Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-06-14

1 all, and do 1t IN q hurry 90 II q
running be nice and good about it.
and don't get gay. Don't endeavor
to be frivolous with a mans that got
the edge on you with a 40 calibre
lead-spitter.'
"'Just let one of EN- try it with
me, that's all exclaimed the little
man fercely, and then we changed
the subject.
"Well, at about 9 o'clock that night
we pulled up at a 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 heard 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 revolye when
the front door of the smoker was
thrown open with bang, and the
command rang through the car like
the crack OF a whip
"'Everybody put EN- up ! Quick :!
]
"a 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-tanner. He
looked business all over. decided
instantly-Td put my hands up be-
fore 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 lit
tie man in front of me threw up hls
hands with the rest, although he did
a little bit of fumbling with his right
hand before it went up in the air.
"'Seein' that my podners busy
keepin' tab on tn loco-driver, said
the raw-boned bandit-be didn't wear
any mask, and there was a certain
twinkle to his eyes as he spoke-Ill
es' ask you gentlemen to spring what
you We got on you with one hand at a
time, as I pass along, and I'll do the
rest.
"He wore a hickory bag, suspended
by string around his neck, in front
of him-a bag similar to those worn
by carpenters OF 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
victims had a 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 at once. He
walked side ways down the aisle so as
to make sure that he wouldn't be
plunked from behind after passing
along. He was a scientist in his busi-
ness, all right, was that raw-boned
man, and he didn't miss 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 l almost forgot to worry
about what was going to lose when
it came my turn. He had gone as
white as a sheet and he looked more
ghastly as the raw-boned robber ap-
preached him. Finally it came toihis
turn. The robber looked him over
with a 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 and the robber got fst-full
of red pepper square in the eyes ! He
let out a howl, and the little man
dropped to the floor like fash. So
did l, for that matter.
"'The robber yelled ike a mad
man, lowered his gun hand and groped
around with it, and half a second lat
er 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 to you, hey, dog-gone
you ? the dyspeptio-looking little man
muttered, standing over the blinded
bandit, who was almost insane from
pain. We bound him securely, did
what We could to alleviate his pain,
and put a guard over him. The rob-
Der who was holding up the engine,
hearing the agonized shouts Of his
partner, concluded that there was
nothing doing, and, firing few bluff