Semi=weekly graphic., 1896-07-04
THOUGHT roo SLOW.
THIS MAN THINKS HE LACKED PRES
 ENcE OF MIND.

''Its great thing, presence of mind, and 1 always regret that somehow don't think of the right thing until the wrong time D
 The speaker was a man whose mus tache and hair showed the winter of life was near. His eye was piercing, not shifty, and his clothing and adornments betokened comfortable circumstances.
 q was guard on the Big Bend stage. I had been a gambler for 20 years. knew all the tricks. and had played ev- cry game in all sorts of ways and with every kind of device. It was just such night as this, the very gentlest of breezes, the moon 20 bright one could read by it, and the road through the woods was as white as white ribbon We were bowling along quietly enough up grade, when at little turn we met two horsemen coming at slashlng gallop They threw their horses back on their launches and we were held up.
 Passengers, driver and all were stood up in row, and one of the bandits guarded us while his partner, Pete, he called him, was soon at work on the box I suspected the driver of connlY- ance, for when we heard the horses he said it was a courier coming. He knew of the trip, and so threw me off my guard was put up in a line alongside the reinsman, and while 1 had both eyes on the guard and his partner, not a move of that rascally driver escaped me.
 "Of course, we all had our hands Ill the air-and right here let me explain a little point Did you ever see a poker hold out? It's an ingenious contrivance which fits beneath your clothing. with an arm extending down the sleeve of your coat on the inside, so regulated that by pressure of the elbow the clip at the end is at the wrist to grip card or out of sight up in the arms It is ! handy affair not to be caught with, too, | for it is prima facie evidence, and hang ing's too little for man who's known to be ready to play with the contrivance about him. When Iquit the game had a set of lem; took 'em from fellow from the bay who came up to earn an ] honest dollar. l wouldn't sell 'em or give lem away; some one might think l used such things myself. So l just l quietly worked patent. 1 got pair of ! single shot derringers which would lie 1 i'll the crook of my arm and not rest 1 hard, and l fastened 'em to either clip of them hold outs. Of course, when my hands were up the derringers lay snug against my forearm. 1 had practiced with 'om lots and knew just how to eramp my elbows, drop my arms little and have the little bankers in my hands.
 "I was gradually letting my hands down once; that is, was testing the thing, when the guard called me up I sharp, fearing something, and made me move away mite from the line, where he could watch me particular and keep l the passengers covered as well. He or dered everybody to keep still, too, for i there was little bit of sobbing by woman in the party, and sniveling drummer was bemoaning his fate. Pete was not doing good business with the box, though, for he was clubbing away with hammer, but not making any headway at opening the little safe.
 Suddenly the opening came. The guard was getting impatient and cursing Pete, when with smash the hinges broke Pete gave an exclamation, and 1 the guard turned his head-only for a second, though, but that was enough, l for I had been watching him, and it 1 was no great thing to take advantage of the chance.
 Like a flash my arms had dropped, and those little 38 ealiber pops were in my hands With my right I dropped the guard, the bullet going through his l head. I shot the fellow at the box with my left hand. never was as good shot with my left as with my right, and in addition he was three times as far away So, instead of hitting him in the head, as I tried, only got him in the body. As he turned and drew his gun 1 cried to the people to drop, for l knew l there would be some lively shooting, I l didn't take time to reach for my own 1 gun, but threw myself on the dead rob l Der, catching his bullet as went down.
 1T had the gun of the dead one up in | d 1uOucuA3 anu WAS dDl6 u Kill I clo before any of the passengers were hit l have kicked myself hundred times when remember my absolute lack of self possession. It would have been just as easy for man with presence of mind to have turned the trick with two shots, using the left on the close party, and saved the wound, but I couldn't think fast enough. "--San Francisco Exan,- iner