The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-25

fIt can't be Three Pines yet" said
a passengers voice, in which the lazi-
ness of sleep still fingered, ''or else
we've snoozed over five mile. [ don't
see no lights; Wot are we stoppin'
for?' The other passengers struggled
to an upright position. One nearest
the window opened it; it's place was
instantly occupied by the double muz-
zle of a shotgun! No one moved. In
the awe-stricken silence the voice of
the driver rose in drawing prOtesta-
ton.
1T faint no business O. mine, but
it sorter strikes me that you chaps
a-playin' it just a little too fine this
time! 1t amt three miles from Three
Pine station, and forty men, Of
course, that's your look out-not
miner
The audacity of the thing had evil
IDENTIFY struck even the usually tact
turn and phlegmatic driver into his
first expostulation on record.
Your thoughtful consideration does
you great credit said a voice from the
darkness, 'and shall be promptly pre-
sented to our manager, but at the
same time we wish it understood that
we do not hesitate te take any risks
in strict attention to our business and
our clients. In the meantime you will
expedite matters and give your pas
sengers a chance to get an early tea
at Three Pines by handing down that
treasure box and mail pouch. Be care
full in handling that blunderbuss you
keep beside it; the last time it unfor-
tunately went off, and I regret to say
slightly wounded one of your passen-
gers. Accidents of this kind, interfer-
ing, as they do, with the harmony and
pleasure of our chance meetings, can
not be too highly deplored."
by goshp' calculated an outside
passenger in an audible whisper.
Thank you, sir said the voice
quietly, but as I overlooked you,
will trouble you now to descend with
| the others
The voice moved nearer, and by the
| light of flaming bulI's-eye cast upon
/ the coach it could be seen to come
from a stout, medium-sized man with
/ a black mask, which, however, showed
! half of a smooth, beardless face and an
| affable yet sarcastica1 mouth. The
| speaker cleared his throat with the
| slight preparatory cough of the prac-
/ ticed orator, and, approaching the
window, to Keys intense surprise,
actually began in the identical pro-
fessiona1 rhetorical style previously in
| Dictated by the miner.
circumstances over which we have
no control, gentlemen, compel us to
| oblige you to alight, stand in a. row on
one side, and hold up your hands. You
will find the attitude not unpleasant
after your cramped position in the
coach, while the change from its con-
! fined air to the wholesome night
| breeze of the Sierras cannot but prove
salutary and refreshing. 1t will also
enable us to relieve you of such So
| called valuaIbles and treasures in the
way of gold dust and coin which, 1
regret to say, too often are misapplied
in careless hands, and which the
| teachings of the highest morality dis
| tinctly denominate as the root OF all
evil! 1 need not inform you, gentlemen,
| as business men, that prOmptitude and
| celebrity of compliance will insure dis
patch and shorten an interview which
! has been sometimes needlessly and,
regret to say, painfully protracted."
He drew back deliberately with the
same monotonous precision of habit,
and disclosed the muZzleS of his con-
federates' weapons still leveled at the
passengers. In spite OF their astonish-
! ment, indignation, and discontinue,
his practiced effrontery and deliberate
display appeared in some way TO
| touch their humorous sense, and one o.
two smiled Historically as they rose
and hesitatingly filed out of the vehi-
Gle 1t is possible, however, that the
! levelled shotguns contributed more or
less directly to this result
Two masks began to search the pas
sengers under the combined focus of
the bull's-eyes, the shining gun barrels,
and a running but still carefully pre-
pared commentary from the spokes-
man: 'It is to be regretted that bust
ness men, instead of intrusting their
property to the custody of the regu-
larly constituted express agent, still
continue to secrete it on their persons,
/ a custom that, without enhancing its
security, is not only an injustice to the
express company, but q, great detri-