Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-09
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Holdup.


traveller between Denver and Laramie
must go in an old fashioned stage
coach. There was one season when
the coach was robbed as often as once
a week. Passengers knew that there
was one chance in seven of being held
up on the road and travelled with little
or no money on their persons. Never
theless there was no other way of
transporting valuables, and sometimes
persons were obliged to take great
risks
1t was necessary for me to go through
to Laramie on important business. l
found in the coach young lady and
two miners. This generation cannot
realize the high position of women in
that uncouth country at that period.
AS rare and beautiful birds are pro-
tected by game laws, so were the few
women always safe in the chivalrous
sentiment of the many men.
OF course we all soon got acquainted,
the miners, who were of rough eX-
terror. leaving the young lady to me.
The chief topic of discussion was what
we would do in case of Il holdup. One
miner said that lie had a hundred dol
lars in dust in his hip pocket with
revolver and would draw the revolver
| first. The other miner had $50 hid
den under his shirt and if required
| to surrender 1t at the point of pistol
he would certainly do so. The young
| lady, who was going east to spend the
winter, had her ticket and some small
| bills in her pocketbOok, the rest, four
| 500 bills, concealed in her hair. l
confessed with equal frankness that
all l had brought with me was in my
vest pocket and if it was taken l
couldn't help it.
Sure enough, the holdup came. The
| first we knew of it the coach came to
stop and the door was flung open from
the outside. Half dozen masked men
stood In the road with rifles cooked
| and ready for use while another held
| their torses. The man who opened the
door ordered the passengers out and
| to stand in line to be searched. / was
| first examined and relieved OF some
| $50 in my vest pocket. The miners
came next. The man with the revolv-
| er in his hip pocket had no opportunity
| to use it. for we all stood hands up.
| He and his friend were both plundered.
The robbers were rather pleased to
| find more than usual and after po-
litely wishing us a pleasant journey
were about to permit us to go on when
one of them, looking at me sharply,
said:
young man, weren't you teller in
the - bank when a lot of us went
through it one day two years ago.?
81 was"
'Well. 1 reckon you must be in the
same business now"
I'm buying horses for the govern
ment." .s1. IL .,,..+
"What-buying horses with this
chicken feed?" referring to the cash
they had taken.
"See here" said. you men are not
so sharp as you think. 1 wouldn't be
delayed on this trip for a gold mine.
If 1 tell you where you can find $500,
will you let us go on?"
At first they said that if didn't give
them the information 1 should never
go on and began to, search the coach.
Not finding anything and fearing an
interruption, they assented to my
terms
you will find it in that young lady's
hair" l said.
They at once took off the girls hat,
removed the hairpins and found the
bills. which they held aloft with glee.
1t is many years since l saw the
glance of contempt given me by the
young lady. but it is as plain in my
memory today as it was then. 1t was
something to wound my amour proprc,
but the fierce chances turned upon me
| Tod w
alone with me they would end my ca
reer without benefit either of clergy or
irI'v
The robbers, delighted with the ad-
dition to their find acquired through
nv fundamentally, jumped on their
horses and rode away in hurry. The
two miners watched them till they
turned into n wood. Then the man
with the revolver slowly drew it from
his hip pocket and, pointing it at me.
said:
"Say yer pra'arsv'
"One moment. 'T'-
"Not second. I'LL teach you. you
low down dog. that no man in Colora-
do can play such a game as that on a
woman"
But
"Say your pra'arsr' Numbered the
man, nervously endeavoring to keep
his finger off the trigger of his pistol.
1t began to look as If should be sent
} out of the world without an opportuni-
ty to speak word in my defense, but
the young lady interfered.
Leave him to me-" she said. brush
ing the pistol aside with her hand. HE
injured me, not you"
The man stood irresolute.
"Give me a chance to explain"
pleaded.
'why did you do it?' asked the girl
at am the cashier of the -th Nation
al bank of Denver. l have fifty $1,000
: bills sewed up in my clothing. II
} hadn't diverted the attention of the
robbers, they would have got it all
: Your 500 will be returned with 9