Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-07-10
; A Practical Joke.



while the road agent had various meth
DDS of plying his vocation, the train
robber necessarily works on the same
lines. The road agent ,contented him
self usually with small values; the
train robber often captures fortune.
1 was once jogging along in an old
fashioned stagecoach, nine insldes ana
four outsides. / was an insider. Ihere
had been no robberies on that line Tor
a long while, and we thought very III
tie about such danger. But there was
a facetious young man inside-he had
lust escaped from an eastern college
who thought it pleasant pastime to
brighten the women. He ratified on
about road agents and how they work
ed till every woman aboard and some
of the men became very uneasy. There
was a middle aged man in the stage
he looked like a farmer-who finally
undertook to head off the youngster.
Nobody needn't be skeered in this
stage s. long s I'm on it," he said.
'I've got a weepon, and I know how to
use it. Besides, there amt no road
agents on this line, anyhow"
"What'd you do if one Of 'em came
down on us?" asked the collegian.
"There amt none comm down, but
If they do I'll give 'em cold lead. My
names Leadbeeter" And he laughed
at his pun.
Not long after that the youngster
climbed out of the window on to the top
of the coach-to smoke a cigar, he said
and joined the outsiders. He told
them about the boastful man inside
and said it would be a good joke to
get ND mock robbery to see how the
fellow would act. Having got his mind
on it, he couldn't get it off and began
to devise methods for carrying out his
suggestion. The others tried to dis
suade him, saying that Mr.. Leadbeeter
might be as good as his word, and
somebody might get hurt. But John
nv" as they called him, every moment
became more and more infatuated with
his proposed prank and said he would
make Mr.. Leadbeeter throw up his
hands before he could get hold of his
"weepon." No one seemed disposed
to ioin him, so he said he would do the
lob alone All on top promised to re-
main passive and wished him success.
Johnny got down from his perch,
Jumped up on the coach step with his
face at the window where Mr.. Lead
better was sitting, and, putting a re-
volver within an inch of the mans
nose, ordered him to throw up his
hands. Mr.. Leadbeeter lost no time in
doing So and Johnny opened the door,
saying:
I'm Black Bill, l am, and l want
YOU people out here. Come out, every
one of you"
Mr. eLeadbeeter was the first out,
Johnny relieving him of his revolver
as he stepped down into the road.
Johnny handed out the women gallant
ly, winking and making explanatory
faces at both men and women. Those
on top got down, and Johnny, flourish
ing his revolver, scarcely able to keep
a straight face for merrlment, in stem
torian tones ordered all to line up
alongside the road, which they did ODE
diently. The pretended road agent
went through Mr.. Leadbeeter first, re-
lieving him of 1914, all the funds he
had about him. Johnny rubbed his re-
volver under the victims nose and
rated him soundly for having no more.
''You white livered son of a gun"
said Johnny, what d'y' mean by
tryin' to satisfy Black Bill with such
chicken feed as that! Just look at him,
gentlemen and ladies. He's the man
who was going TO protect you from
road agents. No wonder he wasn't
afraid, with nothing to lose. However,
he's the man L was expecting to make
big haul from, and so long as he
hasn't got anything worth having I'll
let the whole gang off.
"And now, Mr.. Leadbeeter," he went
on, Il want to say to you that this is a
huge joke-a practical joke. You
mustn't expect too much from man
just out of college, for we fellows play
lots of pranks on each other and are
expected to take them good naturally.
I only wanted to prove to you that
modesty is the best policy, and it
doesn't do to brag too much about
what you're going to do beforehand.
You mustn't think hard Of me. It's
only bit Of pleasantly"
Lowering his revolver, he walked up
to Mr. Leadbeeter, who had looked all
the while as though he expected to be
murdered, and put out his hand. Lead.
better took 1t with his left and with his
right wrenched Johnny's revolver from
his other hand Then he flung him
backward and, drawing another re-
volver from his boot, leveled one at
Johnny and the other at the line of pas
sengers.
II don't think hard of you at all,
younker" he said, "seeln' you've taken
the trouble to do lot of work for me,
gittin' out these people and linin' 'em
up. I'll trouble you for the check
you've got in your pocket you was go
in to buy a ranch with. Git it out
quickw
His tone and manner left no doubt
that he was in earnest, and Johnny
quickly produced a check for $1,000,
even amount The robber handed him
stylographic pen and told him to put
his name on the back of 1t, which John
ny did. Then Leadbeeter said:
Scents and ladies, I've been layin'
for this young man ever since we left
town Seem the jokes turned out so
well for me, I'll let you all off from
your small change and trinkets.-- Jus ] Us.
stand where you are fey minutes"
Unlocking one ofFne leaders, he
mounted him4-shot all the rest of the
horses, then rode off shouting:
"[dIOodby, Johnny Better go back to
college and learn some more jokes"
NELSON MAXWELL.