The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-01-03
A Cowardlv
Schoolmaster
By ELEANOR TRASk

clared he would 20 to Colorado. after
trying a long while to dissuade him. |
said. Very well: I'll 60 with you" He
was mighty pleased at that. for l was
SO opposed to his going that he never
dreamed he would have me with him.
When we got out to Colorado and
Jim went roaming about with his pick
! went with him. though about the
only thing l could do for him was to
cook and mend his clothes. We biv-
ouacked most Of the time. though &C.
casionally we found a deserted hut.
half logs and half earth. But we didn't
like to stop at any of them. for there
was generally nearby evidence Of the
failure Of p~rospectors in the shape of
holes in the ground.
Up to a certain point we had the
same luck as the diggers Of these
holes. but at last n day while we
were taking a noon rest and Jim a
nap. seeing some red rock lei by that
looked as If there might be gold In it.
] took the pick and. going to where it
was. Clipped off a bit of it. 1t looked
30 well that | awakened Jim. who
the moment he saw it declared that it
was nearly all gold.
days. at the end Of which time 1t was
decided that | should 60 down to Den
yer and see if l could get any one to
furnish the money to develop our find.
! filed a bag | carried with specimens.
some Of which were intended to pay
walked to the road where the stage
passed and when It came along got
aboard.
The passengers had been told that it
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 a woman
with a coarse voice and coarser fea-
lures, a couple Of miners and a school,
master. The coarse woman said she
didn't care how many road agents we
to lose. The schoolmaster shrank back
In a corner as though DESTROYS of max
Ing himself as inconspicuous as posi-
BILE. He was a small sized man, but
seemed 20 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 a panic.
He trembled all over.
The road agents stopped us. sure
enough. We heard a voice in advance
of us say to the driver. rein up. JOSH"
and the coach came to a standstill. 1t
believe we were held up. But present
" the door of the coach was thrown
open and a man with a revolver in
his right hand stood at the opening.
As 500 Is he let go the door with
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
ers got out first. then. the |
saw a glance pass between the robber
uAO uCI luul tuduc Liz UCI1CtC tuCN
were friends. AS she passed him he
asked. Anything worth havingY" to
which she replied. There's a man in
there playin' schoolmaster. but ! sus-
pect he's carryin' funds for a bank"
Az she said this she threw of her wo-
mans hat and unbuttoned her dress.
and it fell at her feet. revealing a he
and not a she.
The only ones remaining In the coach
were the schoolmaster' and l. sitting, he
on the front, | on the back seat. But
while this was going on he crowded
down under the middle seat.
Come out O. that" yelled the rob.
Der, but the schoolmaster failed to
obey. and the robber undertook to
drag him out. TO do this with Il re-
volver in each hand was. impossible.
He put one weapon back ID his belt
and with the free hand reached in IN.
der the seat and took the schooimaster
BY the collar. While he was pnliug
him out ! heard 4 sharp explosion and
sawFthe robber fall back. But before
! had had time even to wonder what
had happened l.saw the schoolmaster
Jump like a tiger on to the mar that
had been playing woman and bear him
to the ground. The miners. seeing a
chance for victory. sprang to his assist
ance and held his victim till he got a
pair OF bracelets on the fallen mans
wrists.
Il turned out that the schoolmaster
was q sheriff. The recent robberies
had all been committed by two men.
One Travelled on the coach In various
DISCUSSES in order to learn what val
uables were aboard the coach: the 9TH
or did the robbing. The sheriff had
spotted the travelling partner and had
gone az a passenger to break up their
game. playing timid in order to lead
his enemies into an ambush. E
The robber that had been killed was
buried before we proceeded. His pal
was taken on the coach down to Den.
yer. where he was tried for q highway
man and sent to prison for twenty
years. AS for the sheriff. he went back
to where he had come from and con-
-.-- a.