The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-12-18
,(S GlC1 y In.

Buffalo i}il! tells p good story about
party OF Engishmen travelling on tn,
plains before the Pacific railroad was
finished. They came rumbling into az
annie abusing the driver and the coacl
!, and the ''blarsted country" generally, be
cause, they averred, there was no coach
ing or driving at all outside of England
Their contempt of all things American
was shown in the most offensive manner
to all the people standing around as they
alighted. 1t happened that Bob Scott,
the finest driver and most reckless dare
devil on the plains, was to take the
coach to the next station, eight miles
westward from Laramie, and as that
gay Jehu heard the remarks of the
Britishers he slowly made up his mind
to give them specimen of purely
American coaching The stable boys
led out six colts that looked as if they
had never heard of a stage before; they
reared and.snorted, plunged and kicked
until the noble Britons were quite de-
lighted with The anticipation Of Il fine
drive.
"Now, driver, you know, just give
EN- their heads and let EN- go; don't
you be afraid
"YesS says another encouragingly,
"my good fellow, Just 90 ahead"
Bob mounted the box slowly while a
man held each horse; he gathered the
reins and then said quickly, "let em
90"
And they did 90 and The colts plunged
and reared, but Bobs iron grasp held
them in. With the aid of the Califor-
MIA brakes he held them down TO a walk
for three miles, while the passengers
blasphemed at him for "cad" and a
sneak. AT the end OF that three miles
they got to the top of hill and one
Briton poled his head out of the Win
dow and began to say something, but as
he did a wild unearthly yell walked that
vicinity, and at the same time Bob
threw all six lines down. The coach
seemed to lift from the ground and those
six colts started at the very best speed
they could make. Another yell from
Bob and they seemed TO increase it;
then to help matters he drew his reyoly-
er and began firing over the horses
lea Is.
"Great Cod cried the Britons,
we've gotten into the hands Of y
blarsted lunaticp
"Stop, stop !" they shouted; bat tAe
mad team and crazy driver tore on
faster and faster, while the stage weDt
bouncing over the rocky road in way
that threatened to pound tine passengers
to pieces. Bob crancd his neck over and
yelled into the window
"Cents, Tm Just getting en- started /;
they'll DO better after awhile, and he
took out the lamps and hurled them at
the leaders with Wild Conanchc var
whoop.
The atlrghtel passengers presently
saw the station in tul view the ques.
ton was, how was that team 90 be
stopped. They gave themselves up for
gone, and hung on despairingly to the
seats. 1t seems that the horses were
accustomed to 60 right into the stables,
coach and al, and up they came TO the
open door at full speed. There was a
yell from the assembled stable attend
ants and tavern loafers, then frightful
crash as the whole top OF the coach went
off, throwing three Britons ont and
breaking two arms and a leg, besides
other slightcr accidents Bob came out
of the stable smiling, picked up an Eng
li,hman and says
"Never mind, sir we'll have II real
nice drive to the next station. / was
Obliged to take 'em along slowly over
that there bad road Boys, put III the
othor team in fresh coach and give me
a couple of cocktails. It's dull driving
so dog gone slow, and I'm powerful
dry"
Those Engl;shmcn waited and sent for
doctor. but they did not put down
anything in their note books about
American driving.