He hailed from
the city of New York, and called himself Mortimer Plantagenet Sprague.
As next to himself, Luke was the youngest passenger aboard the stage,
and sat beside him, the two became quite intimate. In spite of his
affected manners and somewhat feminine deportment, Luke got the
idea that Mr. Sprague was not wholly destitute of manly traits,
if occasion should call for their display.
One day, as they were making three miles an hour over a poor
road, the conversation fell upon stage robbers.
"What would you do, Colonel Braddon," one passenger asked
of the Western merchant, "if the stage were stopped by a gang
of ruffians?"
"Shoot 'em down like dogs, sir," was the prompt reply. "If
passengers were not so cowardly, stages would seldom be robbed."
All the passengers regarded the valiant colonel with admiring
respect, and congratulated themselves that they had with them
so doughty a champion in case of need.
"For my part," said the missionary, "I am a man of peace,
and I must perforce submit to these men of violence, if they
took from me the modest allowance furnished by the society
for traveling expenses.
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