The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-18
.SWARTHY MANS STORY.

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him, or else something had taken possess
ion OF his mind. He was very dark, lik
one who had Just been much exposed Il
wind and sun. He had pulled over hi
brow great SLOUGH hat, such Us is worn b!
frontieRmen; and SO immovable was h
that he might have been asleep or dead,
There was silence OF some little duR
ton after the last story was concluded
Everybody except the dark man had tolt
something, and now they were waiting ioI
him to contribute his share to the enter
tainment He did not move, and they be
gan to exhibit some signs Of impatience
There was some muttering remarks to thu
effect that lodgings must be paid for in nd
vance; and that q man who slept with sc
much feet out OF bed was very liable tC
take cold. Finally, the young man, who
seemed to be more audacious than the 9th
ers, went over, tapped the apparent sleeper
on the shoulder, and asked him what time
he would like to be called for breakfast
aud whether he didn't think he had better
tuck in the bedclothes around his boots.
In reply the other lifted his boots down
from the barrel, tipped his broad hat back
on his head, and turned go as to face the
stove and the company. He said:
] have not been asleep, as you seem tC
suppose You wish Tor story, You
know that have Just come back from the
mines, and although | have heard all thai
has been said, have been living ovel
again few moments OF my life, which
were sufficiently exciting to warrant my
abstraction. You wish for u story. Per
haps the best thing can do is to go ovel
this experience.
In going from Denver to the Eeadyilt
mining regions there are two routes, and
such " their character that, whichever one
you take, you will besure to wish that you
failed to take the other. One OF them Is
across the mountains by rail to the Arkan.
sas Valley, and thence by coach to the de.
sired point. The other Is by coach all the
way through the mountains, and includes
pass OF several thousand feet above the
sea-level, For some reason-perhaps that
had often gone by the former-I selected
the latter This, us | afterward learned,
was the worst thing could have done, for,
atroCiOus rs are both OF the routes; the all
coach is infinitely the most dangerous one
in any part OF the Rocky Mountains. But,
you see, you never know what should or
should not be done till you have done II;
you can't tell what is in u vein till you
have put down your shalt.
Wcwpre of ut daylight The coach was
one Of the old and well.known Concord
build, and nearly us large as Noah's ark. 1t
Is swung on leathern hinges so arranged
that it Is capable OF every conceivable mo-
ton. II lurChes, pitches, rolls like II ship
in the trough Of the waves, rears and kicks
like q horse, jolts like Il camel, and has the
solid and colossal shake.dOwn connected
with the gait OF an elephant. Like all the
coaches which are used for the carrying OF
passengers through the mountains, 1t has a
mechanical appliance, within the easy con-
troll OF the driver, which enables him at n
moments notice, tOdetaCh the horses from
the vehicle. This is to be used to save the
team in case the coach is thrown over Il
preCipiCe. OF course the occupants count
Tor nothing so far as this machine is con.
cerned; but it preserves the horses, and, us
n general thing, the driver, who can Jump
from his seat in time tOavoid being carried
with the coach. In one sense it Is II pre-.
MUM on cowardiCe, for the reason that
there is now and then an instance in which
u CoaChful OF passengers is dashed down
among the rocks, where, had the driver
stuck 10 his place, 1t Is believed they might
have been saved. There were three seats
inside, on each OF which were three pas-
sengers, who were so wedgcd in that in
case OF IN overturn there was no extriCa-
ton, but all must go as one person. Out
side there were two seats, Of which the
front one is for the driver, and behind this
resting on the roof Of the coach, is the
other
On each Of these seats there were three
persons. Every place was thus occupied.
There were nine inside and six outside in.
elusive OfthG driver; or in all, fifteen souls.
1t was not cold when we started out the
second morning. had managed to Sc
cure place directly behind the driver.
My two companions on this seat were no
matter who, as they Cutno particular figure
in anything which occurred on the trip.
BY the side OF the driver was seated a
young woman, who was quite pretty, and
who, rs afterwards learned, was variety
actress. She was going over themOuntains
TO get m engagement at Leadville. The
other passenger in the same seat was an
Englishman of some forty years of Nge, n
civil engineer, who had been sent out by
some European capitalists to look up the
new carbonate regions Of the Elk mountain
district Finally, there was the driver, who
is always, as you all know, as important
q character as the captain on an ocean
steamer. He was only about twenty-five
years OF age, and presented no very salient
points in his features. He was very blond
in his hair, and was smoothly shaved, ex.
cept MS to n moustache, which was bleach.
ed to amilky whiteness. lie wore one oil
those gray sombreros, with m immense
rim and u round top, which are so much
affected by the Texas cowboy and the
stage driver; and he had lot bis hair grow
until it had reached his shoulders. lie
seemed to me to be very young for the
business OF pulling the ribbons over four
horses upon n route which s regarded as
one Of the most dangerous in the Rockies.
| found that the present journey was only
bis second trip; and TINT before coming to
this line he had been driving in the San
Luis valley. This was not in his favor, for
the reason that the valley Is n plain, and
affords one no training for mountain dri.
wing such rs TINT which was now given
him. He seemed steady sort OF chap,
quite unlike the old stagers, and on this
account the passengers did not tHketo him.
We tried now and then to establish social
relations, but we succeeded in getting only
surly responses. lie seemed to wish to be
let alone; and he finally got his wish, for
NIL Of us ceased to pay him any attention.
One thing about him pleased me, and that
was that, when he was asked to take some
whisky by one Of the passengers, he CURLY
refused It.
All the carly morning Of the second day
we had climbed toward the summit OF the
pass. II was long, slow and tedious
ascent, and although Of the most difficult
character, and in places Of the most danger.
ous kind il is not worth describing in de.
tail for the reason that what soon utter oc.
Cured Obliterated II from circumference.