The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-08-21

arid plain, our road changed from
comparatively level to positively
mountainous one. Horses were changed
every twelve or eighteen miles, but the
driver kept on; and for hours we toiled
along over rocks and ridges on the
margin of the zigzag heights, with only
few spare inches of rocky roadway
between US and eternity.
About midnight we reached the sum-
NIT of a mountain overlooking the
great Idaho basin. The moon was
shining with a brilliance never equaled
in the valley of the Mississippi where
the atmosphere is not tempered by
mountain ranges. Afar, before and be-
low us the long line of dusty roadway
unrolled itself like silver ribbon. Be-
yond the road, beyond the nearby hills,
and far away, beyond the nearer
mountains of Idaho, rose the grand
ridge of Alturas, while nestled at its
feet the purple timber pointed with its
countless spires toward the snow
crowned heights which smiled their
greetings in the mellow moonbeams.
Behind us, in the far distance, lay
the rivers Payette, Weiser and Boise
cleaning like threads of molten moon
light among the sage and grasses,
while away, away in the distant foot
hills, Snake River ran, looking like q
monster anaconda as it wound its tor
tuous lengths through the ghostly soh-
tudes.
Boise City lay asleep in the shadows
and few lazy midnight clouds hov-
cred above the church spires as if to
protect them from intrusive eyes.
"What a beautiful nightP" I ex-
claimed in transport, as rose to half
standing posture, from which 1 was
suddenly surprised by lurch of the
stage-coach, which for the second time
since the night ride began, came near
landing me upon my head.
The driver caught the lines nervous
ly, as with q sudden awakening he
started the horses on the down grade
upon a tight run.
Z" 1t was Just such a night as this,
only hotter, when my hay was burned
on the ranch about sixty miles from
Downieville, he said, and again re-
lapsed into silence.
1 wanted very much to ask about that
confiagration, but the remembrance Of
the Boise bridge intimidated me, so l
only said: "This would be a grand
night to burn a hay harvest. The airs
as dry as tinder and lighter than luci-
fer matches. wish could see a gen.
uine pyrotechnio display among these
wilds of nature"
"You needn't ever make a wish like
that, ma'am; and guess you wouldn't
if you'd had my experience"
l half suspected that the driver S
growing loquacity had been induced by
the shy and rather frequent use of a
mysterious flask, of which could only
see an outline, as he held it to his
mouth under the cover of soiled ban
danna. Then, too, when the mountain
breeze sprang up, making the chill
night air pierce my lungs like knife,
he had insisted that should wrap my
mouth and throat in a shawl which he
carried for such purposes, and which 1,
after slight trial, relinquished making
the excuse that l was warm enough,
though in reality was chilling uncom-
fortably; but the smell of whisky upon
that shawl was notlik the altar of roses.
"I had as good home and as true a
mother in York State as ever blessed an
ungrateful son, ma'am. Twas young
and passable looking, and, as my fa-
ther had good farm and was consid.
cred forehanded by those who knew
him best, my prospects were average to
say the least. Get up, there, beauties
I'll stretch the ribbons and yank your
mouths if you don't step surer'
The horses pricked their ears, and
1 presume " stepped sure" for the
threatened "yanking" did not trans.
pire; and the driver, again helping him.
self to n draught from the mysteriou:
depths of his dirty bandanna, pro
ceeded with his story.
"Molly Winters was a pretty girl
Her eyes were as clear and blue as the
sky over Alturas, yonder; and you
wouldn't have thought there was any
thing on earth but constancy in 'em
She was deuced smart too. I never see
the girl that could beat her at a churn-
ing or a washing; and she could make
bread equal to my own mother.
loved her, and we were engaged, and
thought everything was right, and wa.
going on in the old way. contented anC
doing well enough, as thought, wher
who should come home from Califor
MIA but Hez. Rankin, my cousin, a snob
by sort of stuck-up specimen, and wha
should Molly do but cut me clean anC
marry him. He was rich, and that wa!
what did it; and he made his fortune il
the gold mines; so 1 thought the mos
desirable thing left for me, since
couldn't have Molly. was gold mine
"My mother didn't want me to leav,
died for me. Mothers are always true
wives and sweethearts never"
II wouldn't slander my own mothe
in that way if were you, Mr.. Rankin
Was not your mother your father
sDJe7 and wasn's she his stOeethear
onceP"
~ beg pardon, ma'am. There ma,
be exceptions. At least there was on
exception in my mother"
"And in mine, too" said l.
"And in yourself, doubtless. But, as
was saying, was determined to hav
gold, and plenty oft little thought tina
I'd fetch up at last at the end o. thes
ribbons, with forty dollars month an,
night drives and all the hardships of
frontier castaway thrown in"
"You were saying something abou
q confiagration on a hay ranch nea
Downieville," said /, anxious to chang
the subject.
"Well, yes, that t1ds q fire! You see
Sam Wlthers and had been prospect
ing at Red Bluff and hadn't raised tn
color for a month or more, and CRU
got low, and winter came on, and W
weathered it through on mule straight
which isn't very palatable dish, bu
all things considered is better tha
nothing, by q long odds.
II wasn't lucky as a miner; WASH
lucky as a marrying man; 1 WASH
lucky as a hay farmer, and I've neve
succeeded yet at anything but drivini
stage. Everybody strikes their leve
sometime, and I've hit mine at last"
"You must have encountered man
embarrassing vicissitudes before yo
settled in this niche," said l.
"Well, I'd say 1 had. Sam and
got through the winter by the very ski
Of our teeth. had four mules an