Mrs. Bob: A Novel — page 181: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE WALKING WAS GOOD. 173 Hardly had he spoken when the carriage comes to a sudden halt. “Prepare to deliver!’’? exclaims Bob’s_ wife, dramatically. ‘Jove! unless I’m mistaken there are some rascals in these mountain fastnesses—a crowd known to the Richmond authorities as the Bagley gang, and the leader is about as desperate a fellow as one could run across ina year. Of course I don’t know whether they have taken to stage robbery or not, but a chance like this would probably seem like a fine streak of fortune to them. | The Senator whistles. ‘“Get out your firearms, friends. Prepare to sell your lives dearly,’’ he says. ‘Perhaps our driver is in league with the rob- bers,’’ suggests Mrs. Bob. ‘“Had I better finish him at once?’’? laughs her husband. The sudden starting of the vehicle prevents this dark deed from being consummated, and, for the present, all fears of brigands are banished. At any rate, the little scare has shown them the chances of meeting such an adventure, and brought to light a deadly array of revolvers that might well cause any would-be robber to fall back aghast. They keep on for a short distance—perhaps a quar- ter of an hour of climbing the mountain road con- tinues, and then comes another sudden stop. Voices are heard. This looks like business, and Bob nudges the stout Senator, fearing he has gone to sleep, though there Gomicbooks ( C (0) in