Year: 1878

express office! That red eye was staring
straight at me, and / was not mis-
taken For & moment my consterU a.
ton was too great for words. [ could
not have uttered a sound had my lie de-
pended on it.


This man who was alive after the acc.
dent, which the paper said caused the
death of Van Scooter and Griggs, and who
mad made arrangements for the trauspor.
tation of their remains, was now here in
this cofin, to all appearances dead
Then l remembered that the bereaved
stranger had said that his dead brother
resembled him very closely. But tive
brothers are not apt to have red glass
eyesP Such a coincidence as this Was
beyond the pale of reasonable prOba.
bility.


While yet 1 gszed at the supposed
corpse, the other eye opened a little
and | was sure that it was looking at me-
l was convinced there was fraud here
but to show that / had discovered il
might cost me my life. So very quiet.
ly replaced the lid of the cofiu and took
a moments time to think the matter
over.


1 remembered my conversation with
the express agent, which we feared had
been overheard by the eclerical-appearing
stranger, and could only come to the
conclusion that the whole thing was 8
deliberate plan to murder me and gain
possession eOf the 1880, 900, in my
charge. There was no denying that the
man with the red eyes was alive, and ]
had no doubt that the other man was
also. Kueeling down, placed my ear
close to the side of the coffin, and could
hear him breathe quite distinctly.
remembered that it was the intention OF
the attendant who had boarded the train
to enter the car at Redwood, ostenslbly
for the purpose of seeing the bodies, and
could not doubt that the thr6e men
intended to attack me after the train
pulled out of the station, and rob the
car befor5 our arrival at the next stop
ping place. There was but one station
between us and Redwood, and l knew
we would be there in ten minutes more.
l had no time for hesitation. Instant
action wss my only chance for safety.
If / could secure myself against attack
until we reached the next station, felt
that all would be well. In one instant /
had decided upon plan of action. As
quietly as possible I piled several heavy
boxes of merchandise on top of the two
L
Scarcely was this accomplished when we
raE into the station.


L Immediately found two or three
officers, First the man in the coach was
secured. He was highly indignant that
he should be disturbed on such a solemn
mission But it was no GO He was
handcufed in less than two minutes and
marched out on the platform.


1t was an easy matter to secure the
two quondan1 dead men. They we're
taken greatly at a disadvantage, and
were deprived of all power 10 resist
almost before they became aware how
their nice little scheme had terminated.
All three had been well armed.


Bound and guarded the three miscre-
ants were taken to Redwood and lodged
in the county Jail.


Before lett l took a look at them
through the grated doors of their cells
When paid my respects to the man
with the red eye, ne smiled a little and
remarked patrOnizingiy: b..


" You're g pretty sharp young man.
1t takes a middling keen boy to outwit
u.s."


" Permit me TO sympathize with you
in your sorrow at the loss of your dear
brother, just little"