The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-09-15

was the comment OF the stage agent
as he received wad OF buckskin with
reiterated instructions to keep Il safe
guarded.
But neither through the hours Of
night nor In the early dawn, when he
mounted by preference the vacant
seat by the stase-driver, did whist
Ling sandy" youchsafs an explanation
Of the why's and wherefores OF his
burden. None bat an observant eye
could have detected when he bound
mis- tiny poke Of gold inside the lit.
tie shirt, that In his estimation the
latter was the more precious. Nor
could any one have observed that this
solicitude was continued at Forest
Hill, where the steaming horses and
sleigh from Indian Spring gave place
TO fresh ponies and wheels.
Away on down the divide, through
eveT-decreaslng snow and over wind
swept, rockstrewn spots, the stage
clumsiIy ratified. Its inside passen-
gers. consisting OF travelling man for
an Eastern minlng-machine house and
a large. fat woman, who had been a
cook at an upland mining-camp, bump.
ed hither and yon as the vehicle found
decliyities.
Every now and then the driver, as
he threw his lash out over the lead.
ers, complained, In the whispering
voice Of the West, about the RESPONSE
bilities that had been thrust upon him
In this trip.
Here comes cleanup from the
Golconda-twenty thousand, anyhow
land for the fust time in year they
Amt no Wells-Fargo man along to
watch the job Last time this thing
happened they stuck us up and poor
old Tom Smith gifts shot off'n the box
for forgettin' to shove up his hands
when gent with a handkerchief tied
over the lower half of his mug makes
gentle request"
Sandy inyoluntarily thrust his hand
around the buckskin shirt, which, to.
gether with the scant store of wealth,
reposed within the sagging folds of
HN' bAN1 AANhhpa bhAA
Great heavens! He had never
thought Of this before. Suppose they
should be held up ON this trip? He
wouldn't mind the loss of his poke or
any other valuable possession OF his
own, but the shirt! Why, IL the high.
waymen got that, his little pardner"
way back east would wait disappbint-
ed on that disappearing Christmas
day. But, shucksl they want goin
to be no hold.up." and he lighted his
pipe.
Even In the land of certainty the
unusual happens. So 1t was that as
they rounded the turn OF dread Dead.
Mans Curve, there came crisply out
in the morning air the command
Halt and hands upl The brakes for
yours!"
Sandy, for the instant bewlldered,
caught a kaleidoscope glance of two
masked men on the hillside above
the mountainroad, a menacing figure
near the head of the leaders. a point
ed rife, and the drivers frantic eff.
forts to pull up. Like flash came
the thought of his mission and the
necessity for escape.
The whip lay before him. Without
a thought Of consequences and regard.
less Of the Tecklessness of his action,
he seized the whip, sprang to his feet
in the box, and sent the long lash
curling, qulvering and viciously snap
ping across the palpitant TANKS of the
maddened leaders, At the top of his
voice he urged the horses into con-
tinued speed, swearing with only such
oaths as come to the man Of the from
tier when meeting a crisis.
The driver, astonished, released his
foot from the brake and thoughtlessly
rose to Understanding posture. A
rifle on the hillside cracked with a
spiteful suddenness, and in a huddled
heap the driver dropped forward, lib.
Grating the reins from his hands. The
terrified horses threw themselves into
the traces, the coach gave leap
ahead. and, driverless and aimless on
the mountain-shelf, the race was on.
Again a rifle sang from the hillside,
and one Of the wheel-horses dropped,
stricken so suddenly by death that it's
body blocked the way, threw the other
wheelhorse out of the road, and
brought the stage to an abrupt stand.
still. Even as the wheels ceased
turning, the rife spoke ugain, carry.
ing death TO the other wheeLhorse. |
The leaders, surging upon the tugs,
broke loose from the blocking burden,
and went gathering down the road to
the echo Of pursuing shots.
A gaunt man, rife in hand, jumped |
cometltke from the seat beside the
dead driver and sought protection and |
barricade behind the body OF fallen
horse. A black barrel was thrust forth |
from his place of hiding, and instantly
carried a messenger OF death to the
nearest outlaw.
The other two, surprised, baked,
and angered. jumped to cover behind
convenient boulders, and sent volley
toward the battered old white hat
which showed itself above the uuiver.