Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-07-16
A Surprise
ss
By AMBROSE NEFF
By AMBROSE NEFF

agent.
I've got to go on this coach. There's
| no other till tomorrow noon. and I've
got to be in D. in twelve hours"
Nevertheless. you can't go!'
l 'fHe turned away from me resolutely
and stalked into the office The coach
was standing at the door, with six
horses attached. asked lounger
when it would start. and he said it
would probably not getsoff for an hour.
l determined to 80 on that coach. 1
struck out on the road in the direction
the stage would pursue. intending to
| do few miles. then wait till it came
along. trusting to five dollar bill for
the driver to take me on. carried
out this resolution, and when the coach
reached me asked the driver to pull up.
Passengers within put their heads out
Of the windows, as though they thought
the stop was a holdup asked the
driver to take me on. To my surprise
he said | might get on if l liked. but
| he. would advise ME not to since it
was very probable the coach would
be attacked by road agents.
,I,swas somewhat set back by this in
formation. but | was bound to be in
d. the next morning and had no other
way of getting there Pulling open
the door. climbed into the coach, sthe
passengers looking at me as if they
thought / was going through them for
their valuabes. There We're two men
and two women. one.of the men wear
ing the white cravat of clergyman.
the other being u quiet. meek looking.
flittle chap. with high keyed voice.
This was in contrast with the women,
who were the queerest looking persons
| ever saw. both of them having voices
rough enough for the driver of an OK
team.
Air y armed. ,stranger?" asked one
Of the women M.
MOL replied. II am not" a.. =,
.I'ye got two guns. Y kin haYe one,
ons'em if y like" .,s. =.
mo, o.'ssaid the clergyman. Don't
give;ahim a gun. If we have a fight
he'd start.in before,we're ready.
stFIz don't want gun" Issaid. I've
lived infthese parts. five years and, new,
err have been@in.a holdup yet. u DON'T
believe there's sgoing. to be any, hold,
up. When road agents come dawn. en-.
a coach they don't tell people before,
hand" 9 mr. ~.
|. Like enough grunted one Of the
women.
I had been travelling nights and was
tired out; so, resting my head against
the cushion. fell asleep. l was awak-
ened by the stopping of the coach and
the fiinging open Of both doors. A
man stood at each door with short
rifle. and one of them told us to stay
where we were. not make any fuss
and no one would be hurt. They didn't
want our valuables. but they did want
/ the treasure box. Notwithstanding
this assurance the passengers seemed
to be beside themselves with terror.
The clergyman begged them not to kill
him. the squeaky voiced man asked
them to consider his wife and children.
and both the women shrieked hoarsely.
The treasure box was taken of the
boot and laid beside the road. Two
men attended to that. and one Of, them
was trying to get the cover off to make
sure they were getting what they want
ed. The door guard on that side turned
to see what they were doing when the
man with the squeaky voice cried:
Shoot"
Quick as fash one of the women
raised cooked revolver she had con-
cealed under a fold of her dress and
shot the door guard on her side dead.
There was simultaneous crack. and
the other guard fell at the hands Of
the other woman. Before the men
who were trying to open the treasure
box could get their guns to bear both
fell-One shot by the clergyman. the
other by the squeaky voiced man.
Then both the men jumped out Of
the coach and finished those who were
only wounded.
1 While they were doing this the WON
en- were tearing off their dresses and
aiDging their ribbon bedecked hats on