Year: 1861

him did


said he.


He just got in" answered.


"Goi in from where;"


81 don't know"


"Well. now said the hostles. CHATS kind
o curious. There Amt no such man been NJ
the house, and know there amt been none
az any Of the neighbor's."


Lets have look at his face" said l. eve
can get that much at any rate. Do YOU 20
back with me, and when I get into the pung.
Just hold your lantern so that the light will
shine into his face"


lie dd as ] wished, and as / stepped into
the pung got a fair view Of such portions Of
my pass 'rs face as were not mufied up.
saw asc 'rt thick frame full. harry features.
and ! copid see that there was heavy beard
under thf chin. thought Of the man whom
the postmaster had described to me; but |
didn't think seriously upon it until | had
started Perhaps had got half milo when
noticed that the mail bag wasn't in its old
place uHdor my i0st


Hello ~ says ], holding up my horses a
little, where's my mail :"


My passenger sat on the seat behind mo.
and ] turned toward him.


Here is bag Of some kind slipped back
under my feet he said, giving IL a kick. as
though he'd showed il forward.


just at this moment my horses numbered
into a deep snow-drif, and was forced to
get out and tread the snow down ahead of
them, and lead them through It,
This took me all Of fifteen minutes, and
when got in again pulled the mail bag for
ward and got my feet upon it. As | was do
ing this | saw the man take something from
his lap, beneath the buffalo and put it in his
breast pocket


At this | thought it was a pistol / had
caught the gleam Of the barrel in the star
light. and when had time to reflect. knew
could not be mistaken


About this time began to think some
what seriously From what had heard and
seen' ! soon made up my mind that the indi-
v''ual behind me not only meant to rob the
mall but he was prepared TO rob me Of my
life Il | resisted him he would shoot me,
and perhaps he meant TO perform that delect-
able job at any rate. While | was pondering
the horses fell into another deep snow-drift,
and ] was again forced to get out and tread
down the snow before them. ! asked my
passenger if he would help me- but he said he
didn't feel very well, wouldn't try it so |
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, and found
It where | had left il but when | attempted
TO withdraw my foot, discovered that it had
become entangled in something's thought it
the buffalo, and tried to kick it clear but the
more kicked the more closely was it held.
reached down my hand, and after feeling about
few minutes, found that my foot was in the
mailbag / felt again, and found my hand
in among the packages of letters and papers
| ran my fingers over the edges of the open
ing, and became assured that the stout lea
Z fthcr had been cut with-a knife.


Here was a discovery. | began to wish
had taken little more forthought before
leaving Danbury; but as | knew that max
ing such wishes was only waste of time,
quickly gave it up, and began to consider
what | had best do under the existing cir
cumstances. wasn't long in making up my
mind upon a few essential points. First, the
man behind me was villain second, he had
cut open the mail bag, and robbed il 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 oppor-
tunity and, fourthly he was prepared to
shoot me if attempted to arrest or detain
him.


revolved these things over in my mind,
and pretty soon thought of a course to pur-
sue. knew that to get my hands safely up
on the rascal, | must take him unawares, and
this could not do while he was behind me
for his eyes we're upon me all the time-so
must resort to stratagem. Only little dis
tance ahead of us was a house. An old far
mer named Lougee lived there, and directly
in front OF it was a huge snow bank, stretched
across the road, through which a track for
sleighs had been cleared with shovels


As we approached the cot saw a light in
the front room, as | felt confident should,
for the old man generally sat up until the
stage went by. | drove on, and when nearly
opposite the dwelling, stood up. as | had fire.
quently done when approaching difficult places.
saw the snow bank ahead. and could distin-
guish the deep cut which had been shoveled
through it. ! 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 ran into the
cut, thus throwing the sleigh over about as
quick as though lightning had struck it, My
passenger had not calculated on any such
movement, and wasn't prepared for it but
had calculated, and was prepared. lie rolled
out into the deep snow, with a heavy buffalo
robe about him, while lighted upon my feet
directly on the top OF him. punched his
head in the snow, and then sang OUT for old
Lougeo. 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, he had lighted his lantern and
hurried out.


whats to pay;" asked the old man, as
he hurried out


LEAD the horses into the track, and then
come here. said |


As | spoke | partially loosened my hold
upon the williams throat, and he drew a pis-
tol 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 aud came
back, and | explained the matter to him in as
few words possible. We hauled the ras-
cal 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 paid no atten-
ton to bis blarney. Lougee got some stout
cord, and when we had securely bound the
william, wo tumbed him into the pung |
asked the old man if he would accompany me