The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1899-02-09
TALES OF PLUCK
and ADVENTURE.
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A Grs.t E,hlhItlon Of Nerre.

cit was down in New Mexico, in the
palmy days of the cheerful pastimes
the citizens of that region were wont
10 indulge in that Joe Lathrop was
called upon to exercise nerve OF a
peculiar brand, relates an old-timer
in the Sun. Joe had come into that
delectable country with $500 in gold,
which he was very solicitous about,
for it was his intention to make his
fortune with it by investing it in gold
mine a friend of his said he had dis
covered, few miles from Pueblo. Joe
and his friend, with other travellers,
were on their way to Pueblo in the
coach that carried the mail, and it was
suddenly stopped in one of the widest
spots in all that country, and three
rough looking individuals, each at the
butt end of a rife, ordered the pas
sengers to tumble out and line up,
with their hands about their heads.
One Of the three robbers was set to
guard the held-up passengers with
emphatic instructions to blow hole
through the first one of them that
moved hand or foot, while the other
two looted the stage. Joe was scared.
He had stood there in strained posi-
ton for FIVE minutes, looking square
into the muzzle of a rifle, when he
rolled his eyes downward to get more
pleasing thing to look at, but he didn't.
He saw a centipede at least eight
inches long, one of the terrors of that
region, hurrying along directly toward
| town.
1T was soon at the tip of his shoe,
but, to his intense relief, it avoided
the obstacle and passed on. 1t only
went as far as his heel, though. Then
it climbed upward and the first thing
Joe knew the hideous and deadly
thing was climbing his leg under his
trousers, as he knew by the pricking
of the long rows of sharp claws. in his
flesh. Joe knew that the least move
ment he made would disturb the SEN
sitive and acrimonious varmint and it
would instantly sink every one of its
many claws into his flesh and squirt
into his blood from each claw its quota
of deadly venom. And there Joe stood,
doubly held up. If he moved a
hand the desperate on guard
would fill him with lead. If he
moved muscle of his leg the cent?
pede would fill him with poison.
Slowly the centipede climbed the leg,
leaving its itching, burning track in
the flesh, something in itself almost
beyond human endurance. Joe
didn't know how soon the centipede
might got mad at something and sock
its venom points into him, anyhow,
but he did know that the robber
would soon be through with searching
the stage and then begin going
through his pockets, while the cent?
pede was exploring him, thus disturb
ing it and inducing its singing him.
The centipede made its way de-
liberately up one leg, then across
Joe's back to the other leg, down
which it moved more deliberately
still, pausing now and then as if it had
a notion to go up again. 1t did start
back up the leg once, and Joe was
on the point of dropping his hand in
hope that the robber would put him
out of his misery by shooting him,
when the centipede turned and went
down again, and kept on going until
it came out at the bottom of the trous-
ers leg and went scurrying away.
Joe shut his eyes and gave one long
breath, and was on the point of re-
lieving himself with a yell, let the
consequences be what they might,
when the individual with the rifle ex-
claimed:
"'Say, pardl you got more nerve
than six-hoss wagon could lug
Blamed if ! could a stood that Teller
. wigglin' over me myself
THAT cold.blooded reprobate had
seen the centipede go up into Joe's
trousers leg, and knew all the while
what Joe was suffering, and just stood
there apd watched what the result
was going to bel The robbers made
off as soon as they had secured all the
plumber, and the looted stage and
passengers went on to Pueblo. Aud
that was the sort of nerve Joe Lathrop
had to have with him that memorable
day. A year afterward Joe was one
of posse that pursued a gang of rob-
bers near North Juan, IN Nevada.
Joe discovered one of the gang hiding
behind rock. He shot the despers-
do dead, and when he saw his face
Joe declared he was happy, for he rec
ognized the man who had held him up
during the Pueblo stage robbery that
time and gloated over his experience
with the centipede."