Year: 1860

robbed; the tills of the bars at the way
side inns were robbed: and the people
had their pockets picked. All this hap
pened in the region of country between
Sidney and Lowstone-not a Held OF vast
extent-and yet the robber or robbers
could not be found. Officers had searched
in every direction, and several suspicious
Individuals had been appreheIided huts
the real culprit remained atsiarge. One
day the mail was robbed, and on the next
a man had his pocket picked OF tive hun
dred pounds while riding in stage coach
for my narrative dates back to the old
coaching days. The money had been
carried in his breast pocket, and he knew
that it was stolen from him while he was
enjoying bit of a doze on the road.


| had been confined to my house bysa
severe cold for several days, and was not
becoming serious, felt it my duty to be
on the move, and accordingly fortified
nv throat and breast with warm flannel
and set forth. l had no settled plan in my
mind, for | had not yet been upon the
road, and was not thoroughly posted up.
A ride of five miles brought me to Sidney,
and thence | meant to take coach to
Lowstone, where Sam Stickney, one OF
the shrewdest men lived. Stickney had
already been on the search, and wished
to consult him before making any decideN
movement. Preached Sidney at half-past
five in the morning and the coach lettaf
six. Lowstone was sixty miles distant, SO
had good ride before me. During the
early part of the day rode upon the box
with the driver, and from him gained
consi,' cradle information touching the
various robberics that had been committed
He was forced to admit that several peo-
pie had been robbed in his stage, though
he declared that he couldn't see into it, for
he had not the most reno idea even OF
whom the robber could be.


We reached Bonnville at noon, where
we stopped to dine, and when we lett this
place was the only passenger. At the
distance of twelve miles, at little village
called Cawthorne, we stopped to change
horses, and here another passenger got
up. | had been occupying the forward
seat, as that happened to heAVider than
the others, and gave me better op-
portunity for lying down; and when
the new conner entered he took the back
seat He was young man, judged,
and not very tall in stature, but so com
pletely was he bundled up in shawls and
mulllers that his size Of frame was nH SO
easily determined. He was very pale,
and conghed badly, and | at once made up
my mind that he was far less tit TO travel
than | was. After we got fairly on
our wav, | remarked to hi9 ihst had
been suffering from severe cold, and
that this was the first time had ventured
out for quite number of days. He look
ed at me out of pair of dark, bright
ewes. and when he seemed to have deter
mined what manner of man | was, he
said:


81 have something worse than a cold,
sir" He broke into fit of coughing
which lasted minute or so, and then ad-
ded. "lt won't be great while before /
shall take my last ride"


Again he was seized with a spasm of
coughing, and when he had recovered
from it, he continued, "The disease is
eating me up and shaking me to pieces at
the same time"


He further informed me that he had
started on a tour for his health, but that he
had given it up, and was now on his way
home, which place he was anxious to
reach as soon as possible. Another par
oxysm seized him at this point, and he in
timated tuat he was nuable to- converse,
as the effort brought on his cough. bad



trouble him no more, even before he had
given me the hint.


After this he drew his outer shawl
more closely about his neck and face, he
closed his eyes, and | was not long in fol-
lowing his example. Toward the middle
of the afternoon the coach stopped at a
small village, where we changed horses
again, and where four passengers got up.
This broke up the arrangement of my
friend and self for rest, as he had to take
one of the strangers on his seat, while
took another npon mine, the other two oC-
cupyng the middle seat. The new COM
ers soon broached the subject Of the rob-
berries which had been committed in that
region, and | listened to gain information,
if possible; but they knew no more than
anybody else knew. They had heard all
about it, and were inflated with wonder.


One-an old farmer-asked me if
knew anything Of the robber. told him
that | knew but little of the affair in any