Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-05-13

were all new and novel. Sue Dad new"
been IN the stsge before. and being th'
only passenger, she felt like lady o
state rolling along in the great vehicle
She watched the blue sky dip down t.
the earth, and the light heecy clouds
arrange and rearrange themselves III
never-ending shapes. She counted tn,
different varieties OF wild flowers. a. .
marked the Fl ght of birds and flocks :,
startled prairie chickens; the hiding O.
the timid quail in the tall grass and the
graceful bound OF The trembling deer
So absorbed and delighted was she thai
che hardly noted the passage OF miles
until . farmer in lumber.wsgor
stopped abreast the stage, and called
out, say, driver, it isn't safe to cross
the Spoon this morning. I've beer
down there. and the waters over the
banks on both Sides"
"The BRIDGES all right, isn't it u
asked the driver in y thick voice, that
startled Barbara, she scarcely knew
why.
Yes, it's there; but the water is
booming all round it, and seems to be
still rising"
"Well, we'll take look at il" said
the driver, starting on.
My house is about mile back. You
can come there aud stop. The wster'll
likely go down in few hours" contin
ued the farmer, pleasantly.
Barbara leaned out OF the coach win
dow, and could plainly hear the rush
OF the torrent, and see it in the distance
spread out like a lake. As they ap-
preached the river, she called out
"Driver. stop! Please dol"
The horses were already in q foot
deep in water.
Its all right. 1t isn't deep, as you
see, he replied, without stopping.
"Oh, I'm sure it isn't safel Uriea
Barbara. with clasped hands. "The
bridge, the bridget 1t is swsying!"
Nothing but the stage is swaying!"
growled the driver in the same thick
voice.
When the leaders touched the bridge,
they stopped.
"Oh, don't, don't driverl Driver, 1"
screamed Barbara, clutching at the
door, I" let me go out! Stopl"
The driver did not or would not hear.
The water was rushing over the floor Of
the bridge, and floating logs were bat
tering against the side of the structure,
causing it to tremble like . thing OF
life.
The driver, muttering his determin-
alton to go on, gave the horses several
heavy blows with his whip. They
sprang forward upon the bridge, and
at rapid pace, splashed through the
water that covered it.
Barbara shuddered with terror, and
could only gasp for breath IS the bridge
rose and fell under the moving vehicle
~ Q boat in the trough Of the sea. Just
rs the hind wheels touched land, the
limb ers Of the bridge snapped with
loud report, and in minute, every
board and beam seemed to separate, and
we're swept away in the rushing waters.
Barbara turned her white, terror
Jtriokea face from the mad stream be-
hind, to meet . dull gaze from the
1riyer that almost paraly zed her. With
! silly, sickening smile, - though an,
'wering her questioning look, he aaid,-
We made it-hic-didn't We PHO
we're ali right, now-hic."
Then Barbara knew that he was
Trunk. In the hope that she might
guide the horses, she begged that he
would allow her to get upon the seat
With him.
"Oh nol-hicpmy pretty miss.-I'd
liko-to have you, 81 course. Who-hic
like q pretty girl by his
side? But you see you-hio--you can't
get here for the-the water. When We
get through, you-hi0-shau come up
-yes-so you shall-yes!"
Barbara felt his hot breath touch her
cheek ~ he leaned towards her, and I'M
by him, bottle fell from his
pocket into the water. On they went.
splashing and ploughihg through water
up to the hubs of the wheels, for nearly
q quarter Of mile across the bottom
Barbara had been over this part of
the road with her father, and knew that
before reaching the bluffs there was an
arm OF the Spoon Riv er, not wide, but
deep, bridged imperfectly with logs and
brush. Usually there was little or no
water in it. Approaching it, she saw
another roaring torrent. The poor girl
wrung her hands and screamed at the
driver, and tried to grasp his coat to
make him listen to her.
His only answer was vigorous crack
of his whip. Then the stage went down,
down! Barbara knew the horses were
swimming. The stage swayed and
nearly turned over. She thought of
many, many things in that moment of
time. She cried, "Oh, I shall drown!
Must dlep" Then the water swept in
at the windows and covered her.
She swooned, and remembered notL-.
ing. more. When she came to herself,
all was still save the sound of water.
Her clothes aud hair were dripping,
and she shivered with cold.
She looked out of the coach. Still
water was all about, but it was not deep.
She called to ths driver.
No answer.
She looked out the opposite side OF
the coach. The reins lay in the water.
and the horses were prevented frem
making further progress by u fallen
tree. Her clothes we're wet through
She leaped from the stage. The driver
was nowhere to be seen. It seemed to
her, as she glanced back upon the
food, tina. for an instant, in the midst
Of the floating debris. che saw the silly,
smiling face. Then it Was gone. The
man WAS never found. He had been