Smyrna times., 1895-02-13
NEW York Tribun
oUTWlTTED THE BANDITS
hieCoy ShePard's Adventure I'm a MonDtat,
Pass Back of AcapuIco

mccoy ShePard's Adventure in a MonDtatn
Phss Back of Acapulco.
| IL you are going to travel alone in
TINS country you must carry two revolv-
ers, but one of them may be worthless
In 1act, 1t may be better to have one of
them OF somewhat old fashioned make. ="
sald Mr.. J. V. Hawkins of Pueblo. NTex-
lco. Mexico has improved marvellous
~ IN the past 10 years, but bandits are
stlu too numerous, and can tell vou
low 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
Deen over 1t once, and he spoke the lam
guage very we'll He had little thought
OF danger, although holdups are com
mon enough ON that route, but he went
prepared for business. He put in the
holster OF his saddle a 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
90 calber he could find when in Frisco
lie was making a trap, and if worked
IL happened that as he was coming
down out of the main range three road
agents stepped from the rocks beside tbe
road and had him cornered before bo |
could whistle. They were armed with /
shOtguns as well as machetes. but for |
some reason did not shoot before thew
spoke as not lnfrequently happens. Thev
invited Mac to get down, and he did ner.
force. Then one of them took the biz re-
Volver from the holster.
Good. 1t is big, said he.
es,' said Mac, but it's worthless
thing after all. Inever want to kill anv
one. l only carry it because | must
make people think am armed
he bandits laughed at that II was
incredible that such pistol should he
worthless, and they said so.
But, gentlemen, will put nv hat in
she road, and You may shoot at it with
the pistol. The bullet will not 20 tbropob
the hat.
"At that he took off his hat a gor-
geous Mexican affair that cost $50 in
acapulco, and put it on rock not 10
leet away, and stepped back toward. but
ABOUT hve feet at one side of, the bandits.
hey were interested at once The idea
was novel to them. The man with the
JlsIoI aimed deliberately and fired at the
nat. Then the three ran to look at the ,
eject of the shot Macs turn TO shoot
lad come. Whipping out the unnoticad ,
eVoIver, ne shot two of them down be- :
ore they could turn on him. The third
hu no more than turn round before he I
'aught his dose as well. 9
Leaving everything as it lav-bodies |
.uns, hat and all-Mac sat down in the i
made OF rock and waited for some one
o come along. He did not even reload Z
lis revolver. He had to make ont a good i
ase before the government officials and !
le knew just how to do it. \
after an hour or so a native n1or+av "
With his servant came riding along. o
nave the goodness to inform the al b
alde that an American gentleman has c
al trouble here with bandits said he
the native, and the native did as re- a
uesteu OF course. Three or four hours a
iter came the alcalde of the next Dlace f
'lth half a dozen soldiers. Mac told v
Is story briefly, and the alcalde noted n
ach point Of it with the corroborat;no n
on the ground. =
" You have done WE'LL he said. Il
now the rascals well. You have saved
irtrldges for my soldiers by killing
lem.' --'e
Then he stopped. He could not nm. .,
erstand how the big revolver had failed " ~
shoot through the hat. He tbongbt o,
lere was some kind of necromancv "a
'out 1t. So Mac cut a bullet from a ~ ~
Irtridge and showed that the usnaI N n,
,wder space was for the most part filled ~ ~
lth cork. The alcalde turned the cork " "
'er in his hand and then said: 1e It
" Those wise Yankees! But thew do ~ ~
subtlety what we would do bvvalorp !n ~
Then Mac gathered up his hat and ~.
voiveP' mounted his mule and rode ON oo o'
Ith the alcalde, leaving the soldiers to s se
Ok after the dead bandits. Take nv % %
ord for it, and carry a good gun out Of az az
'ht when travelling in Mexico. and an. VI
her one where all can see it."-New WI
Ark Gun