Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-08-15

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Igreeting, and retreated modestly into
the doorway. Two or three tUw-head-
ed children peeped out from behind
her skirts at the stage people.
"The schoolma'am's going down this
morning." said the postmistress.
"We're pretty we'll loaded" said
Tennessee.
I thought 80, too, and wondered
where we would put the schoolmis-
tress 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 fngers-pre-
sumably to the children, but 1 thought
with intention to show us how be
managed those things with the ladies.
A few rods beyond we stopped, and a
sun burned girl came out.
"Good morning." she. called, in q
fresh, clear voice, shave you room for
me ?"
"Oh, yes," answered the obliging
Tennessee always room for one more.
Got any trunks?"
ayes, two )" and she glanced apollo
getically at two enormous Saratogas
which stood just by the door.
We wondered where they would be
lput, but Tennessee never hesitated.
The trunks were placed somewhere on
the back, and our driver sprang nlmb-
lily into his seat again. We started of
on brisk trot, and Tennessee launch
ed forth in a string of thrilling nara
tive.
"See that hole over there? ?" he said.
"a friend of mine dug out $4,000 in
one day there. He wants to sell the
mine now. I'm the agent. I tell you
that I get more of that sort of thing
than I can attend to. Why, I make
more than four times my wages just
selling out claims. Don't want to buy
a claim now. do you? No? Well,
here's something more interesting
than claims-for a paying business
beats claims all hollow-that's stage
trobbing. See that tree over yonder ?
That's where I was held up last
time-robber didn't get anything,
though. That's onct when he miscal-
culated."
1 looked about quickly. We were
now in dusty wilderness of pine and
chaparral. Not sign of human habi-
tation near. Tennessee saw my ner-
vous glance.
"Mighty lonesome looking now,
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" !"
1 felt my blood run cold. I had not
seen the bullet holes before. The
timid man gave vent to an audible.
!" and the others preserved ar
awe-struck silence.
"Why, continued Tennessee, ~ CUES.
every stone an tree has hid its robbel
some time or other long here. I've
had Is or 20 holdups, an that's moth
ing compared to some of the old
timers"
"Do you think there is any danger
at this particular time?" inquired the
timid man.
"Why, that's hard to TELL" said
Tennessee, obviously. at was just
here where we had that last holdup
two months ago, an one of the rassen-
gers an two of the robbers was killed.
The papers never got the straight of
that. You see, it was that holdup
which showed me that the little widder
postmistress was stuck on me. was
coming along here that day-had on a
Wells Fargo shotgun messenger and q
lot of passengers. There was about
$1,000 in bullion under the seat, an
the messenger held loaded gun in his
hand all the time. When we got just
bout here, coming up the hill, I saw
the bushes move right there, an I said,
kinder under my breath, robbers = I
whipped out my pistol, an the messen-
ger aimed his gun but, Lordy ! who
do you think it was? Why, the little
postmistress back there. We came
nigh shooting her. She looked frigh-
tened nigh to death, an was white as
a ghost.
"'Don't shoot she said, kinder soft
like. -Four men are going to rob the
stage. I heard them planning it.
They want to stop you before you get
to the top of the grade, but if you
hurry, you'll get there first, an maybe
can git away on the down grade.
Good bye, an lie quick, an she got
out of sight in a twinkling. Done that
for me, you see. We never waited to
thank her. That's one thing object
to in these here mountains-you've got
to sacrifice politeness sometimes.
"Well, I just gave my horses cut,
and they jumped forward. That
plucky little woman got out of sight
pretty burned quick-had a horse, l
guess. Well, we got to the top of the
the hill first, an by Jupiter snupgrass
excuse me, always use strong Ian
guage when l get excited-right on
tho othar side uas fnur m ask ed men a.