The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-08
A Bluff
By ALAN HINsDAE

III Dy <AA~ft4N NhlN0LTA@ Ill
When / first went to the west a
young man of twenty years, secured
employment in bank. 1t was rough
country In those days, road agents,
horse thieves and the like being plenti-
full. The bank in which / was en-
ployed was In a small mining town
not many people, but 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 man In Taylor
vile who owned and ran a stamp
mill The distance was forty miles.
and there was no public conveyance.
mounted horse and with roll Of
bills in my right boot leg set out on
my journey. My only defense was
AZ caliber revolver at my hip under
my coat
| I had done about half the distance
when overlook a girl riding on horse
back in the same direction as I was.
! She was astride, and had It not been
4 for her feminine costume / would not
have known that she was a woman.
However, when she turned her face as
I rode up beside her saw that she
was quite good looking though not Of
refined type. / doffed my hat and
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 /, being young and not
oyerthoughtful, 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 l judged to be not over seven
teen.
After awhile we saw two men about
a quarter of a mile ahead of US ride
out from behind a rise in the ground
on to the road. From the way they
looked back at US / feared they were
road agents. / impaired my suspicion
to my companion, and she said she
suspected the same thing.
"Are you armed?" she asked.
II have a revolver"
II got SIS in my pocket" she said,
"and gold watch and this ring on my
finger. You take 'em. If you beat the
men OF you can give 'em back to me-"
They're much more likely to relieve
me Of them than YOU" replied. Keep
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. / was very much relieved,
for, to tell the truth, my heart was in
my throat It was beating too wildly
for some time after the meeting for
me to say anything to my companion.
When I had quieted down and looked
aside at him l saw that her own
fright had been either negligible or
her equanimity very quickly recovered.
She looked pleased rather than scared.
"Well," l said after we had proceed
ed short distance, "Ill not need to
trouble you any longer with my prop
erty."
what property?n
"Why, the roll Of bills gave you to
keep for me-"
Il don't remember your giving me
any bills"
l cast quick side glance at her.
Her expression was very much chang.
ed. All that innocence l had noticed
before had departed, and q resolute
look had taken Its place. 1t told the
story at once. She had offered me her
valuables as suggestion that / offer
her mine instead. l had been victim
lied. She had my money. She was a
woman. a did not relish getting it
from her forcibly.
"You give me that money" said In
no soft tone.
See here, mister" she replied, "if
you intend to rob me, say so. But 1
want you to know that I'll get nv
friends after you, and IL they ketch
you you'll swing like any other road
agent"
| The game was developing rapidly. 1
saw possible situation did not like.
Probably she was a decoy-had been
sent out to waylay me or any traveller
and her friends had their eyes on us,
II l took my money from her forcibly
they would come down on me and
hang me for robbing a woman.
You've got me-" said, "but there's
a risk for you In this business. 1 can
get posse after you, and If they get
their hands on you 1t will go hard with
you How much do you want to set.
tle7"
''How much you got?" she said.
There's $50 In that roll" l replied
perhaps more. I'll give you half
Cali it $50. If you don't accept the
offer l swear III have you in the
hands of the vigilance committee with.
In forty-eight hours"
She pondered awhile, then said that
she would count out $50 and return
me the rest Then 1 studied awhile
as to how could keep her from know.
ing the amount she had in her posses.
sion.
NO" said presently. "Give me the
money and I'll give you your plumber.
If you don't do that keep it all, and