The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-04-08
IN HIS PASSENGERS MuFF.
He Saw n CLEAN of Steel That Put Him
on His Guard.


He Saw n Gleam of Steel That Put Him
on His Guard.
A party of we'll known oil-men, who
have followed the producing business
from its infancy and have worked in
all its different branches, from drip
ping oil to running several sets Of
tools as contractors. We're at the union
depot waiting for the train on their
way to the Mcdonald field, says the
Oil City Derrick, when the talk drifted
to old times and narrow escapes they
had seen, and personal "reminiscences.
One of the party, who had quietly
listened to the talk, pulled ~nervously
at his toby and remarked:
Talk about scares. boys, did l ever
tell you of the scare I had in the '7O's,
when l was running the tools in the.
Millerstown feldP You know the time
that young fellow who came up from
Butler and started u pop factory in
Millerstown. and after making collec-.
tions in Butler of over $500 was way
laid OF the road, shot through the,
head, and his body found in the.
woods. where it had been dragged
by the murderer, with the pock-
cts of the clothing rifed and no.
clew to the thief. 1t was a short time
after that-in the winter. There had
been a heavy snow and the sleighing-
was splendid, and l had a 4-year-old colt
thai cost me $3.50 when it was a year
old, and that did not take dust from
anything that travelled in the middle
oil field. The nan | was drilling for
was sick and sent me word to come to,
Butler and he would pay me for work
done on his four wells that month. L
drove i've bright and early and got a,
check for 81, 100. l met several
friends, and, being IN no special hurry,
l drove around town until nearly time
for the bank to close. AS l got the
cash and turned l saw a mar eying
the money SO greedily that an involun-
tary SILVER of fear passed over me. 7
forgot the incident and monkeyed
around in the town until nearly 10.
o'clock that night, when l started for
home.
HALF way home was the piece of
dark woods in which the body of the
young pop-maker had been found. AS
| looked at the side of the road | shiv-
cred with apprehension in spite of the
Dutch courage | had absorbed that
evening, as l saw some n trudging
along in the road ahead of me, but felt
relieved when l saw it was a wonan
The woman stopped and in a hoarse
voice explained that her daughter,
who lived up the road. had beer taken
suddenly sick and she was on her way
to visit her, and asked for a lift. Glad
to have company. l helped her into
the sleigh and offered to take her muff,
but she kept it in her other hand.
Jolting over a rough piece of road she
pulled n hand out of the muff and
my heart grew cold with fear. |
caught the glitter of steel as the moon
shone through an open place in the
woods.
with a presence of mind that |
wonder at to this day 1 cut the horse
savagely with the whip and dropped
it by the side of the road. Explain
ing to the woman that the horse could
not be held by any one but myself,
begged her to get out and pick up my
whip. She carefully deposited her
muff in the bottom of the sleigh and
sprung uuJ AS soon as she struck
the ground | shouted to the colt who
unused to the whip and spirited, wenl
like a shot from a gun. AS he started
| heard an unmistakable masculine
oath behind me, and, expecting a bull.
let in the back every minute, l crouched
over in the sleigh. The ride was the
longest l ever had before and since
until the jangles of the bells brought
my wife to the door. put the horse
UP. and as l took out the blankets
picked up the muff and carried it into
the house. Inside was a revolver o.
heavy calliber, with ali six of It's
chambers fully loaded. l stayed awake
that night and in the morning PAID
off my men.