The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-14
AN ANXIOUS JOURNEY.
a Lady's Stage Ride Among the
Mountains Of Colorado.
Midnight Plunge Through a Forest In
fected by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. In
Cabin Filled With Thieves
Night of Suspense

Some years ago my father and I were
travelling in the West. and stopped at a
bright little town in Wyoming Terri
tory, undecided in which direction to
60 next
wanted very much to explore the
northern part Of Wyoming, including
the Black Hills, and close the trip with
a visit to National Park at the end of
August
But my father had lent his ear to
wonderful stories concerning a new
mining camp in Colorado. where dis
coveries of fabulous richness were af-
firmed to have been made.
My fathers arguments prevailed. He
went on first with his friend Henderson
and the teamsters, who were taking
down the summers merchandise for the
stores, and after few weeks he sent
for me. 1t was not deemed quite safe
for woman to travel alone through
that region, so my father engaged to
put me under the escort of his friend
Henderson when he should make his
next trip.
1t was about the middle of May when
the gentleman came to the hotel and
told me to be ready for the five o'clock
stage the next morning. Promptly at
the time appointed was on the piazza
waiting.
Presently the stage, with rearing,
prancing horses, dashed around the
corner and drew up AT the steps. There
were three men going to Camp Ell Do
rado-my destination-and a man and
woman to Cummings Station, our first
stop.
The stage took the road directly
across the plain, heading for the noun
tain range that formed its southern
boundary. We had ridden about an
hour over the hard. gravelly roadbed,
when the stage suddenly halted in
front of a ranch house. The male pas
sengers got out and the driver down
from his stagebox to listen to what the
ranchman was saying. Their voices
were too low for us to catch the drift
OF their talk, but when the passengers
came back there was a look of anxiety
upon their faces that startled me. Per-
haps this mode of travel over lonely
mountain roads was not so safe after
all. and visions of stage robbers and In
diaus and grizzly bears began to fright
en- me little.
Have you got as good grit as your
father, Mlss?n asked Henderson, as he
leaned across to me.
Il think So" l replied. What is
the matter?"
well. there's been a couple Of stage
robbers lying in jail over at Newtown
for the last Two months, but Shelton
back there said they broke jail yester-
day aad are up in the Black Forest.
He says one of Schermerhorn cow
boys was over here at o'clock this
morning and said he'd seen a smoke
from the loot OF Horrs Hill, and caught
sight of them just below the thickest
part OF the forest, which is their favor
lite place for holding up drivers If
that's so it LOOKS as if we are in for a
fight this afternoon
Cant the stage go some other way?'
] asked.
There's never been but one road cut
through Black Forest The trees are
so thick you can't see the sun. We'd
have to go forty miles straight north
to go round the mountain, and there's
no stage road there ~
why don't you lay up at Cummings
and catch the men2"
"Never catch those fellows in Black
Forest They know every inch of
ground, and could shoot whole regi-
ment before you could get at them"
LADEN WITH RESPONSIBILITY.
"What will they do-kill u.s." i
asked.
'.Well, guess not that bad. What
they want is the money. You see.
we've got a good deal with us to-day.
Between us here we're taking down
about two thousand dollars into the
camp, and it will go hard if we lose il.