Year: 1877

MI


When about two miles from the
station, storm abating little, we
descended into very deep, dry
gulch, made short turn in it, and
then began the ascent on the other
side. One of the passengers on the
left says. "Boys. this is bully place
for the road agents, and the words
were scarcely out of his mouth. when
we heard the cry from seemingly a
dozen throats: Stop that team, G.
d-d-n YOU" Throw off that treas
ure box" followed Immediately by
the sharp report of a rifle and cry
from the driver as he dropped from
the box, Ppm shot" The passen>
ger on the left with the rife at once
fired at the only agent he could see,
but unfortunately missed him. The
robbers on the left, being even with
the box, only the man on the back
seat could see them, and we on the
right hand side of the coach might as
well have been in a sack with the
string tied around the neck for the
curtains, being battened down, shut
off our vision. The shot from the
coach called forth from Reagents such
remarks as, "Auother shot from the
coach and wen massacre the whole
crowd.


''DRoP YOUR ARMS AND COME OUT OF


THERE"


"We've got the drop on you and
you'd better get out" "Come out of
there, what are you waiting for?'' !
leave out the profanity which inter
larded tho above remarks. AS each
one stepped out he looked into the
muzz'es Of three guns, and W
met with the command: drop your
arms and put your hands up to your
hats )" in very short, quick ems
phatic manner We then saw that
the robbers were five in number.
We were arranged in line, with four
outlaws as guard, and a watchful
guard, too, while the captain went
over to where the driver was to see if
he was badly hurt. Finding the
wound was slight, being flesh wound
in the side. about half way between
the ribs and the hip joint, he ordered
the driver to drive the coach mp the
incline to level ground. When this
vas done he made the driver take
the horses off the coach and stand by
them. The captain then came to
the line Ofpassengers and went through
them for money, watches, etc, BY
this time the clouds had passed away,
and the moon shone as bright and
beautiful as ever it did, and by the
light We saw that the robbers were all
masked and four Of them armed with
sharpes rifles and revovers, and one
with shot gun and revolver. The
captain had searched all but two of
us when he suddenly stopped, went
to the coach and


LOOKED FOR THE TREASURE ROX.
| suppose he thought he had better
get that first for fear of interruption,
The first box he got out of the boot
was wooden one, iron bound being
the box from Custer City. He soon
broke that open with a hatchet, but
found nothing in it except some spec
linens of ore. Custer City being
played out town. He said on OPEN
ing, BY God, Pm going to burn
that town it amt worth n d-n,
anyhow - To which the orthr four
joined in a hearty response. Then
he went for the Deadwood box, but
found it a harder job, being of boiler
iron and riveted in the bottom Of the
boot to the frame of the coach. lie
worked at it faithfully for nearly an
hour, trying the hatchet and every
thing else he could get hold of but
made no progress. One of the mess
sengers said you can't get that
out; that was tried last night, and the
fellows had to give it up after work-
ing an hour and a half" The cap
tain said he knew what he was about,
and he could blow the id thing
out but was afraid Of hurting the
contents. At last he called for pow>
der, and packed lhe lock well with
iI, then, turning around, says to us,
Boys, if we make a good treasure