The morning times., 1895-08-25

| ner race as III was bent over ner DOCK, whose
| pages, however, She scarcely turned. After
her first casual glance of curiosity at the
new passengers, she seemed to take no
more notice OF him, 1and Key began 10
| wonder If he had notmistaken her previous
| 1nterrogating look Nor was it his only
disturbing query; he was conscious Of
| the same disappointment, now that he could
examine her face more attentively, as in
his first cursory glance. She was GER
| tainly handsome; if there was no longer the
freshness of youth there was still the in
definable charm Of the woman of thirty,
and with ii the delicate lines of experienced
| muliebrity and repose Some orthese lines
| particularly around the mouth and fringed
eyelids, We're deepened as by pain, and
| the chin, even in its rounded fullness, had
the single of determination. From what
was visible below the brown linen
"duster" that she wore, she appeared to
be tastefully although not richly dressed.
AS the coach at last drove away from the
station a grizzled, farmerlooking man
seated beside her uttered sigh OF relief
SO palpable as to attract the general at
tention Turning to his fair neighbor
with a smile of uncouth but good-humored
apology, he said in explanation:
"Y ou'n excuse me, miss! / don't
know Exactly how you re feein'-for,
judging from your looks and general gait
you're stranger In these parts-but ez
for me, l don't mind sayin' that / don't
feel Exactly safe from these yer road
! agents and stage robbers ontil arter we
| pass Skinner's Station. All along thet
Galloper's Ridge, it's jest tech and go
! like, the woods is swarmin' with 'em.
But once pass SINNERS, you're all right.
! They never dare go below that. SO, ef
| you don't mind, miss, for it's bein' in
| your presence, I'll jest pull off my boots
and ease my feet for spell"
Neither the singular request nor the smile
1t evoked on the faces OF the other pussen-
! gersseemed 10 disturbthe lady y'sabstra ctiOn.
| Scarcely lifting her eyes from her book she
! bowed grave assent.
You see miss, e" lie continued, land you,
! gents" he added, taking the whole coach
/ INTO his confidence, I've got over forty
ounces of clean gold dust in them boots,
! between the upper and lower sole, and its
/ mighty tight packing for my feet He kin
heft It," he said as he removed one boot
/ and held I up before them. 'Iput the dust
/ there for safety, kalkilatin', that while
1 these road gentry allus goes for a mans
/ pockets an his body belt, they never think
/ OF his butes, or haven't time TO go through
! EN-" He looked around him with smile
OF self-satisfaction
The murmur of admiring comment was,
| however, broken by burly-bearded miner
| who sat n the middle seat. "Thct's pretty
! fair, rs far as it goes" he said, snilingly,
! but | reckon il wouldn't 90 fur if you
! 81 n al ,rft a q - la
/ that, gentlemen. and eZ weIe all friends
! here, an the dangers over, don't mind
! teIlin' We. The first thing these yer road
/ agents do, after they've covered the driver
with their shotguns, is 70 make the passen-
! gers get out and hold up heir hands. That,
ma am''-eX explanatory TO the lady who be-
! trayed only languid mterest-"is to keep
! 'en from drawing their reyolverS A re-
! volveri is the last thing n road agent wants,
either III mans hand or in his holster.
! SO l sez to myself, ef siX-shooter amt OF
no account, wut's the use Of Carryin it?'
/ SO l just put my shooting iron in my valise
! when l travel and fill my holster with my
/ gold dust, so. tits deuced sight heavier
! than a revolver, but they don't feel its
weight, an don't keer to come nigh it.
! And I've been hcl up twice on tother side
] Vi litC blN lut lulS yea anu lcAScth LitS
/ every time"
! The applause that followed this revelation
! and the exhibition Of the holster not only
/ threw the farmers exploits into the shade,
| but seemed to excite an emulation among
! the passengers Other methods of securing
the excitement eliminated in the leaning
/ forward OF a passenger who had up 10 that
! moment maintained a reserve almost equal
] IL, 4
! eraI appearance were those of a professional
man; his voice and manner CoToborated
! the presumption
Il don't think gentlemen" he began
I with pleasant smile, that any man OF US
here would like to be called a coward, but
! in fighting with an enemy who never at
| tacks, or even appears, except with de
| liberately prepared advantage on his side
| il is my opinion that a man is not only
| justified in avoiding an unequal encounter
| with him, but in circumventing by every
| means the object of that attack. You have
| all been frank in telling your methods. l
| will be equally so in telling mine, even If
| / have perhaps to confess TO little more
| than YOU have For have not only availcd
myself of a well-known rule OF the robbers
! who infest these mountains to exempt all
women and children from their SpOliation-
| a rule which, of course, they perfectly
! understand gives them sentimental con-
| sideratjon with all Californians-but l
! have / confess, also availed myself of the
! innocent kindness of one of that charming
and Justly eXetnpted sex" He paused and
bowed courteously to the fair unknown.
when l entered this coach had with me
a bulky parcel which was manifestly too
| large for my pockets, yet as evidently too
| small and too valuable to be entrusted to
| the ordinary luggage. Seeing my difficulty,
our charming companion opposite, out of
| the very kindness an d innocence other heart,
| offered to make a place for 1t in her
satchel. which was not full 1 accepted the
| offer iovfully When / state to you, gentle
| men, that that package contained valuable
| Government bon DIS toa considerable amount,
| do so not to claim your praise for any
originality OF my own, but to make this
public ayowal to our fair fellow-passenger
for accepting this most perfect security
! and immunity from the road agent that
has been yet recorded"
With his eyes riveted on the lady's face,
Key saw faint color rise to her other
wise impassive face, which might have
j been called out by the enthusiastic praise
that followed the lawyers confession.
But he was painfuliy conscious Of whatnow
seemed monstrodss situation! Here was
the actual accomplice or confidante of the
road agents calmly receiving the compla
cent and puerile confessions of the men who
were seeking to outsyit them. Could he in
ordinary justice toethem, to himself or the
mission he believed he was pursuing, re-