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

never thinks of his butes, or haven t
time to go through EN- He looked
! around with a smile of self satisfac-
ton.
The murmur of admiring comment
was, however, broken by a burly
bearded miner who sat in the middle
seat. "Thet's pretty fair, as far as it
goes he said smilingly, "but reckon
it wouldn't go far eff you started to
run. I've got simpler game than
! that, gentlemen, and ez we're all
friends here, and the dangers over, I
don't mind tellin' ye. The first thing
these road agents do, after they've
covered the driver with their shot
guns, is to make the passengers get
out and hold up their hands. That,
ma am'-explanator to the lady, who
| betrayed only languid interest-''is to
keep 'em from drawing their revolvers
A revolver is the last thing a road
agent wants, either in mans hand
or in his holster So I SEE to myself,
EFF six-shooter amt of no account,
wots the use of carryin' itr So 1 just
put my shootin' iron in my valise
when L travel and fill my holster with
my gold dust, sol It's a deuced sight
| heavier than a revolver, but they
don't keer to come nigh it. And I've
| been held up twice on t'other side of
the Divide this year and I passed naee
every time
The applause that followed this rev.
elation and the exhibition of the hoI-
ster not only threw the farmers ex-
ploits into the shade, but seemed to
excite an emulation among the passen-
! gers. Other methods of securing their
property were freely discussed, but the
excitement eliminated in the leaning
| forward of a passenger who had up
to that moment maintained a reserve
almost equal to the fair unknown. His
dress and general appearance were
those of a professional man; his voice
| and manner corroborated the presump-
ton.
II don't think, gentlemen he be-
gan with a pleasant smile, that any
man Of US here would like to be called
a coward, but in fighting with an en-
envy who never attacks or even ap-
pears, except with deliberately pre-
pared advantage on his side, it is my
! opinion that man is not only justi-
fed 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. 1 will be equally SO in tell
ing mine, even if [ have perhaps to
confess to little more than you have.
For [ have not only awaited myself of
we'll known rule of the robbers who
infest these mountains to exempt all
| women and children from their spoila-
| tion-a rule which, of course, they per-
fectly understand gives them a senti-
mental consideration with all Californ-
| ians-but 1 have, 1 confess, also
availed myself of the innocent kind
ness of one Of that charming and justly
exempted sex" He paused and bowed
courteously to the fair unknown.
| When [ entered this coach I had with
me a bulky parcel which was manifest
~ too large for my pockets, yet as evil
IDENTIFY too small and too valuable to
be entrusted to the ordinary luggage.
! Seeing my difficulty, my charming
companion opposite, out of the very
| indeness and innocence of her heart,
offered to make a place for it in her
satchel, which was not full [ accepted
the offer joyfully. When 1 state. to you
gentlemen that the package contained
valuable government bonds to a con-
siderable amount, [ do so not to claim
your praise for any originality Of my
own, but to make this public avowa1 to
our fair fellow passenger for accepting
this most perfect security and immuni-
ty from the road agent that has yet
been recorded"
With his eyer riveted on the lady's
face, Key saw a faint color arise to her
otherwise impressive face, which might
have been called out by the enthusiasts
tic praise that followed the lawyers
confession. But he was painfully con-
scious of what now seemed to him a
monStrous situation! Here was the &C
tual accomplice or confident of the road
agents calmly receiving the complacent
and puerile confession of the men who
were seeking to outWit them. Could he,
in ordinary justice to them, to himself,
or the mission he believed he was pur-
suing, refrain from exposing her-or
warning them privately? But was he
certain? Was a vague remembrance
of a profile momentarily seen-and as
he must even now admit-inconsistent
with the full face he was gazing at,
sufficient for such an occasion? More
than that was the protection she had
apparently afforded the lawyer con-
sistent with the function of an accom-
plice
"Then if the danger is over,' said the
lady gently, reaching down to draw her
satchel from under the seat, Il suppose
[ may return it to you
by no meansl Don't trouble your
self! Pray allow me to still remain
your debtor-at least as far as the next
station" said the lawyer CALAMITY.
The lady uttered a languid sigh,
sank back in her seat, and calmly set
X,
Key felt his cheeks beginning to burn
with the embarrassment and shame of
his evident miScpnception And here
he was on his way to Marysville to
follow a woman for whom he felt he no
longer cared, and for whose pursuit he
had no longer the excuse of justice.
Then [ understand that you have
twice seen these road agents. said the
professional man, turning to the miner.
''Of course you could be pble u iden-
tify them?"
mary a man! You see they're all
masked and only one of 'em ever
speaks
"The leader or chief?'
mo, the orator"
The orator. repeated the profess
sional man in amazement.
''Well, you see, I call him the orator,
for he's mighty glib with his tongue
and reels off all he has to say like as
if he had it by heart. He's mighty
rough on you, too, sometimes, for all
his high-toned style. Eff he thinks a
man is hidin' anything he jest scalps
him with his tongue, and blamed if I
don't think he likes the chance of
doin' it. He's got a regular set speech,
and he's bound to go through it all,
even if he makes everything wait and
runs the risk of capture. Yet he ain t
the chief-and even, I've heard folks
say, amt got any responsibility if he's
took, for he don't tech anybody or
anybody's money-and couldn't be
prosecuted. I reckon he's some sort
e 1-..z II L. i