Year: 1860

something from his lap, beneath the buf
falo, and put it in his breast pocket, at thi
l thought it was pistol. | had eaugh
the CLEAN OF the barrel in the starlight
and when had time to reflect, knew
could not be mistaken.


About this time began to think some
what seriously. From what | had heart
and seen, soon made up my mind ,ha
the individual behind me not only mean
to rob the mail. but ne was prepared to
rob me Of my life If Iresis.ed him ht
would shoot me, and perhaps he meant tc
perform that delectable operation at any
rate. While was pondering, the horses
plunged into another deep snow drift and
| was again forced to get !out and tread
down the snow before them. / asked my
passenger il he would help me, but he said
he dd't feel very well and wouldn't try; SC
I worked alone, and was all of quarter
Of an hour getting my team through the
drifts. When got into the sleigh again
| began to feel for the mail bag with my
feet. found it where | had left it; but
when | attempted to withdraw my foot,
discovered that it become en,angled in
some,hing-I thought it the butfalo-and
| tried to kick it clear; but the more
kicked, the more closely was it held. l
reached down my hand and, after feeling a.
bout few moments, found that my foo,
was in the mail bag! felt again, and
found my hand in among the packages OF
letters and papers! ran my fingers over
the edge of the opening, and became as
sured that the stout leather had been cut
with knife!


Here was discovery. Ibegan to wish !
had taken a little more forethought before
leaving Danbury; but as knew that max
ing such wishes was only a waste of time,
lquickly gave it up, and began to con.
sider what had best do under the exist
ing circumstances. vast long in max
ingup my mind upon few essential points.
First the man behind me was william;
second, he had cut open the mail bag,
and robbed it of some valuable matter
He must have known the money letters by
their size and shape; third he meant to
leave the stage on the first opportunity;
and, fourthly he was prepared to shootme
if attempted to arrest or detain him.


l revolved these things over in my
mind. and pretty soon thought ofa course
to pursue. knew if could get my hands
safely upon the rascal, | must take him
wholly unawares, and this l could not do
while he was behind me- for his eyes were
upon me all the time. so ! must resort to
stratagem, Only little distance ahead
was a house, an old farmer named Lougee
lived there, and directly before which was
huge snow bank stretched across the
road, through which q track for wagons
had been cleared with shovels.


As we approached the cot, saw light
in the front room, as | felt confident |
should, for the old man generally sat up
until the stage went by. drove Oh, and
when nearly opposite the dwelling, stood
up as | had frequently done when ap-
preaching difficult places. | saw the snow
bank ahead, and could distinguish the
deep cut which had been shoveleI through
it. l urged my horses to a good speed,
and when near the bank forced them into
it. One of the runners mounted the edge
Of the bank after which the other run into
the cut, thus throwing the sleigh over "a
bout as quick as though lightning had
struck it. My passenger had not calcula-
ted on any such movement and wasn't pre-
pared for it; but had calculated, and was
prepared He rolled out into the deep
snow, with heavy buffalo robe about him,
while | lighted upon my feet directly on
top Of him. punched his head into the
snow and then sang out for old Lougee- =
| did not have to call second time, for
the farmer had come to the window to see
me pass, and as soon as he saw my sleigh
overturned, be had lighted his lantern and
hurried out.


What's to pay?' asked the old man
as he came up.


."Lead the horses into the track and then
come here said |.


As spoke; partially loosened my
hold upon the Williams throat, and he drew
pistol from his bosom; but saw it in
season, and jammed his head into the snow
again, and got the weapon away from him.
By this time Lougee had led the horses out
ard came back, and explained the mat
ter to him in as few words as possible
We hauled the rascal out into the road,
and upon examination, we found about
twenty packages of letters, which he had
stolen from the mail bag, and slowed away
in his pockets


He swore, and threatened, and PRAYED
but we paied no attention to his blarney.
Lougee got some stout cord and when we
had securely bound the william, We tumbled
him into the pung. | asked the old man
il he would accompany to me Littleton, and
he said "Of course So he got his over
coat and mulfier, and ere long we started
on.


Ireached the end of my route with my
mail all safe though not as snug as il
might have been, and my mail bag little
the worse for the game that had been play
ed upon it. However, the mail robber
was secure and within week he was
identified by some officers from Concord
as an old offender and I'm rather inclined
to the opinion that he's in the States pris,
on at this present moment, at any rate he
was there the last heard of him.


That's the only time that ever had any
mai trouble; and think that under all
the circumstances, came out of it pretty
well.