Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1894 — FOOLED THE BANDITS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FOOLED THE BANDITS.

A Strange Adventure with Road Agents in Mexico. When you are traveling alone, particularly in a country like Mexico, where bandits are even now too numerous, always carry two revolvers, one of which may be worthless, but put a good gun out of sight, says an experienced traveler. A friend of mine, McCoy Shepard, was traveling alone from Acapulco to the City ol Mexico. He knew the language ol the country well and had little thought of danger, but he went prepared for business. He put in the holster of his saddle a 44-callber revolver loaded with cartridges that barely had enough powder in them to blow the bullets out of the muzzle, and then in the small of his back be hung the handiest 38-caliber he could find when in ’Frisco. It happened that as he was coming down out of the main range three road agents stepped from the iocks beside the road and had him cornered before he could whistle. They were armed with shotguns as well as machetes, but for some reason did not shoot before they spoke, as not infrequently happens. They Invited Mac to get down, and he did perforce. Then one of them took the revolver from the holster. “Good. It is big,” said he. “Yes,” said Mac, “but it is a worthless thing after all. I never want to kill any one. I only carry it because I must make people think I am armed.” The bandits laughed at that It was incredible that such a pistol should be worthless, and they said so. “But, gentlemen, I will put my hat in the road and you may shoot at it with the pistol. The bullet will not go through the hat.” At that he took off his hat, a gorgeous Mexican affair that cost S3O in Acapulco, and put it on a rock not ten feet away and stepped back to-

ward but about five feet at one side of the bandits. They were interested at once. The idea was novel to them. The man with the pistol aimed deliberately and fired at the hat. Then the three ran to look at the effect of the shot. Mac’s turn to shoot had come. Whipping out the unnoticed revolver he shot two of them down before they could turn on him. Third did no more than turn round before he caught his dose as well.

HOW HE FOOLED THE BANDITS.