Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-07-04

my money, thats all! Id Just like to
catch them at itr
81 couldn't help smiling amusedly.
Why, what would you do?'
asked him, grinning right in his teeth
I 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 relieve me of a copper
cent, and don't you fail to remember
thatp
1.-THE little man, who, as 1 after
ward ascertained, was on his way to
California for his health, looked SO
puH-toady ana fierce while he was
getting OF these brave remarks that 1
couldn't help but laugh in his face.
That nettled him a trife, but 1
smoothed it over and made a remark
or SO 10 him about the general matter
of train hold-ups.
"'My friend said I in conclusion,
the only advice can give you is, if
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't
get gay. Don't endeavor to be frivolous
with man that's got the edge on you
with A caliber lead-spitter.
- Al
me, that's alll' exclaimed the little
man fercely, and then we changed the
subject.
"Well, at about 8 O'Clock that night
we pulled up at little station called
Tyrone to give the engine drink. We
only halted there about four minutes,
but it was long enough. The train
hadn't got more than five miles out OF
Tyrone before We hoard lot of shots
up forward-the smoker was the
second car from the engine-and the
train came to halt. The wheels had
scarcely ceased to revolve when the
front door of the smoker was thrown
open with bang, and the command
rang through the car like the crack Of
O whip:
Everybody put 'em upl Quickp
"a tall, raw boned man, with
struggling red mGstache, 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 all over. I 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. 1 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 fumbliug with his right hand
before it went up in the air.
'Seein' that my podner's busy
keepin' tab on tn loco driver said
the raw-b boned bandit-he didn't wear
any mask, and there was certain
twinkle to his eyes as he spoke-T'll
jes' ask you gentlemen to spring what
you've got on you with one hand at
time, as 1 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 fathers 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
eagle-eyed species, and he seemed to
see all hands in the car Mt once He
walked sideways dowD the aisle 80 as
to make sure that he wouldn't be
plunked from behind after passing
along. He was q scientist in his bust
ness, all right, was that raw boned
man, and he didn't miss Il trick.
Every man up forward unquestionably
passed over his belongings to be
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 to worry about what 1
was going to lose when it came my
turn. He had gone as white as sheet
and he looked more ghsstly as the
raw-boned robber approached him.
Finally it came to his turn. The rob-
Der 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 fst-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 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 a minute
later we were all ON top of him at
on e.
"'You will try to appropriate what
doesn't belong you, hey, dog gone
your the dyspeptic-looking little man
mutterel standing oyer tho bl;ndad