Outwitted The Bandits

"If you are going to travel alone in this country , you must carry two revolvers, but one of them majr be worthless. In fact, it uiay be better to have one of thern of somewhat okl fashioned make," said Mr. J. V. Hawkins of Pueblo, Mexico. "Mexico has improved marvelously in the past 10 3rears, but bandits are still too numerous, and I can teil j'ou how to protect yourself by relating the experience of a friendof mine. His name was McCoy Shepard, and lie was on his way alone from Acapulco to the capital, It is an easily followed trail. He had been over it once, and he spoke the language very well. He had little thought of danger, although holdups are common enough on that route, but he went prepared for business. He put in the holster of his saddlea44 caliber revolver loaded with cartridges that barely had enough powder in theni to blow the bulIets out of the muzzle, and then in the small of his back he hung the handiest 38 caliber he could find when in Trisco. He was inaking a trap, and it worked. "It bappened that as he was coming down out of the rnam range three road agents stepped from the rocks beside the road and had Mm 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 perf orce. Then one of theni took the big revolver from the holster. " 'Good. It is big,' said he. " 'Yes,' said Mac, 'bnt it's 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 shonld b6 worthless, and they said so. " "But, gei-tlemen, I will put my hat in the road, ai".l 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 Mezican affair that cost $30 ir Acapulco, and put it on a rock not 1C feet away, and stepped back toward, bul about five feet at one side of, the bandits. were interested at once. The idea was novel to them. The man with the pistol ahned deliberately and fired at the liat. Then the three ran to look at the effect of the shot. Mac's turn to shoot had come. W hipping out the unnoticed revolver, he shot two of them down before they could turn on him. The third did no more than turn round before he caught his dose as well. "Leaving every thing as it lay - bodies, guns, hat and all - Mac sat down in the shade of a rock and waited for some one to come along. He did not even reload his revolver. He had to make out a good case before the government officials, and he knew just how to do it. "After an hour or so a native planter with his servant came riding along. " 'Have the goodness to inform the alcalde that an American gentleman has had trouble here with bandits,' said he to the native, and the native did as requested of course. Three or four hours later came the alcalde of the next place with half a dozen soldiers. Mac told lus story briefiy, and the alcalde noted each point of it with the corroliorating evidence on ihe ground. " 'Yón have done well,' he said. 'I know the rascáis well. You have saved cartridges for my soidiers by killing them.' "Thed he stopped. He could not understand limv the big revolver hadfailed to shoot through the hat. He thought there was some kind of necromancy about it. So Mac cut a bullet from a cartridge and showed that the usual powder sp;:ce was for the most part filled with a cork. The alcalde turned the cork over in his hand and then said: " 'Those wise Yankees! But they do by subtlety what we would do by valor!' "Then Mac gathered up his hat and revolver, mounted his mulê and rode on with the alcalde, leaving the soldiers to look after the dead bandits. Take iny word for it, and carry a good gun out of sight when U'avelmg in Mexico, and other one v.-oere all cin see