The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-06-03
The CowaFd|yGuard
IOrIginal.l

road agents, and confess l felt some
what nervous. l was told by the Wells
Fargo people that the coach would be
guarded by one Of their men, Dick
Steele, whom they considered worth
half a dozen ordinary men. This sat
isfied me, for from the time entered
the state I had heard of the brave
deeds of this same Dick Steele.
When we were about to start and
Steele was pointed out to me l was
surprised He was little fellow about
five feet five inches, and l couldn't
see how he could tcrrlfy even single
robber, and there were often several in
the parties who robbed coaches. How
ever, he had an eye which, like his
name, was steel, and a cold looking
steel at that, and put him down for
one Of those men in whom nerve takes
the place of muscle.
/ made the trip out and back with
Steele, and there was no occasion for
the Wells Fargo man to show his met
tie. When left Denver for Cheyenne
to take the Union Pacific railroad for
the east Steele was again the guard.
This time when we were midway on
our journey we heard the cry ahead,
"Hold up your hands!" and the coach
came to a stop. A man came and stood
on one side of the coach, holding us all
covered with brace of revolvers,
while two others on the other sS,e
opened the stage door, threw down the
steps and called to us to alight. Steele
was In the middle seat and next person
to the open door. We all expected him
to suddenly bristle with weapons and
kill the two men before they knew
what hurt them. Instead Of that be
tumbled out with his hands in the mir
as nimbly as young fawn.
Seeing that we had no protection
from this Wanted hero, we all got out
and stood in line while the road agents
relieved us Of everything about US of
any value. Evidently they had never
seen Steele before, for they treated
him just like the rest of us. thought
perhaps he might stoop and pull pair
Of revolvers from his boots; but, al
though he had no especial watching.
he did not make the slightest move
ment. When the robbers were through
with US they ordered us back into the
coach and told the driver to move on.
AS soon as we were free from the
robbers there was great outburst
against Steele. You're pretty guardw
'Where did you get your reputation
for bra very" "The biggest coward in
the coach" These were some of the
protests that were hurled against the
man Of much reputation. His conduct
in bearing them convinced every one
that he was not only not brave, but
unusually cowardly. He did not resent
a single one Of these insulting re-
proaches Indeed, he did not seem to
hear them, keeping his eye out the
window looking at the ground we
passed over and watching for some
thing.
Presently the road made a turn, and
the coach passed around it and behind
a clump Of trees. Steele flung open the
coach door, jumped out, unstrapped a
Winchester from under the boot and
started back, STOPPING among some
bushes so as not to be seen.
/ am not a brave man, but I am a
very curious one. Seized with a desire
to see the rest of the story for my
self, l alighted and went after the
guard. We had gone about half
mile from the spot where we had been
robbed, and third of this distance
was depression In the ground. TAX
ing position in this depression, could
see all wanted to see. | saw Steele
lodging along a short distance ahead
Of me, and about the same distance
beyond him were the robbers dividing
the swag they had taken from us.
Then from out clump of sagebrush
saw puff Of smoke, heard the crack
Of Steele's Winchester, and a robber
fell. Before I could have counted FIVE
there were another puff and crack, and
another robber fell. The third man
had only time to look wildly about
him when he, too, went down.
Then Steele advanced cautiously. AS
he approached one of the robbers rails
ed himself on his elbow and was about
to fire at Steele when the guard drop
ped him, this time for good. Steele
went to the place where the bodies
lay, gathered up their spoil, turned
and came slowly back. When he came
up to me I remarked to him that he
had been very lucky to find the rob-
bers engaged, and he replied that they
usually divided the plumber at once, so
that each man could shift for himself
without losing his share.
I went back with the little man to
the coach, which was standing where
wa had left II and Gtaala oclrad aooh