The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-12-04
A Cowardly
Schoolmaster
BY ELEANOR TRAsK

clared he would go to Colorado. afte
trying a long while to dissuade him,
said. Every well; I'll so with you" III
was mighty pleased ut that, for wa
so opposed to his going that he neve
dreamed he would have me with him
When we got out to Colorado an,
Jim went roaming about with his picl
l went with him. though about thu
only thing | could do for him was Il
cook and mend his clothes We Div
ouaeked most of the time. though oc
caslonally we found deserted hut
half logs and half earth. But we didn'
like to stop at any of them, for there
was generally nearby evidence OF the
failure of prospectors In the shape OF
holes In the ground.
Up to certain point we had the
same luck as the diggers of these
holes but at last one day while we
were taking noon rest and Jim q
nap, seeing 81 me red rock near by that
looked as IL there might be gold in Il,
took the pick and. going to where IL
was. Clipped off bit of It, Ii looked
so well that awakened Jim, who
the moment he saw it declared that II
was nearly all gold.
We worked the place for several
days, at the end of which time 1t was
decided that should go down to Den
yer and see If could ges any one to
furnish the money to develop our find.
! filed a bag carried with specimens.
some Of which were intended to pay
my way. ] left Jim with the claim,
walked to the road where the stage
passed and when 1t came along got
aboard
The passengers had been told that 1t
wouldn't be safe to carry any valu
ables. for the coach had been robbed
nearly every day. They were all very
nervous and at the least sound were
badly frightened. There were woman
with coarse voice and coarser fea-
lures, couple or miners and school
master. The coarse woman said she
didn't care how many road agents We
would meet. for she hadn't anything
to lose. The schoolmaster shrank back
in a corner as though DESTROYS of max
ing himself as inconspicuous as posi-
BILE. He was small sized man, but
seemed to me not TO lack strength.
The woman asked him what he would
do If he were attacked, and the ques-
ton seemed to throw him into panic.
He trembled all over.
The road agents stopped us. sure
enough. We heard voice in advance
and the coach came TO standstill. 1t
was all so quiet that we could hardly
believe we were held up. But present
ly the door Of the coach was thrown
open and a man with a revolver in
his right hand stood at the opening.
the other hand he took an additional
revolver from his belt.
step out. please, ladies and gents,
he said in a tone so gentle that one
would have supposed we had come to
the end of our journey The two min
saw a glance pass between the robber
and her thst made me believe they |
were friends. AS she passed him he
asked. Anything worth having?" TO
which she replied, There's man In
there playin' schoolmaster, but / sus
pect he's carryin' funds for bank"
As she said this she threw off her wo
mans hat and unbuttoned her dress.
and 1t fell at her feet, revealing he
md not a she.
The only ones remaining in the coach
we're the schoolmaster and l. sitting, he
IN the front, on the back seat. But
while this was going on he crowded
iown under the middle seat.
Come out O. that" yelled the rob
Der, but the schoolmaster failed to
,bey, and the robber undertook to
lrag him out. To do this with a re
oliver In each hand was impossible.
he put one weapon back in his belt j
nd with the free hand reached In I'M
Ter the seat and took the schoolmastef /
" the collar. While he was pulling {
lin out heard sharp explosion and
aw the robber fall back. But before c
huu nuu timc even " Wohuci Whut
ad happened / saw the schoolmasteI !,
Jump like a tiger on to the man that !.
ad been playing woman and bear him :
0 the ground. The miners, seeing I
nance for victory, sprang to his assist /
nee and held his victim till he got a I
air of bracelets on the fallen mans A
yrists.
\
1t turned out that the schoolmastei =
Tas a sheriff. The recent robberies q
ad all been committed by two men. =
me Travelled ON the coach in various =
isguises in order to learn what val d
ables were aboard the coach: the 9th d
r did the robbing. The sheriff had 81
Dotted the travelling partner and had a
one as n passenger TO break up their .
anne. playing timid in order to lead
Is enemies into an ambush. =
The robber that had been killed was ;,
uried before we proceeded. His pal
as taken on the coach down to Den
er. where he was tried for a highway 1
AN and sent TO prison for twenty
ears. As for the sheriff. he went back
where he had come from and con-
nued his official duties as unostenta-
Ously as IL nothing had happened.
ut he received a large reward from
e express company which was send
& treasure over the route.
I had good luck in Denver in the as !