The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-06-06
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5 A H|CHNAYMAN 5
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ny r. DANA YALE.

| fortune in the far west, :" said old Matt
Benton, in answer tn my query, as we
sat lazily smoking one summer evening
| in front OF the ranchman's comfortable
but quaint old dwelling, situated in a
beautiful valley close under the eastern
slope of the Cascades.
The light ofthe full moon came stream
ing down through the spreading branches
OF giant cottonwood, clearly reveal
ing every line of the old mans sturdy
weatherbeaten face and danced playfully
among the ripples of the clear mountain
stream that rushed joyfully by the door
to join its sister stream in the fair valley
of the Yakima.
"Did you ever hear OF the row had
with the road agents over in Idaho in
the seventies? No? Well it happened
this way:
81 was under contract with Wells-Fargo
to carry express from Cottonwood to
Ruthburg, and had been working for
the company several months without
accident, when one evening an unusually
valuable package came into Cottonwood
on the stage from the north and was
turned over to the express agent to be
forwarded to Ruthburg. During the day
an ugly pair OF strangers were seen lott
ering about the village, asking curious
questions Of the inhabitants, and by
some chance they put up at the same
hotel where | made my headquarters.
The agent had noticed them as well as
myself, and when telling me about my
bundle for the morrow, he cautioned
me to be on the lookout. As | went to
bed that night, told the landlord to call
me as soon as the moon rose, as l did
not like the complexion of things and
desired to make an early start.
ut seemed to me ! had been asleep
but few minutes when there came
light knock on my door, but when
jumped out OF bed and into my clothes
l found the first rays OF the rising moon
creeping in through the heavy shutters
of my window.
Taking my boots in my hand crawled
carefully out of the window on to the
roof Of the shed, and dropping to the
ground found the express agent wait
ing for me with my pony saddled and
ready for start.
"Two trails lead out OF the village to
the south. One winds off to the west
ward among some ranches, and then
comes back and joins the main trail
again some ten miles south. | took the
main trail as usual and urged my pony
into lively canter. Nothing disturbed
the silence of the early morning except
when now and then buzzard was star
| tied from his perch on the carcase OF
some mule which had worked his pas
sage through this world and gone to his
final corral.
"An hours ride brought me to the
point where the other trail Joined the
one was on. / checked my poney's
speed, and examining the trail discov-
cred that couple of horses had galloped
recently over it, going southwark, as
shown by the tracks in the light snow
that had fallen early in the evening.
cannot say that l was surprised, for
somehow l rather expected it. Anyhow
my suspicious were somewhat confirmed
and l made up my mind that there
would be some lively music before long
"My pony was well trained and, like his
master, had been under fire before; so,
guiding him with my knees, drew my
trusty revolvers and held them ready for
trouble.
''Four or five miles more were passed
in unbroken silence, save when coyote
which had been disturbed in his nightly
prowl, would sneak into the bushes with
a howl.
"Then on rounding turn in canyon
at the foot of the Seven Devils mountains
the trail narrowed down and passed be-
tween clump OF stunted pines and a
ragged pile OF rocks that had been torn
from the face of the cliff by natures
hand
Here was the spot that road agent
would pick out to set up toll-gate and
] was expecting company right there.
81 set my teeth hard, dug my heels
into the p,ny's ribs, and with revolver
gripped tightly in each hand, dashed
on.
'The moon came out through rift
in the clouds at this juncture. had
reached a point within thirty feet of the
rocks, and was just thinking my suspi-