.

Driving over the trail through the Rocky Mountains, the drivers were
constantly annoyed by road-agents, whose daring robberies made it most
dangerous for a coach to pass over the line.

If the driver did not obey their stern command: "Halt! up with your
hands!" he was certain to be killed, and the passenger within who
offered the slightest resistance to being robbed, was sure to have his
life end just there.

So dangerous had it become to drive the mountain passes, as several
drivers had been shot, the company found it difficult to get men to
carry the stages through, and offered double wages to any one who had
the courage to drive over the road-agents dominions.

Buffalo Billy at once volunteered for the perilous work, and his first
trip through he met with no resistance.

The next he was halted, and promptly obeying the order to throw up his
hands, he was not molested, though the gold-box was taken from the
coach, and all the passengers were robbed.

After this it was almost a daily occurrence for the road-agents to rob a
stage-coach, and the Overland Company offered a reward of five thousand
dollars for the capture of their chief and the band.

One day Billy drove away from the station with a coach full of women,
not a single man having the pluck to go, and promptly, at their favorite
place, the road-agents appeared.

"Halt! up with your hands!"

With military promptitude Buffalo Billy obeyed, and putting on the
California brakes, he drew his horses to a stand-still.

"Well, what have you got to-day that's worthy our picking, my Boy
Driver?" said the road-agent leader approaching the coach.

"Only women, and I beg you not to be brute enough to scare 'em," said
Billy.

"Oh! they must pay toll; and they generally have good watches; but what
is it, a woman's rights meeting, or a Seminary broke loose?'

"Ask 'em," was the quiet reply, and as the leader of the road-agents,
closely followed by his half-dozen men, all in masks, rode up to the
stage door, Billy suddenly drew his revolver and with the flash the
chief fell dead.

"Out, boys!" yelled Billy, and the stage doors flew open, dresses and
bonnets were cast aside, and nine splendid fellows began a rapid fire
upon the amazed road-agents.

One or two managed to escape; but that was all, for after four of their
number had fallen, the balance were glad enough to cry for quarter,
which was shown them only until a rope could be thrown over the limb o