Semi=weekly graphic., 1896-11-18
TOO SLOW.
THIS MAN THINKS HE LACKED PRES
ENcE OF MIND.

Should Have Shot the Near Man with His
Left stu he Did Considerable E4ecu-
tlon When Tho BIG bend Stage Was
Robbed.
cts great thing, presenceof mind
and 1 always regret that somehow
don't think of the right thing until the
wrong 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 and adoInments
betokened comfortable circumstances.
81 was guard on the Big Bend stage.
had been gambler for 20 years |
knew all the tricks. and had played ov-
cry game III all sorts of ways and with
every kind of device. 1t was just such
night as this, the very gentlest Of
breezes, the moon - bright one could
read by it, and the road through the
woods was as white as "a white ribbon.
We were bowling along quietly enough
up grade, when at little turn we
met two horsemen coming at slashing
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 tbs
box. / suspected the driver Of conniy~
unce, for when we heard the horses he
said it was courier coming. He knew
of the trip, and so threw me off my
guard. / was put up in n line alongside
the reinsman, and while | 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 i'll
the air-and right here let me explain
little point Did you ever see Il 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 q pressure Of the elbow the clip
at the end is at the wrist to grip "a card
on out of sight up III the arms 1t is a
handy affair not to be caught with, too,
for it is prima faeie evidence, and hang.
ing's too little for man who's known
to be ready TO play with the contriYance
about him. When Iquit the game l had
set of EN-; l took 'em from fellow
from the bay who came up to earn an
honest dollar 1 wouldn't sell 'em or
give 'em away; some one might think
l used such things myself So l just
quietly worked patent. ! got pair OF
single shot derringers, which would he
in the crook Of my arm and not rest
hard, and | fastened 'em TO either clip
of them hold outs OF course, when my
hands were up the de1ringers lay snug
against my forearm. / had practiced
with 'em lots and knew just how to
cramp my elbows, drop my arms q little
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, fearing something and made ME
move away mite from the line, where
he could watch me particular and keep
the passengers covered as we'll He ~
dered everybody to keep still, too, for
there was little bit Of sobbing by a
woman III the party, and snivellng
drummer was benoaning his fate. Pete
was not doing good business with the
box. though, for he was clubbing away
with hammer, but not making any
Roadway at opening the little safe.
Suddenly the opening came. The
guard was getting impatientand cursing
Pete, when with smash the hinges
broke. Pete gave an exclamation, and
the guard turned his head-only for a
second, though, but that was enough,
for / had been watching him. and il
was no great thing to take advantage OF
the chance.
Like a flash my arms had dropped,
and those little IS ealfber pops were in
my hands. With my right | dropped