Show the road agent copyright by T C McClur ol A western stagecoach in which were alx lx men of us had been held up by a tingle robber and all of us plundered when he had finished hla work h nodded tor the other five victims to get into the but for me to remain behind when the stage had passed on he said to me thompson Thomp Bon I 1 am not a bad fellow unless you kick against my game just knuckle to circumstances and we 11 get along all right lou take the guna and carry the sack turn in by thai rock and keep to the west chafa your object in holding ma prisoners prison ert I 1 asked aa I 1 picked up the weapons oh I 1 ve got three or four objects in the farat place I 1 want about 5 as a ransom going to play greek brigand you aw in the next I 1 m con founded lonesome up here and want some one to talk to thirdly I 1 may induce you tc go into partnership in this holdup business theres both tun and profit in it we made our way through the brush tor a mile or more and then came upon his camp which was under the overhanging of a great rock there were blankets and cooking utensils scattered about and as I 1 stood looking around be turned to me with that was a lucky find yon made last tall mr thompson you have referred to me as thomp bon alveral times I 1 replied but that la a long way from being my name not I 1 beg to differ with you I 1 saw you at diamond city three months ago and am sure I 1 am not mistaken if I 1 m thompson what am I 1 worth to yon in dollars and cents 7 all of and would be only a trifle to you well you ve got left on the thomp on business I 1 may resemble him but he a in balse city at this very date look into my wallet and you 11 find cards and letters to prove what I 1 say lie looked at me very steadily for a minute and then went over to sack into which he bad dumped every thing when be got at my wallet be found plenty of proofs that I 1 was some one lse besides thompson he was put out for a moment and then he turned to me and held out his hand and bald beg pardon tor my error mr blank I 1 see that you are in the newspaper business io man has a greater respect for the press than I 1 have it I 1 haan hadn t turned robber I 1 should probably have become an editor I 1 have made a mistake tell me bow I 1 can square myself by giving me back my money and putting me on the road to silver city here la your money but the hour Is late and you wll have to remain here all night tou shall be guided out to the road as soon as we have had break fast ne had some good cigars and as we smoked we fell into a general conversa alon and I 1 found him a well educated and entertaining man it was easy to see that be bad been born in some oth er station and I 1 judged he was in the business more for excitement than profit hen he finally asked me how I 1 would like to go bards with him the holdup profession I 1 answered I 1 can t aay that it strikes me favora bly lou are not only liable to be down like a wild beast at any time but you can have no enjoyment of your plunder la more certain than that you will be killed or captured and hung if you keep at it long enough ell don t decide offhand but think it over there are some drawbacks draw backa of course but they don t count as against the excitement of the life after tha first adventure I 1 think like it its time to turn in and I 1 wish you good night it was long after midnight before I 1 dozed off and I 1 was awake again at the first of daylight I 1 had no fear of the robber and ho none of me I 1 could abne killed or captured him with ease but I 1 dont believe be had the least mistrust of me ne turned out soon after I 1 did and while we were eating the breakfast he had deftly prepared he said I 1 like the idea of your going parda with me what do you gay to it I 1 made the same argument as bo tore but added that I 1 was in business la a legitimate way and should want three months to make a change even it favorably impressed I 1 could SOB that ho was disappointed and in my turn I 1 asked suppose we become parda the other way lou give this business the shake and take an interest in a mine I 1 have at bannock city it s too lato for that he answer aa trying to laugh in a careless way bat making poor work of it As I 1 haw bowed sowed so must I 1 reap thanks for your kind interest however and now we 11 be moving lie returned me my revolver and made me a present of another when he bad buckled on a pair we climbed out of the gulch we walked over a wild rough country for nearly an hour and then he finally stopped and said the stage road Is right down there not ten rods away and you turn to the right I 1 am sorry for my blunder of yesterday and hope it has not incon venlen ced you I 1 have given you B square deal and on the other hand I 1 have been entertained by your corn pany good day and goodby we shook bands and separated three months later we met again that Is I 1 saw his dead body lashed across the back of a mule lie had been hunted down by a sheriffs posse and had a bullet in his brain M onan ona n I 1 I 1 |