Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-01-19

queruloul creaking of the leather hinges
and springs of the coach, and the dull
grating OF the brakes on the wheels.
Even, the brakes, SO fastened that the
hind wheels no longer revolved. were
not sufficient; held by a grasp of iron,
the two powerful wheel-horses were al
most on their launches, and we're tug
cling at the pole-straps, until they were
apparently about to be carried from
their feet. Iglanced along the road in
our front with the hope that there
might be visible some termination of the
appalling situation.
At the moment when, as it were. T at
tempted to interrogate the future, I saw
that we had entered on a comparatively
straight line of road. It appeared to
thus continue far along in direct line
till it was cut of, mile away, by vast
spur that jutted out from the side of the
mountain. Here it seemed, as I looked
from the top of the cosch, that the
road came to an end. We were de-
scending at an angle of not less than 80
degrees, and at each step anticipated
that the horses would be carried from
their feet by the tremendous pressure
of the coach. The wheels at one moment
would sink into the soft wash, and the
next would strike a boulder, seIding the
coach now against the rocks of the wall
to the left, then over to the right, till
the abyss yawned directly beneath me
like the ravenous jaws of hell. 8at9U4 .
We had made perhaps quarter of q
mile stretch before us when, in the midst
of lurch from which there seemed no
possible recovery, there rang out sharp
crack like musket-shot; there was a
sudden cessation of the grinding noise
from the wheels; the heavy coach shot
forward as if on the backs of the horses;
and then, like binding flash, came the
horrible conviction that the brakes had
given way! Ee uI
'sGod Almighty! Jump" shouted a
voice at my left, and then rose to my
feet as / waited for the driver to detach
the plunging mass of horses from the
stage, and stood ready to spring when
the way was cleared. For the millionth
part of an instant my mind took in the
case of the nine passengers who were
pent up below, and for whom there was
no possible escape, and then it reverted
to my own case, as chung with difficult
ty to the guards of the seat and braced
myself for the leap.
Just then the driver rose to his full
height; his long whip described swift
circle in the air, and then fell across the
backs of the leaders. They sprang for
ward like shot from cannon, dragging
the Warehouses; from contact with the
coach. AS the lash struck the leaders
the driver gathered up his reins, gave q
fierce yell of encouragement to his
team, and then, leaning far back, he be-
gan to guide them directly down the
narrow road, and at the same time to
rein them in with all his strength. The
four horses at once were thrown into a
wild run; then comprehended that he
was about to undertake to keep in the
road, instead of abandoning the coach to
its fate.
1t was not full second from the Civ
ing way of the brakes till we were shoot
ing down the steep incline with the
swiftness and weight of a thunderbolt.
The broad sombrero of the driver had
been caught away by the wind, and as
he stood his long white hair was tossed
ON the air like the name of runaway
horse How / saw this detail and others
/ know not. What passed is like some
paralyzing nightmare. I felt nothing; /
saw objects near me and in the distance,
and yet without fully comprehending
them. The most salient recollections are
the long hair brushing my face, and the
horses, which did not seem to be indi-
viduals, but rushing solid mass of
white, like a great mass of foam driven
In front of powerful steamer.
So far as I can remember, there was not
a word uttered after the terrified excla-
nation of the passenger to my left, and
the shout of the driver to the horses.
All appeared to be frozen into silence.
The only sound was that of the fierce
pounding of the iron hoofs on the rock
bottomea road, and the sharp contact of
the wheels with the occasional boulders
which lay across the track. -at..
On either side there was nothing which
took precise shape. We moved, as it
were, between two great walls of dark
ness, somewhat as is the case when one
gazes from the window of railway train
when rushing through narrow gorge.
There was no especial difference between
the wall of rock on one side and the
abyss on the other. / had not resumed
my seat. I stood, clinging with deadly
grasp to the stanchions of the roof, pos
sessed with a vague impression that
safety lay in a jump to be made at some
approaching crisis. I have most in
distinct recollection that the woman In
front had both her arms about the waist
of the Englishman, and that he had his
face half turned to the wall to the left as
he chung to the railing of the seat like a
drowning man to a floating spar.
It seemed as If we were scarcely at all
on the ground; that our movement was
that of vast leaps, in which we struck
the rock with tremendous crash, like
vessel in storm when its bow en-
counters savage wave. The air met
my face as though 1t were some hideous