the
whole coach into his confidence, "I've got over forty ounces of clean
gold dust in them butes, between the upper and lower sole,--and it's
mighty tight packing for my feet. Ye kin heft it," he said, as he
removed one boot and held it up before them. "I put the dust there for
safety--kalkilatin' that while these road gentry allus goes for a man's
pockets and his body belt, they never thinks of his butes, or haven't
time to go through 'em." He looked around him with a smile of
self-satisfaction.

The murmur of admiring comment was, however, broken by a burly-bearded
miner who sat in the middle seat. "Thet's pretty fair, as far as it
goes," he said smilingly, "but I reckon it wouldn't go far ef you
started to run. I've got a simpler game than that, gentlemen, and ez
we're all friends here, and the danger's over, I don't mind tellin' ye.
The first thing these yer road agents do, after they've covered the
driver with their shot guns, is to make the passengers get out and hold
up their hands. That, ma'am,"--explanatorily to the lady, who betrayed
only a languid interest,--"is to keep 'em from drawing their revolvers.
A revolver is the last thing a road agent wants, either in a man's hand
or in his holster. So I sez to myself, 'Ef a six-shooter ain't of no
account, wet's the use of carryin' it?' So I just put my shooting-iron
in my valise when I travel, and fill my holster with my gold dust, so!
It's a deuced sight heavier than a revolver, but they don't feel its
weight, and don't keer to come nigh it. And I've been 'held up' twice
on t'other side of the Divide this year, and I passed free every time!"

The applause that followed this revelation and the exhibition of the
holster not only threw the farmer's exploits into the shade, but seemed
to excite an emulation among the passengers. Other methods of securing
their property were freely discussed; but the excitement culminated in
the leaning forward of a passenger who had, up to that moment,
maintained a reserve almost equal to the fair unknown. His dress and
general appearance were those of a professional man; his voice and
manner corroborated the presumption.

"I don't think, gentlemen," he began with a pleasant smile, "that any
man of us here would like to be called a coward; but in fighting with
an enemy who never attacks, or even appears, except with a deliberately
prepared advantage on his side, it is my opinion that a man is not only
justified in avoi