Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-01
DAILY STORY
A PRACTICAL JOKE.
Original. I

DDS of plying his vocation, the train
roDbcr necessarily works on the same
lines. The road agent contented him
self usually with small values; the
train robDer often captures a fortune.
l was once jogging along in an old
fashioned Stagecoach, nine iusides and
four outSideS. / was an inSider. There
had been no robberics on that line for
long while and we thought very lit
tie about such danger But there was
facctious young man inside-he had
just escaped from an eastern college
who thought it n 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 skecred in this
| stage s long 5 I'm on it," he said.
| I've got Il wccpOn. and know how to
! use it. Besides. there amt no road
agents on this line, anyhow"
| "Whatd you do if one of 'em came
| down on u.s." asked the collegian.
There amt none comm down, but
If they do I'll give 'em cold lead. Ny
names I.eadbeeter" And he laughed
at his pun.
Not long after that the youngstcr
| climbed out of the window on to the top
Of the coach-to smoke Il cigar, he said
! and Joined the outsiders He told
| them about the boastful man inside
and said it would be good joke To
get UP mock robbery to see how the
fellow would act. Having got his mind
on 1t. 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.. Leadbc"ter
| might be as good as his word, and
somebody might get hurt. But John
| n.y." 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 lie could get hold of his
'wecpon." No one seemed disposed
to join him, so he said he would do the
job alone. All on top promised To re
main passive and wished him success.
Johnny got down from his pcrcl..
iumnad mn nm tba coach SION with his
focn NJ tho window ,-boro NJ. I'D
baetar was SITTING and nutting , ra
volver within an inch of the mans
poso orderod him, +, throw, m his
hordy W. .odI,s.+o. Lost No tiI,o in
doinr 81 and Jobnnv onnnad tho door
soviur.
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