formers financial ruin. Jim's first
impulse was to secrete the holdout upon
his person and seek revenge upon the
unsuspecting miners in the gulch, but
he remembered that he had hired him.
self to the stage company and forsworn
gambling. He was a mar Of his word,
and a stage driver he became. 1t was a
mo1otonous 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 recollec-
ton OF the gentleman from Texas. If he
could but once meet that scientist face
to face, life would take on new charms
for him.
l had a seat beside Jim OH the Lead
vile coach, and as the horses crawled
slowly up the grade of Kenosha noun
tain, preparatory to a wild dash down
the other side into the South park, | re-
marked to him that it was going to be
a 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
II turn out real bad before daybreak.
The very best Of meteorological predic-
tions were likely to fail in a country so
thickly infested with gentlemen Of the
road.
l expressed a desire to have a view of
Red hill as we crossed that famous ele-
Walton and wondered if the moon would
be down before we got there. Jim
vouchsafed the information that the
moon would be up, but added that he
had known Of peoples appetite for seen
cry being permanently destroyed by
gazing III Red hill by moonlight.
l was sound asleep with my head on
Jim's shoulder when he nudged me and
said:
"We'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 a sudden
stop, and jim and I were looking down
the muzzle of a revolver in the steady
hand Of a horseman beside the Wheelers.
"Will you step down for q moment,
driyer:" asked the gentleman on horse
back.
Jim replied that he was just thinking
of getting down, as he was tired Of sit
ting. | followed him and took NY place
beside him il time to see the other pas
sengers descend one by che from the in
side OF the coach with their hands above
their heads and take a place in line be-
side US.
There were but two of the road
agents. While Il Of them relieved the
passengers OF their weapons and all ar
ticles Of value the other was in the
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, III be hanged!'
For a second only he was off his
guard, but that brief space of time was
a 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 IN the stage that had an
swered JIM first shot, and it was the
crack Of a derringor that had terminal
cd the brief battle.
Jim was wounded il the leg Ayoung
doctor in the party stanched the ilow of
blood, and we proceeded On cur 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 a careful search
had been made to see that he had no
other weapon, bat when we picked him
up a derrinser 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