Year: 1878

express Office! That red eye was staring
straight at me, and was not mis,
taken ]! For moment my consterna-
tion was too great Tor words. | could
not have uttered sound had my lite de-
pended on it.


This man who was alive after the acci-
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 conn, to all appearances dead
Then | remembered that the bereavsd
stranger had said that his dead brother
resembIed him very closely, But two
brothers are not apt TO have red glass.
eyes? Such a coincidence al this was
beyond the pale Of reasonable proba-
bility.


While yet | gszed at the supposed
corpse, the other eye opened a little,
and was sure that i. was looking at mel
| waa convinced tbele was fraud here,
but TO show that | had discovered it
might cost me my life. s. ] very quiet.
ly replaced the lid Of the coffin and took
moments time to think the matter
over.


| remembered my conversation with
the express agent, which we feared had
been overheard by the clerical.sppearing
stranger, and could only come to the
conclusion that the whole thing was a
deliberate plan to murder me and gain
possession pf 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 msn was
also. Kneeling down, | placed nv ear
close to the side of the coffin, and could
hear him breathe quite distinctly.
remembered that it was the intention O!
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 three men
intended to attack me after the train
pulled out OF the station, and rob the
car before our arrival at the next stop.
ping place. There was but one station
between us and Redwood, and | knew
We would be there in ten minutes more.
l had no time for hesitation Instant
action wss my only chance for safety.
III could secure myself against attack
until we reached the next station, | felt
that all would he well. In one instant |
had decided upon plan OF action. As
quietly as possible | piled several heavy
boxes of merchandise on top of the two
cotHns, and then | knew | was safe.
Scarcely was this accomplished when we
rar into the station.


! Immediately found two or three
officers, First the man in the coach was
secured. He was highly indignant that
be should be disturbed on such solemn
mission But it was no 90 He was
handcufed in less than two minutes and
marched out on the platform.


1t was an easy matter to secure the
two qu0ndam dead men. They were
taken greatly at a disadvantage, and
were deprived of all power to 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 | took look at them
through the grated doors of their cells.
When paid my respects to the man
with the red eye, he smiled a little aud
remarked patronizingIy:


" You're a pretty sharp young man.
1t takes a middliug keen boy to outwit
us"


" Permit me to sympsthize with you
IN your sorrow at the loss of your dear
brother, just litile,'