The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-21
Surprise
BY AMBROSE NEFF

no other till tomorrow noon, and I've
got to be in ID. in twelve hours"
Nevertheless, you can't go"
He turned away from me resolutely
and stalked into the office The coach
was standing at the door, with six
horses attached. | asked a lounger
when it would start, and he said II
would probably not get off for an hour
I determined to go ON that coach.
struck out on the road in the direction
the stage would pursue, intending to
do a few miles, then wait till 1t 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. l asked the
driver to take me on. To my surprise
he said / might get on IL l liked, but
he would advise me not to since it
was very probable the coach would
be attacked by road agents.
was somewhat set back by this in
formation, but / was bound to be in
ID. the next morning and had no other
way of getting there. Pulling open
the door. | climbed into the coach, the
passengers looking at me as il they
thought was going through them for
their valuables. There were two men
and two women, one Of the men wear
ing the white cravat OF a clergyman.
the other being quiet. meek looking
little chap, with a high keyed voice.
This was in contrast with the women,
who were the queerest looking persons
j 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.
mo" | replied, II am not"
1--WE got two guns. T. kin have one
on 'em If v like"
mo. mo-" said the clergyman. Don't
give him a gun. If we have fight
he'd start in before we're ready"
Il don't want a gun" / said. 'I've
lived in these parts FIVE years and new
er have been in holdup yet. don't
believe there's going to be any hold
up. When road agents come down on
a coach they don't tell people before
hand"
Like enough" grunted one Of the
women.
l had been travelling nights and was
tired out; so, resting my head against
the cushion, l fell asleep. / was awak-
ened by the stopping of the coach and I
the f1inging open of both doors, A |
man stood at each door with a short I
rife. 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 valuab les. 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 off 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 K
cd The door guard on that side turned !
to see what they were doing when the
man with the squeaky voice cried:
Shoot"
Quick as a fash one Of the women
raised a cooked revolver she had con- !
cealed under fold of her dress and !,
shot the door guard on her side dead
There was a simultaneous crack, and :
the other guard fell at the hands of 5
the other woman. Before the men HI
who were trying to open the treasure 8
box could get their guns to bear both T
felI-one shot by the clergyman. the I
other by the squeaky voiced man. u
Then both the men jumped out Of
the coach and finished those who were
only wounded u
While they were doing this the WON
en- were tearing off their dresses and
fiinging their ribbon bedecked hats OH
the floor, both appearing as stalwart
men. Having Invested themselves of
their tawdry finery, they. too. left the D
coach and stood looking down upon b,
their victims. / asked the clergyman
what 1t all meant.
ut Nmeans," be said. that this is
Bill Owens gang. That's Bill over
there. They have been terrorizing
this yere country for months. The n
him over there"-point- g
ng to the squeaky voiced mamie =
organized this party to get rid of EN-.
rhe express company arranged 10 send d.
/ big lot o gold over the road and let ii
t leak out that it would go by this n
.oach. But that box haint got no o.
yold in It. It's full o. sand. In order
% trap 'em We travelled as ordinary 70
'olks. two of our men making their IN
elves fine ladies'
I saw IL all except the fine ladies'. at
Who did not play the parts of women 81
verwell. / failed to get to d. on that -
zach because it was not intended 10 ~
% any farther than the meeting with :,
he robbers and was now needed to 9o
AXE their bodies back to the starting m
oint So I said goodby to all and. Of
Then i saw them numbering out OF WI
ight. started OF to continue my jour ~
ey on foot. =;
About sunset found a house by the
pad. where got some supper and be