Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-12-23
The Stage Drivers Story.

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tance of forty-two miles, and as
/ had to await the arrival OF two
Tor three coaches, and as ] did not
! start until after dinner, l very
often had good distance to
drive after dark. IT was in the
dead of winter, and the season
had been a rough one. A great
deal of snow had fallen, and the
drifts were plenty and deep.
The mail that arrived was not.
due at LittIeton by contract un-
til l o'clock in the morning, but
that winter the postmaster was,
obliged to sit up a little later than
that particular hour for me.
i One day in January, when /
drove up with my mail at Dan
bury, the postmaster called me
] into his office.
4 "Pete,j' said he, with an i'm
portant serious look, "there's
some pretty heavy money pack
ages in that bag, and pointed to
it as he spoke. He said the
money was from Boston to some
land agent near the Canada line.
Then he asked me if | had amy
passengers that were going
through to Littleton. / told him
/ did not know. "But suppose
| have not" says /.
"Why," said he, "the agent
Of the lower route came in fo=
day, and he said there were two
suspicious looking characters on
the stage that came isflast night,
and he SUSPECTS that they had
an eye on this mail, so it will
stand you in hand to be little
careful this evening"
He said the agent had de
scribed one of them as a short,
thick-set fellow, about forty
yearsofage, with 1onS hair, and
a thick, heavy clump Of beard
under his chin, but none on the
side of his face. He did not
know anything about the other.
| toldhini / guessed there wasn't
much danger. m
+, F. "Oh, no, Motif yoh have ! pas
sengers all the way through ;but
| only told you this SO that you
might look out for your mail,
and also keep sharp lookout
when you change the horses"
/ answered that / should do |
SO, and then took the bag under
my arm and left the office. l
slowed the mail away under my |
seat little more careful than
usual, placing it so | could put
my feet against it, but beyond
that l did not feel any concern.
1t was past l when we started,
and l had four passengers, two
of whom only rode to my first
stopping place. / reached Cow |
ans mill at dark when we stop
ped for supper, and where my
other two passengers concluded |
to stop for the night.
About 6 o'clock in the even
ing l left Gowan's mill alone,
having two horses and, a. pung.
| had seventeen miles to go,
and a hard seventeen miles It'll
was too. Tie might was quite
clear, but the wind was sharp
and cold, the loose snow flying
in every direction, while the
drifts, were deep and closely
packed. 1t was slow and tedi-f
Gus work, and my horses soon
became leg-wearys and <restiye-
lat a distance of six miles came
to a settlement called Bulls
Corner, where / took fresh hors-
es. I'd been two hours going
that distance. As ! was going
to start a man came up and asked
IifI was going through to- Little
ton. i said | should go through
liz the thing could possibly be I
done. lie said he was anxious \
to go, and, as he had no baggage, |
/ told him 10 jump in and make
himself as comfortable as possi-
bic. | was gathering up. my
lines, when the hostler came up
and asked me if | knew one of
nv horses had cut himself badly.
i Jumped around and found that
one of the animals had got d adeep
cork cut on, the off foot. | gaze
such directions as | considered
necessary, and was aboutto turn
AWAY, when the hostler remark
ed that he thought | came alone,
/ told him / did. 2 ~
"Then where dld you get that
passenger," !" said he.
ale just got in" | answered.
SCOT in frpln wherewq3 e
81 don't know" l .sin.
@Weil, now,Y said the hostler,
"that's kind of curious. There
amt been no such man at the
house, and / know there ANTI
been none at the neighbor's.
eLet's have a look at his face, /
saidI. "We,can 60 that much |
at any rate. Do you so back
with me, and, when | get into
tthe pung, just hold the lantern
so that the light will shine into
his face"
~ -, grn 80 fttits