Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-23

to be on the lookout. Are you afraid
OF being robbed;"
Robbed. Who'd want to rob us:
We're nothin' but poor woodcutters."
At that moment 1 looked up on a
rise beside me and espied three men
coming down. AS soon as they reached
us they asked where we hailed from.
1 told them 1 was a mining engineer
going up ~ inspect the new mines.
which seemed to satisfy them. The
young woman told them that she was
going down to the town to buy some
things at the store. l noticed she made
no mention of her husband. The men
debated whether they should go up 81
down and finally agreed that they
would separate. part going one way
and a part the other. AS soon as they
had gone the woman showed greater
anxiety than before. Tuning to me.
she said. dropping the lingo of coun-
tryvoman:
They're road agents. They're look
ing for a shipment of gold dust that
they have been informed is going
down to Punkerville. wish you
would wait a bit We might require
your help. You are armed, see."
Eyes, Pm well armed, but what has
a poor woodcutter to fear from road
agents?" %
They'll think we're carrying the
dust"
what will they do?"
They'll find my husband below and
search him and the wood. thinking TO
find gold dust concealed. They would
have gone for me. but they saw that
l couldn't carry enough of it to pay
them to bother with me-"
well. / don't understand why their
searching your load should trouble you
or how l can serve you"
81 wish you'd go back with me.
know a cut by which we can reach
my husband as soon as they. 1t is
only a short distance"
She looked at me so beseechingly
that 1 consented. dismounted and
led my horse. She hurried on before
me, reaching her husband when l was
still some distance away. and 1 saw
her talking to him excitedly. l deter
mined to conceal myself behind a rock
and observe what might take place.
The wife had not been with her hus-
band five minutes before / heard a
shot. Not seeing any one hurt, l con-
cluded that 1t was a signal Then l
saw a man moving down on the wood
cutter. Taking a position above him,
he called on the woodman to stop. The
latter halted his oxen and sat down on
a bowlder beside the road. His wife
proIl-ad DarvoueIv ohart Within fan
minutes the other two men came
woodcutter.
had a short rife slung to my sad
die and a revolver at each hip. re-
solved to keep the men covered and
If saw any attempt to kill would be
in a position to render assistance. The
woman kept looking up my way. as If
she wished 1 would join them. /
feared she would call their attention
TO me. but fortunately she failed to do
So
The men made a search of the load
on the cart. throwing of every stick
of wood and ripping up the floor. But
not sack of dust was to be found.
They withdrew for consultation, then
returned, and one Of the men put re-
volver to the head Of the woodman,
and could hear him threaten to shoot
him If he didn't tell where the dust
was. Suddenly the woman drew a
revolver and shot the robber dead
Each Of the other two men drew their
weapons to finish the woodman and
his wiSa.
! now thought it high time to in
terfere. fired at one Of the men and
dropped him. This startled his com
panion, who looked about wildly for