drawn back at full cock.

"You do well to stop, Bill McGucken!" the road-agent, observes,
reining in his steed. "I expected you hours ago, on time."

"Twarn't my fault, yer honor!" replies Jehu, meek as a lamb under the
gaze of the other's popgun. "Ye see, we broke a pole this side o'
Custer City, an' that set us behind several p'ints o' ther compass."

"What have you aboard to-night worth examining!"

"Nothin', yer honor. Only a stageful uv passengers, this trip."

"Bah! you are getting poor. Get down from off the box, there!"

The driver trembled, and hesitated.

"_Get_ down!" again commanded the road-agent, leveling his revolver,
"before I drop you."

In terror McGucken made haste to scramble to the ground, where he
stood with his teeth chattering and knees knocking together in a
manner pitiable to see. "Ha, ha, ha!" That wild laugh of Deadwood
Dick's made the welkin ring out a weird chorus. "Bill McGucken, you
should join the regular army, you are so brave. Ha, ha, ha!"

And the laugh was taken up by the road-knights, concealed in the
thicket, and swelled into a wild, boisterous shout.

Poor McGucken trembled in his boots in abject terror, while those