“You’ve picked up the wrong man,” replied Howie.
“All right,” said Plummer coolly. “I suppose you know enough to keep your mouth shut.”
Howie remembered the fate of Dillingham, and heeded the admonition.
The placer at Alder Gulch was immensely prolific. Probably its yield in gold dust was not less than ten millions of dollars before the close of the first year’s work upon it. Money was abundant. Merchants and bankers were obliged to exercise great ingenuity and caution in keeping it, as there were no regular means for sending it out of the country. The only stage route was between Bannack and Virginia City,—and a stretch of unsettled country, four hundred and seventy-five miles in width, lay between the latter place and Salt Lake City. There was no post-office in the Territory. Letters were brought from Salt Lake City to Virginia City, first at a cost of two dollars and a half each, and later in the season at one dollar each. All money, at infinite risk, was sent to the nearest express-office at Salt Lake City by private hands. In order to gain intelligence of these occasional consignments, Plummer induced some of the leading merchants to employ members of his gang. When this could not be effected, they were occupied so near and on such familiar terms, that they could observe without suspicion all business operations, and give him early notice of the transmission of treasure.
Dance and Stuart commenced business in Virginia City in the Fall of 1863, with a large stock of goods. George Lane, better known as “Clubfoot George,” whose history in the Salmon River mines I have already given, came to them with a pitiful story of his misfortunes, and asked for a place in their store for his shoemaker’s bench. Though cramped for their own accommodation, they made room for him. He commenced work, meantime watching all their business operations, for the purpose of reporting when and by whom they sent money to their Eastern creditors.
CHAPTER XXIV
COACH ROBBERIES
The placer at Alder Gulch was so extensive, so easy of development, and so prolific, that many of the miners who commenced work upon it in the early days of its discovery, fortunate in their acquisitions, and disgusted with their associations, were ready to return to the States in the fall. Failing in this, they knew that they would be doomed to a long winter of idleness, exposed to the privations incident to a new and isolated region, and to the depredations of a large and increasing criminal population. The hegira, at first small, increased in numbers, so that, by the first of November it could be numbered by hundreds, who were on their return to their old homes. Many—perhaps the greater portion—of those wayfarers travelled in the conveyances which brought them to the country; others on horseback; and a large number leaving Virginia City on one of the two lines of coaches for Bannack, trusted to chance for an opportunity to continue the journey beyond that place. How many of these persons fell victims to the road agents, on their long and perilous journey, it is impossible to tell; but the inquiries of relatives and friends for hundreds of them for months and even years after their departure, leave no chance for doubt that the villains drove a bloody and prosperous business.
Several of their most daring exploits occurred on the route between Virginia City and Bannack, a region admirably adapted to their purposes. Its frequent streams, cañons, mountain passes, rocky ledges, willow thickets, and deep embosomed valleys, afforded ample means of concealment, and advantages for attack upon passing trains, with very few chances for defence or escape. The robbers had their established points of rendezvous on the road, and worked in concert by a system of horseback telegraphy, as unfailing as electricity. Whenever it was known that a person with money was about to leave by coach, a private mark was made upon the vehicle, which would be recognized wherever seen, at Daly’s, Baker’s, Dempsey’s, or Bunton’s, the several ranches where the coach horses were changed. Bunton, who kept the Rattlesnake ranche, was the same villain who was associated with Plummer in the shebangs near Walla Walla, of which an account has already been given.
When the approach of the coach was perceived at either of these changing stations, the herder in charge mounted his horse, and rode hurriedly off to drive up the horses for the next route, which were generally feeding in sight of the station. Sometimes they strayed off, and the coach would be delayed until they were found, but this was of infrequent occurrence. Precisely the same system was followed here as upon the plains in the days of the overland mail stages.
The horses in use when not of the cayuse breed, were bronchos, or wild horses from California, neither in quality nor breed suited for the service, unreliable, and easily broken down. They were driven very rapidly, and when their speed gave out were turned loose as no longer fit for use. As a consequence it was one of the chief difficulties of a stage proprietor to secure horses which would insure the punctuality of his trips. The trip between Virginia City and Bannack was ordinarily completed between the rising and setting of the sun.