"Halt!"
Two masked men emerged from behind a stump by the roadside, and Charley
Chu drew his revolver. The passengers in a panic took it away from him.
Mat Bailey pulled up his horses.
While one robber covered Mat, the other covered the passengers, who at
his command lined themselves up by the roadside with hands raised.
Cummins got out on the side of the stage opposite the robber; and but
for the duster, buttoned from chin to ankles, he would have had the dead
wood on that robber. It was not to be; and Cummins, hands in air, joined
his helpless companions. The robber then proceeded to rifle the baggage.
Charley Chu lost his five hundred dollars. Mat Bailey gave up the
leather bag from Moore's Flat.
"Whose is this?" demanded the robber, laying his hand on Cummins' old
valise. As if hypnotized, Mamie Slocum answered,
"That is Mr. Cummins'."
The robber seized it. Cummins exclaimed: "It is all I have in the world,
and I will defend it with my life." With that he seized the robber,
overpowered him, and went down with him into the dust. If only there had
been one brave man among those cowards!
"Is there no one to help me?" shouted Cummins; but no one stirred.
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