Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-06-21


81 couldn't help smiling amusedly.
why, what would you do?'
asked him, grinning right ir his teeth
Il couldn't have helped it to save
me.
Never you mind, sir, what I'd
dop said the little man, choppily. I'D
take good care that they didn't get
any of my goods, however! I'd fix
'em! Yes, stree, the train robber
doesn't walk in shoe leather that's
ever going to elieve me of copper
cent, and don't you fail to remember
thatp
''The little man, who, as I after
ward ascertained, was on his way to
California for his health, looked so
putf-toady and fierce while he was
getting off these brave remarks that
couldn't help but laugh in his face.
That nettled him trife, but
smoothed it over and made a remark
or so to him about the general matter
of train ho!d-ups.
My friend, said I in conclusion,
the only advice l can give you is, il
any of these chaps ever comes along
your way and asks you to call heaven
to witness with your hands pointing
to the zenith, just you do it, that s ALL
and do it in hurry; do it a-running
be nice and good about it, and don''
get gay. Don't endeavor to be frivolous:
with man that's got the edge on yor
with 45 caliber lead-spitter.
"'Just let one of 'em try it witt
me, that's all!' exclaimed the little
man fiercely, and then we changed the
subject.
"Well, at about Q o'clock that night
we pulled up at little station called
Tyrone to give the engine drink. We
but it was long enough. The trair
hadn't got more than five miles out o.
Tyrone before we heard lot OF shots
up forward-the smoker was the
second car from the engine-and the
train came to a halt. The wheels had
scarcely ceased to revolve when the
front door of the smoker was thrown
open with bang, and the commc:d
rang through the car like the clack Of
whip:
Everybody put 'em up! Quick?
ga tall, raw boned man, with a
struggling red mustache, stood in the
door calmly waving his gun from side
to side with the characteristic move
ment of an expert gun-fanner. He
looked business oil over. 1 decided
instantly-Pd put my hands up before
I'd done any deciding, however-that
he wasn't any amateur, and that he
was going to get all that was coming
to him. [ couldn't help but notice
that the dyspeptic-looking little man
in front OF me threw up his hands
with the rest. although he did little
bit of fumbling with his right hand
before it went up in the air.
"'Seein' that m. podner's busy
keepin' tab on TIL loco.driver, said
the raw-boned bandit-he didn't wear
any mask, and there was a certain
twinkle to his eyes as he spoke-I'll
jes' ask you gentlemen to spring what
you've got on you with one hand at
time, as l pass along, and I'll do the
rest
"He wore hickory bag, suspended
by string around his neck, in front
OF him--a bag similar to those worn
by carpenters or lathers for holding
nails-and he just reached out his left
hand and dropped wallets, watches
and chains and loose rolls into the bag
as he passed along. None of the vic
Tins had chance to hold out any
thing on him, for he was one of the
eage-eyed species, and he seemed to
see all hands in the car at once. He
xyollr al c;lamoxo 1ow,, tba al GO
to make sure that he wouldn't be
plunked from behind after passing
along. He was scientist in his busi-
ness, all right, was that -boned
man, and he didn't miss trick.
Every man up forward unquestionably
passed over his belongings to lie
dropped into that roomy bag. The
little man with the Bostonese accent
amused me, with his hands sticking
up there as rigid as poles. that al
most forgot 10 worry about what /
was going to !oss when it came my
turn. He had gone as white as a sheet
and he locked more ghastly as the
raw-bone' robber approached him.
Finally it came to his turn. The rob-
ber looked him over with half grin.
"'Sorry, my sawed-off friend, the
robber started to say, when, puff! the
right hand of the dyspeptic-looking
little man opened with cat-like
rapidity aud the robber got 6st-full
OF red pepper square in the eyes He
let out an howl, and the little man
dropped to the floor like flash. So
did ], for that matter.
"'The robber, yelled like a mad
man, lowered his gun hand and groped
around with it, and half second later
he was butted in the stomach with all
the force the little man from New
England had in his head. That
doubled the robber up, and minute
later we were all on top of him at
once.
"'You will try to appropriate what
doesn't belong you, hey, dog, gone
your the dyspeptic-looking little man
muttered, standing over the blinded
l. l. IL e..