Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-07-01
A Bluff
By ALAN HINsDALE

u
When L first went to the west,
young man of twenty years. 1 secured
employment In a bank 1t was rough
country In those days. road agents. 4
horse thieves and the like being plenti-
full The bank in which 1 was em-i
pIoyed was in a small mining town
not many people. but a good deal of |
money in proportion to the Inhabitants
One day the cashier told me that he /
wanted me to carry eighteen hundred
dollars In currency to a man in Taylor |
vile who owned and ran a stamp |
mill The distance was forty miles. |
and there was no public conveyance
/ mounted a horse and with roll Of
bills In my right boot leg set out ON
my journey My only defense was a
AZ caliber revolver at my hip under
my coat f ykH
I had done about half the distance
when overlook a girl riding on horse
back in the same direction as 1 was
She was astride, and had it not been
for her feminine costume 1 would not
have known that she was woman
However, when she turned her face as
/ rode up beside her l saw that she
was quite good looking, though not of
a founeu type L my ndL anu
babe her good morning. She replied to
the salutation, and we rode on to-
gether.
In those days women were scarce In
the west, and 1, being young and not
overthoughtful, was much pleased at
having a travelling companion of the
opposite sex. The young woman did
not appear averse to my company, and
we were soon on friendly terms. She
asked me more questions about myself
than / liked. but judged that it was
through the idle curiosity of a girl.
whom / judged to be not over seven
teen.
After awhile we saw two men about
a quarter of mile ahead of US ride
out from behind rise in the ground
on to the road. From the way they
looked back at US L feared they were
road agents. L impaired my suspicion
to my companion, and she said she
suspected the same thing
''Are you armed 2" she asked
81 have revolver.
II got $15 in my pocket" she said,
a'and gold watch and this ring on my
finger. You take 'em. If you beat the
men Off you can give 'em back to me-"
They're much more likely to relieve
me or them Cnan you, Fepileu fhccp
them. And here-take this"
dived into my boot leg, drew forth
my roll of bills and handed them to
her. She took them and stuffed them
into pocket in her dress.
! When we came up with the two
! men they asked US IL we had seen
some stray cattle they were looking
for, and when we told them we had
not they said nothing more, and we
! rode on. I was very much relieved.
for, to tell the truth, my heart was in
! my throat 1t was beating too wildly
for some time after the meeting for
me to say anything to my companion
When had quieted down and looked
aside at him 1 saw that her own
! fright had been either negligible or
her equanimity very quickly recovered.
She looked pleased rather than scared.
g.1WeH," said after we had proceed
ed a short distance, s'I'll not need to
trouble you any longer with my prop
erty.''
why, the roll Of bills 1 gave you to
keep for me-
4 don't remember your giving me
any bills
L cast a quick side glance at her
Her expression was very much chang
ed. All that innocence l had noticed
before had departed. a resolute
look had taken its place 1t told the
story at once. She had offered me hel
valuables as a suggestion that Offer
her mine instead. 1 had been victim
lied She had my money. She was 8
woman. 1 did not relish getting il
from her forcibly.
You give me that money" I said II
no soft tone.
'.See here, mister" she replied, s1i
you intend to rob me. say so. But
want you to know that I'll get my
friends after you, and ff they ketcf
you you'll swing like any other road
agent
The game was developing rapidly.
saw a possible situation / did not like
Probably she was a decoy-had beel
sent out to waylay me or any travele
and her friends had their eyes on us
IL took my money from her forcibl.
they would come down on me an,
. hang me for robbing a woman.
You've got me-" said, "but there
a risk for you In this business I cal
, get a posse after you, and If they ge
their hands on you It Will go hard wit
:. you How much do you want to sci
tle?- a 6a
i .sHow much you got?" she said
: There's $50 In that roll" replied
r ssperbaps more I'll give you hall