The daily Alaskan., 1915-06-28

men. The women expressed faafS 6f being robbed, for the coach had been stopped by the agents at least ono day In the week for month. One of tho women expressed wonder why the authorities did not do something to clear the roads of the robbers. At this quiet looking little man in a corner seat said that to eradicate them would be impossible. He hoped that he would reach Denver in safety, and if he did he would never ride In e coach again.
 Suddenly the coach stopped. The little man trembled from head to foot When 1t was learned that the pause was to enable the driver to fix some part of the harness the other passen- gers jeered the little man for his timid- ity, whereupon he wrapped himself up in his greatcoat and settled back in bis corner. The men passengers clustered a good deal about what they would do if attacked, and the women were very sneering In their remarks about the coward.
 The coach had passed down from an eminence and was about to climb an- other when a shot was heard. Tho coach again came to a stop, and this time 1t was evident that something serious had happened. Tn a twinkhng the door was thrown open and 6 man with an enormous revolver pointed into the coach appeared at the opening.
 The women screamed, two of the men turned pale-Rnd, as for the little coward, he crouched in his corner wrapped in his overcoat, which also covered his face. The only uncon- cerned person in the coach was Joel simonson, who, not having anything valuable to lose, was not at all wor- ried
 Come out of therew said the man at the door in a tone that indicated he would be obeyed. ThS two women alighted first, handed out by the rob Der, who was quite deferential to them. Then came two of the men, followed by Joel. The coward sttll crouched in his corner, with his face covered. The robber had not the stamina to kin such an insignificant person. Instead he mounted the steps of the coach and reached across 1t to the other side, where the man was, and, seizing him, was dragging him out when there was a crack, and the robber fell on the floor of the coach.
 The coward made one leap in which he reached the ground, and there were two more shots in quick succession, each bringing down a robber. When the passengers recovered from their surprise they saw the coward standing with a smoking bulldog" revolver in each hand, quite cool, but his eyes darting about him in search of any other mau who needed his attention. Seeing no more robbers, he turned quickly to one of the men he had Bhot, who was raising himself. Another shot finished him, and this exciting scene that had occupied about thirty seconds was over.
 While 1t had been enacted the two robbers who were not engaged in get ting the passengers out of the coach, greedy for booty, had relieved the two women and one of the men of their belongings. As soon as the tragedy was over the little coward said:
 "My friends, I was sent out on this trip to lay for Jim Dugan, who has been robbing the coaches single hand ed and alone. I thought I'd meet him alone and didn't expect that he would have any one with him. I6 his two pals hadn't been in such hurry to get the stuff and had been tending to busi- ness instead of going through tho pas sengers that had been taken out of the coach I would have been goner, for one of them, if not both, would have dropped me-"
 He then proceeded to relieve the fallen men, who were both dead, of what they had taken. One of tho ar ticles was lump of quartz which made Joel Simonson open his eyes He rec ognlzed the identical nugget of which he had been robbed the night before.
 "See here, you little stick of dyna- mlte," he said to the man who had killed the road agents. "that thing thera is mine."
 What makes you think soT' said the other.
 If you examine 1t youil G1nd my in, Itials, J. s. cut on iE l"
 The little man turned the nugget dll he brought the letters before bis eyeap then turned them over the paSso1gerS with a scrutinizing glance. It did not take him long to spot ono of the men passengers.
 "Who are youT he asked
 The man made no reply.
 "If I mistake not Pve seen you onee before"
 With that the little man clappod q pair of bracelets on the fellowS whc made no resistance. -
 When all had been attended to the coach was driven on, and on its ar rival in Denver the stolen property va returned to its owners on proof oR own ershlp, Joel receiving his nugget The coward from the ttme of his quicA AA a