San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-11-15
THE WIDOW OF SMITH.

There were five of us in the coach, a huge,
solid affair, resembling an immense box. 1t
rested on enormous leather straps that al
lowed it to swing with a motion that is best
described by saying it was diagonal, though,
in fact it was not diagonal at all One mo-
ment We found ourselves sliding toward the
foremost corner ON the left, as the wheel on
that side dropped heavily into some almost
bottomless hole; the next instant we would
be flying with pleasant unanimity through
the rear window on the right, and again,
seeking to force an outlet through the roof
or floor. But the resultant of these motions,
put together, added and divided, is most
nearly described by the word diagonal, and
so-diagonal 1t is.
All five of the passengers were riding in
side, for it was day in November-cold and
cloudy, and a light snow was spasmOdically
falling, as if really uncertain whether to stop
or 20 on, Dut, on the WGole, rather III favor
of going on, il being a characteristic of
western habits never to give Up anything for
any cause whaGever, once it is begun. So
while u seat ouysilo just at that time was
better than no seat at all. it was by no means
So desirable as q seat inside.
The road we were to traverse led through
the mountains of Colorado, from the mining
camp of Greenwood Though why Green
wood none can say-it was far above timber
linel to Leadville. 1t was fairly good wheel
ing, as that word is understood in the
EOckcs, but six stout mules had all they
could 10 to manage the coach One moment
they were grooming and Straining up some
steep incline, the next fairly lifted from their
feet as we dashed furiously down a hill, our
speed only partially checked by the brake,
which Tommy, the driver, would tranJically
apply.
Every one in the west has q title of some
sort, no matter whether he has right to it
or not, and the five men in the coach were
known as Sle colonel, the major, the judge,
the doctor and the professor. 1t is surprising
ho"' Sooa 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 sOcia bility of the
mel themselves, | can not say. The fact re-
mains, however, and in less than half an hour
after we had started, was on familiar terms
with the past his DRY, present occupation,
size of pile uud malle of each OF my fellow
Travellers
On The coach was an express box said to
contain %;}J. 500 i'll bullion, the product of the
Greenwood mines. In a rack near the drivers
~, uIng Two Colts revolvers and Win
chester rife The road was considered safe
enough, tor no robbery had occurred there since
the camp had been in existence, still the
st2g,e 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 sociable, is not a talk
alive animal; he converses in heats. For a
time our quiet was unbroken, save by the
groaning and creaking of the coach, the
cracking of the drivers whip and his rapidly
uttered oaths.
Perhaps it is well that justice can never be
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