“Hurry up there,” shouted the robber. “Don’t keep us waiting all day.”
After the passengers were freed of their arms, and the arms piled up near the road agents, the speaker of the two ordered Rumsey to relieve them of their purses. Bunton, who had all the time been petitioning for his life, took out his purse, and throwing it towards Rumsey, exclaimed,
“There’s a hundred and twenty dollars,—all I have in the world. You’re welcome to it, only don’t kill me.”
All this while, the men, not daring to drop their hands, directed Rumsey in his search for their purses. He had taken a sack of gold dust from Percy, one from Madison, and two from “Bummer Dan,” and supposed his work to be completed.
Turning to Madison, the robber asked, pointing to the sacks,
“No,” said Madison, nudging his pocket with his elbow, “there’s another in this pocket.”
The road agent, in an angry manner, cursing Rumsey for trying to deceive him, ordered him to take it out.
“Don’t you leave nothing,” was the stern, ungrammatical command.
Rumsey took the purse, and having added it to the pile, was about to resume his seat on the box.
“Where are you going?” shouted both the robbers.
“To get on the coach, you fools,” retorted Rumsey. “You’ve got all there is, and we want to go on now.”
“Go back there, and get the big sack from that Irish bummer,” said one of the robbers; and pointing his pistol at Dan, he added, “You’re the man we’re after. Get that strap off your shoulder.”
Poor Dan! His money was very dear to him, but his life was dearer. As he could not save both, he commenced at once to remove the strap. Rumsey came up, and tried to pull it out, but finding it would not come, stepped back, while Dan was engaged in unbuckling the belt.
“Jerk it off,” shouted the robber; “or I’ll shoot you in a minute.”
“Give him time,” interposed Rumsey; “you’ll not kill a man when he’s doing all he can for you?”
“Well, hurry up, then, you awkward blackguard. We have no time to lose.”
As soon as the belt was loosed, Dan drew forth a large, fringed, buckskin bag containing two sacks, which he handed to Rumsey, who tossed it on the heap.
“That’s what we wanted,” said the robber. “Now get aboard, all of you, and get out of this as fast as you can; and if we ever hear a word from one of you, we’ll shoot you on sight.”