The Opelousas courier., 1895-05-18

week l had twelve people on board
two women an a kid here In front, an
one of the front wheels rolled off RICH
on this dcwn-grade, an rolled a hun
dred yards down the road, an we jus
settled down a kind o comfortable like
an l never spilled a person or broke
screw. Oh, I'll get you through safe
you can rest easy on that"
We were trotting along at a lively
rate, and I glanced nervously at thu
heavy axles. l hoped devoutly that the
wheels were secure.
Tennessee continued his talk with
the most nonchalant air, as If brake:
and wheels and things of that kline
were of minor consideration. 'Thi:
house we are coming to is the only
post Office between Murphy's an
Angels" he said. mice little woman
keeps it-mighty sweet on me-plucky
too, l can tell you.'
We drew up at the door, and a kind
ly faced woman came out with the
mail bag. She gave us a little nod Of
greeting and retreated modestly into
the doorway. Two or three tow
headed children peered out from be
hind her skirts at the stage people.
1.-THE school ma'am's going down this
morning." said the postmistress.
Were pretty we'll loaded" said
Tennessee. l thought SO, too, and
wondered where we would put the
schoolmistress; but Tennessee seemed
equal to any emergency. He started
the horses.
Good morning to you, ma'am," he
called to the woman, and waited a
kiss from the tips of his ingers-pre-
sumably to the children, but l thought
with intention to show US how he
managed those things with the ladies.
A few rods beyond we stopped, and a
sun-burned girl came out.
Good morning." she called In a
fresh. clear voice; ''havo you room for
me?"
"Oh, yes" answered the obliging
Tennessee; always room for n more.
Got any trunks?"
"Yes, two" and she glanced apol-
ogetically at two enormous Saratogas
which stood just by the door. We won
dered where they would be put, but
Tennessee never hesitated. The trunks
were placed somewhere on the back
and u driver sprang nimbly into his
seat again. We started off on a brisk
trot, and Tennessee launched forth in
a string of thrilling narrative.
"See that hole over there?" he said.
"A friend Of mine dug out three
thousand dollars in one day there. He
wants to sell the mine now. I'm the
agent. l tell you that I get more of
that sort of thing than I car attend to.
Why, l make more than four times my
wages just selling out claims. Don't
want to buy a claim, now, do you?
Nc? Well, here's something more in
teresting than claims-for a paying
business beats claims all hollow-that's
where 1 was held up last time-robber
didn't get anything, though. That's
onct when he miscalculated."
1 looked about quickly. We were
now i'll a dusty wilderness Of pine and
chaparral. Not a sign of human habit
alton near. Tennessee saw my nervous
glance.
AGy 1oACSOulC 1COhtuR uO"e
amt it? See them bullet holes In my
stage cover? Them was put in when
we were attacked by six robbers over
here by Joaquin Murietta's old home"
felt my blood run cold. l had not
seen the bullet holes before. The timid
mar gave ven to In audible "Ah!" and
the others preserved an awestruck ST.
lence.
"Why," continued Tennessee, II
guess every stone an tree has hid its
robber some time Or other long here.
I've had fifteen or twenty hold-ups, an
that's nothing compared to some Of the
old timers"
DO you think there Is any danger
at this particular timer" inquired the
timid maa.
"Why, that's hard to tell" said Ten
nessee, obviously. cts just here
where we had that last hold-up two
months ago, an one Of the passengers
an two of the robbers was killed. The
papers never got the straight of that.
You see, it was that hold-up that
showed me that the little wilder post
mistress was stuck on me.
II vas coming along here that day
had on a Wells-Fargo shotgun messen-
ger and a lot of passengers. There
was about hundred thousand dol
lars In bullion under the seat, an the
messenger held a loaded gun in his
hand all the time. When we got just
bout here, coming up the hill l saw the
move right there, an / said,
kinder under my breath: 'Robbers! l
whipped out my pistol an the mes
senger aimed his gun; but, Lordy! who
do you think it was? Why, the little
back there. We came
nigh shooting her. She looked fright
ened nigh to death an was white as a
ghost.
Don't shoot she said, kinder soft
ike. -Four men are going to rob the
/ heard them planning it. They
want to stop you before you git to the
,op Of the grade, but if you hurry
you'll git there first, an maybe can git
away on the down grade. Good-by,
be quick and she got out of sight
n a twinkling. Done that for me, you
zee. We never waited to thank her.
one thing / object to in these
lere mountains-you've got to sacrifice
sometimes.
well, / just gave my horses a cut,
m they jumped forward. That plucky
title woman got out Of sight pretty
turned quick-had a horse, I guess.
Veil, we got to the top OF the hill first,
n by Jupiter snupgrass!-ex-cuse me,
use strong language when | git
'xcited-right on the other side was
our masked men a-coming it up the
ill as hard as they could tear"