Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-03

About 1867 Miss Martha Hildred,
young lady who had recently been
graduated from normal school in the
east, received an offer to go to Denver
to fill the position of teacher. AT that
time the Union Pacific railroad was
building, and trains were running as
far as Laramie. From Laramie the
only public conveyance to Denver was
by stagecoach.
The train numbered over long stretch
es of aIkali fields, good deal Of the
way beside the Platte river, which, not
having any trees on its banks, remind
ed her of man with no hair or beard
Miss Hildred reached Laramie in the
evening, and, since the daily coach did
not leave till the next morning, she
took a room in a tavern and went to
bed The town had sprung up like q
mushroom in the night, comprising that
kind of population which can only be
understood by a view OF It Miss Hill
dred was tired and would have slept
soundly had it not been for revelry in
a dance hall close by. Zone lady more
for this setr' "Alamand left!' Swing
your partnerw "Kenov were mingled
in confusion.
This introduction to western life at
that time was not encouraging, but
more vivid experience was reserved
for the next day. After a sleepless
night the young schoolma'am break
tasted and went out to board the coach
for Denver. A man stood at the door,
only permitting certain persons to en-
hn
ped her and was about to turn her back
when a man standing near spoke TO
him, evidently referring TO the young
lady.
"Are you in ft?' asked the man regu-
lating the entrances.
Miss Hildred, supposing that he
wished 10 know If she was going TO
Denver, gave an affirmative nod of her
head. She got into the coach, the door
was shut and the vehicle rolled away.
IT thort," said a woman, with a very
coarse voice, that there was to be six
of us. | see there's seven"
That's not countin' the kid said
man in a white cravat which was sup
posed to designate him as a clergyman,
at the same time casting a glance at
Martha.
Three of the passengers were men
and three were women, the latter all
being strapping creatures apparently
as strong as the men. Miss Mildred
was on the back seat sandwiched be-
tween a man and a woman.
"Can you use another weepon, kid
dy?" said the woman beside her. l
got one more'n I need"
Miss Hildred looked at her blankly.
not understanding what she meant.
ooh, l see. NUNS the word" said
the other and made no further ad-
vances.
There are no outsiders today" said
one of the men, who wore the SOM
brero, wooden shirt and trousers tuck
ed in his boots of the typical westerner
of the period.
mo" replied a quiet little man, the
only delicate looking person In the
coach. The agent concluded to man
age it with only insiders. He was
afraid that too many would scare 'em
or"
All this was Greek to Miss Hildred,
but she was thinking about what she
would find In her new field of labor
and was not paying any attention To 1t.
Suddenly a shot rang out ahead.
The coach came to a stop, the door
was thrown open, and two men stood
facing it with short guns pointing into
the coach.
step out. ladies and gentlemen"
said the man nearest the door
No one made move TO do so. but
one OF the women, apparently much