The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-03-28

.
They Carried the Old Man Ia"
first. Bob had the maglz no Of his
Winchester well filled. and h" Just
pumped lead into them roll CrS so fast
that they must have thought that there
was a dozen Of him. They didn't fir" Il
single shot. There was no shelter for
them III the canyon. 50 they just flew
down the trail. taking up the diSmoInt-
cd rOhhCr on one of the 9th = horses.
Bob kept popping away. but he didn't
hit anything, and the robbers never
stopped until they disappeared up tn"
valley. After Bob had recovered from
his scare he climbed down the hill to
the dead horse. and finding a good
blanket tied 10 the saddle, he apprO-
priatCd il as one of the spells Of war.
When he opened it up there was about
5000 in gold bullion, The stHgc rob
bed was carrying gold bullion from
some mining camp 10 the mint al Den
yer.
Bob had no idea where it came
from. because he didn't know what
part Of the country he was in. But he
took the bullion along with the hSSket
and added them both TO the roll behind
his own saddle. and started to make
himself scarce. thinking that the rob
berS might come back. In half an hour
it was dark. He lost his way and wan
dcrcd around in the mountains for
three days. He had intended 70 tell
the first people he met and restore the
gold. but when he fell in with two
prospcctOrS he was afraid to tell for
&c.. ,la.. ,-l,,Il r,,rpIly. him for tho
money Next day he reached a cattle
ranch. but still he kept his secret. as
he feared that he was not far from the
scene of his first trouble.
wealthy, But Poor.
Two DAYS afterwards he reached a
little railroad town. where he saw a
cowboy selling his pony and saddle by
auction. He sold his own and bought
a ticket for Denver. Then he got pam
icky again. He thought that every man
on tn. train was an office or a dctec-
tive looking for Stage-robberS and run
away cowboys. He was now afraid 81
being accused Of completely in the stage
robbery. He l0ngcd to BE- back on the
old Iowa farm. He determined to go
home and negotiate the return OF the
bullion at "A safe distance. He took a
small piece of the bullion up town to
a icwcler and offered it for sale. The
man asked him where he got it. He
told him that he got It in the noun
tainS. which was true. The lPWClpr
gave him about OnC-third the value OF
the bullion in grecnbaCkS. showing he
believed the bullion had been stolen.
BOB learned that a poor man with ms
blankets loaded down with gold was an
object of suspicion. He began to
scheme to get rid Of the gold. He
walked down to the river and was
going to throw it in. but some III
seemed TO be always happening along
at the wrong time. He became salts
fed that he was watched. He went to
a lodging house. engaged a room, left
his blankets and the aCcursed gold he
hind in the room. and. lodging out the
back way. hurried to me depot. No
train out for twelve hours. He hustled
back to his room for fear some n
migEtcxamine his blankets and notify
the police. But the roll was all right.
He was new convinced that he could
not escape detection. He had regis
tered under an assumed name, ana he
determined TO stick to it and avoid dis
SldtllS HIS 1dlllIN - "'hA w ''N
depot at train time. boldly carrying
his blankets and the gold concealed in
them. and was surprised when he was
not arrested at the ticket window. He
LETT Denver at last, and, after lodging
from one place to another, reaChSi
Carson. New. where he exchanged the
bullion for currency. He by this time
felt that he had delayed his confession
too long. and with the fear of the pen
itentiary on him he struck off into
Idaho. He bought a small herd of cat
tie and soon had n fine ranch. Then he
married a girl whose dad owned n
store in BoiSey. The old man died and
left him the store. Bob got richer
every day. went to the legislature.
built Il fine house in town, sent his
children East to school and was gen
orally prosperous, but he V made
any inquiries about that stage robbery.
He only knows that it took place some
where in Colorado. and that he got
one-third Of the Doodle. And he is now
continually tOrmented with the fear
that the story will come out on him.
He has been putting off n visit to his
people in Ioway because he hates to
tell it. He asked me what TO do. |
told him tn saw nothing. but saw wood