Wichita eagle., 1888-06-16
THE WIDOW OF SMITH.

There were five OF us in the coach, huge,
old affair, resembling an immense box 1t
ested on enormous leather straps that al
owed it to swing with a motion that is best
described by saying it was diagonal, though,
fact, it was not diagonal at ali. One mo
aent we found ourselves sliding toward the
foremost corner Oh the left, as the wheel on
mat side dropped heavily into some almost
,ottonless hole; the next instant We would
Ie flying with pleasant unanimity through
lie rear window on the right, and again,
. eei1fng to force an outlet through the roof
If floor. But the resultant of these motions
hut together, added and divided, is most
learly described by the word diagonal, and
p-diagonal 1t is.
All five or the passengers were riding IN
rle, for it was day in November-cold and
rOudy, and light snow YVES spaSmodically
filling, as if really uncertain whether tostop
Or 90 on, but, on the whole, rather in favor
d going on, it being characteristic Of
western habits never to give up anything for
any cause whatever, once it is begun. So,
while a sat outside just at that time was
better than no seat at ali, it was by no means
30 desirable as a seat inside
The road we were TO traverse led through
camp Of Greenwood though why Green
wood none can say-it was far above timber
Hne to Leadville. 1t was fairly good wheel
ing, as that word is understood in the
Rockies, but six stout mules had all they
could do to manage the coach. One moment
they were groaning and straining up some
steep incline; the next fairly lifted from their
fest as we dashed furiously down a hill, our
Nv A,a
which Tommy, the driver, would frantically
apply.
Every one in the west has title of some
sort, no matter whether he has right to it
or not, and the FIVE men in the coach were
known as the colonel, tho major, the Judge,
the doctor and the professor. 1t is surprising
how soon one becomes acquainted with his
companions in such place. Whether this
is due to the community Of sensations that
govern the passengers, as the vehicle lurches
to the right or LETT, or the sociability of the
men themselves, l can not say The fact re-
mains, however, and in less than half an hour
after we had started l was on familiar terms
with the past history, present occupation,
size Of pile and name of each of my fellow
travellers.
On the coach was an express box, said to
contain $50, 900 in bullion, the product of the
Greenwood mines. In a rack near the drivers
feet hung two Colts revoIvers and a Win
chester rifle. The road was considered safe
enough, for no robbery had occurred there since
the camp had been in existence, still the
stage company preferred to take reasonable
precautions. Hence the weapons.
After we had exchanged our names and
such parts of our personal history as we felt
free to give we relapsed into silence. The
westerner, although a Sociable, is not u talk
ative animal; he converses in heats. For
time our quiet was unbroken, save by the
grooming and crealdng of the coach, tho
cracking of the drivers whip and his rapidly
uttered oathS.
Perhaps it is well that justice can never DO
done-in print-to the profanity Of the west
ern mule driver. 1t is as impossible TO de-
scribe as the singing of some beautiful aria
by some sweet voiced singer. Not that the
two can be compared in any way; | merely
wished to illustrate the utter inadequacy Of
words in type to represent the sounds.
1t was at the end of one of Tomny's flow
cry periods (which came to our rescue when
the coach, stuck fast at the foot of a verita-
BILE hill of difficulty, had ct last been dragged
up by the mules inspired by the outpouring}
that the gentleman occupying the middle seat
Qefta broke the silence We knew him as
Professor Blood, ''the hull owner of the
Blackeye mine of Greenwood and several
Others" 1t was at the close of Tommy's ex-
hortation, / say, which began softly and
slowly, then gradually increased in volume,
speed and power, until the flow was simply
overwhelming, that the professor" remarked
pleasantly:
"Tommy seems to swear tol'ably easy, I'm
thinkin'. It's a great gift; wonderful what
twill do sometimes When l was a-teamin'
It up 70 Leadville | would bet willin' l could
cusS dead mule up 600 foot grade, with a
load, and all by the parts O. speech. It's just
like anythin' else, though, takes practice
"Those was great days" he went on with
retrospective sigh, great days We was
gettin' twenty and thirty cents a pound fur
stuff, an maxim slathers O. money; an losin'
it too, be added, with laugh. II remem-
Der comm down over the divide one night
alone, with three thousan' dollars in my
pocket, when d. road agent held me up
an cleaned me out. | was pretty blamed
mad, but 1 had to ante"
'rd like to know" said the doctor, show
one or two men can stop and rob a dozen, all
we'll armed It looks as if they had 10 nerve.
l don't think I'd stand it."
The judge whistled softly st this remark;
the major smiled and made a pretense 81
wiping the window with his coat sleeve and
looking out; the colonel expectorated mourn
fully. The professor alone was calm.
Partner said he, looking the doctor il
the eye, and tapping him gently on the knee
eS he spoke, was you ever held upF
The doctor shook bus head.
81 thought likely said the professor, sig
ni6cantly. Just look here, when you are
stopped You unite quietly and perlitely. Its
runnin' too much OF Il risk TO object. If any
man is lool1in' fur a chance to climb the
golden stairs, through barin' of his buzzum
for his fellow creatures-without compensa-
TONED him Ii Amt in my line, I'm pretty
sure, an SO say, IL ever you're held up JEST |
fork without any back talk-it's really the /
cheapest, and long way the safest"
These sentiments seemed to meet with uni /
vegsal approval from the other occupants of /
the coach, and the doctor, quite crushed with |
the weight of opinion against him, relapsed 4
into silence
After this, conversation became desultory. /
Now and then q passenger would volunteer "A !
remark, which sometimes elected a reply /
and sometimes did not Often, as che road |
led up some steep incline, we would get out !
and walk, TO restore, by exercise, the circula- |
ton in our benumbed limbs. Twice ne |
coach stopped at relay stations, where fresh 1
mules were harnessed in the place Of the tired /
out animals. The stations were nothing more |
than rough log stables, with accommodations |
for the men who fed and cared for the mules |
The snow had been falling all the afternoon |
thin white cover that partially hid the /
ros, chreSs of the Mountains and whitane6 the /