The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-24
PRESENCE OF MIND.
Served Him Pretty Well, But More Of
1t Would Have Been Useful.

From the San Francisco Examiner.
Its great thing, presence of mind,
and / always regret that somehow l dOa
think Of the right thing until the wrons
time"
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 ana adOrnments
betokened comfortable circums tances.
Il was guard on the Big Bend stage. ]
had been gambler for twenty years. /
knew all the tricks, ana had played every
game in all sorts of ways ana with every
kind of device.
1T was just such a night as this. the
very gentlest of breezes, the moon SO
bright one could read by it, and he
road through the woods was as a white
ribbon. We were bowling along quietly
enough up grade, when at a little turn
We met two hOrsemen coming at a slash
ing gaHop They threw their horses back
on their launches and we We're held up.
Passengers, driver and all were stood
up in row, and one of the bandits guard
ed us while his partner, Pete, he called
him, was soon at work on the box. 1 sus-
pected the driver OF connivance for when
we heard the horses he said it was a cou-
rier coming; he knew OF the trip, and so
threw me off my guard. l was put in d
line alongside the reinsman, and while i
had both eyes on the guard and his part
ner' not move of that rascaHy driver es-
capped me.
"Of course, we all had our minds in
the air and right here let me explain
a little point. Did you ever see a poker
HOlu-OuL. II an ingenious COntrlVance,
which hts beneath your clothing with an
arm extended down the sleeve of your
coat on the inside so regulated that by
q pressure of the elbow the clip at the
end is at the wrist to grip a card or out
Of sight up in the arms. II is a handy af-
talr not TO be caught with, too, for it's
prlma facle evidence, and hanging's too
nttle Tor a man who's known to be ready
70 play with the cOntrivanCe around him
When l quit the game had a set of 'en ;
l took EN- from a fellow from the bay,
n l1.Tf
l wouldn't sell EN- or give EN- away;
some one might think l used such things
myself. So l just quietly worked a pat
ent. l got a pair of single shot derrin-
gers, which would lie in the crook of my
arm, and not rest hard, and l fastened
'em to either clip of them hold-outs. Of
course, when my hands was up, the der
ringers lay snug against my forearm.
had practiced with EN- lots, and knew how
to cramp my elbows, drop my arms lit
tie, and have the little bankers in my
hands.
Il was gradually letting my hands down
once; that is, | was testing the thing
when the guard called me up sharp, fear
ing something, ana made me move away
a mite from the line, where he could watch
me particular and keep the passengers
covered as well. He ordered everybody to
keep still, too, for there was a little bit
of sobbing by a woman in the party, and
a snveling drummer was bemOaning his
fate. Pete was not doing good business
with the box, though, for he was clubbing
away with a hammer, but not making any
Roadway at opening the little safe.
Suddenly the opening came. The guard
was getting impatient, and cursing Pete,
when with a smash the hinges broke. Pete
gave an exclamation, and the guard turn
ed his head-only for second, though,
but that was enough, Tor mao been watch
ing him, and it was no great thing to take
advantage of the chance.
Like a fash my arms had dropped, and
those little 3S-caliber pops We're in my
hands. With my right I dropped the guard
the bullet going through his head. shot