Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-08-31

ant companies, and, Of course, Their
was a great deal Of competition. TIL
Fine Barrcns route carried the MAI
but the S~andersOnville Company wa
trying hard TO get the carrying, repre-
senting that they made the quickes
time, and were always IN an hou
ahead of the mail stage.
And Turnbull, VINO was the laroes
owner in the Pine Barrens route
would have given his eyes rather thar
have Gibbs aud Jason of the other
route get the mail from him.
Sometimes when Sykes, the driver
of our line, wanted to get off for a few
days. | would drive the stage, and I
had got to be considered a very care
full driver.
One MondBy night. justtwo DAYS be-
fore Christmas, Turnbull came over to
our house. 1t was the time when the
war in regard to the mail carrying
was at its height, and there was the
most danger Of the authorities being
influenced to transfer the contract to
Gibbs.
James" said Tarnbull, II guess
you'll have to drive down tomorrow;
Sykes has been called off to his grand
mothers funeral, and | don't dare to
trust wilkins to get through in a day;
and L wouldn't have Gibbs's team get
the inside track for "A farm; and look
here, James Knowles" he added,
slapping me on the back, '.if you'll
manage TO get into Newburg ahead of
Gibbs. Ill make you n big Christmas
~present-lW take you into partnership
IN that lumber business"
1t was n great offer, and / knew that
once admitted to a partnership with
Turnbull my fortune was made.
''Ill do it if you'll risk the horses"
said /, ''but it will be deuced heavy
travelling"
"fll risk the beasts" said he confd-
emily. They're all good ones, and
a travel if they're put to it. You
will make two changes-one at Shir-
land Four Corners, and one at Madi-
son Ridge"
1t showed all that night; the next
morning. the day before Christmas,
when l started, the snow was coming
down in binding masses. the wind
was due east, and it promised fair for
a tough and long storm. / took a
couple of shovels, n bottle of brandy,
and some spare harness. for it is al
ways best to be prepared for emergen-
man feels better if he is ready
for it whether anything happens or
not.
had only four passengers-two of
them as far as Shirland, to spend their
Christmas with friends there, and the
other two were TO stop between there
and the Pine Barrens, so, after that, I
should have the stage all to myself.
l put the horses to their best pace,
and | tlatter myself that il there is any
20 in a horse | can get it out of him.
AT Shirland | left two of my company,
and changed horses. The landlord
thought had better put up for the
night. 1t was going to blow great
guns, he said. and the snow would be
piled up mountain high across the
Barrens.
But laughed at his croaklng, and
went on. Every mile the road grew
worse and worse, and when / reached
Beech Valley I stopped the horses at
the tavern, and went into the bar
room for a drink of something hot. The
tavern-keeper urged me 10 have the
horses out, and stop all night. 1t was
little better than suicide. he said, to
attempt To cross the Pine Barrens that
night. But | thought of the promised
Christmas gift-my partnership--and
disregarded all advice. The road was
horrible, and | had TO keep getting
down from my seat to tread paths for
the horses and shovel them through
the drifts.
knew the road well, or at least
thought l did; but by-and-by l became
satisfied that | had missed the way.
The horses floundered aimlessly about,
and after awhile they lost their our
age and refused to go any farther. !
whipped them, and chirruped to them,
and then | got down and trod the
drifts, and pulled them along for Q
mile or more by their heads.
1t was no use; the poor beasts were
completely knocked : up, and 'their
courage was gone and when a horses
courage is gone there is an end 10
him.
l tried to pierce the thick gloom OF
the snow which filled the air, and see
where l was. but in vain. As far as
my eye could penetrate | saw nothing
but stunted pines on 4 dead level
waste, which seemed endless and
boundless.
The wind blew almost a hurricane.
aud cut my face like n knife My
breath was frozen on my beard and
hair, and my face felt as if il had been
scared with a hot iron. But | was de-
.ermined 10 get the mail through at
all events. / felt certain that after a
little searching about should strike
into the right track. and | knew l was
good for the ten miles between me and
Newburg.
l embarrassed the horses and let
| them 90 off into the shelter of the
pines-and then | got out the maii-bag
| and my bottle of brandy, and started
| on nv hazardous undertaking.
/ must have tramped on a mile or
more, and was just beginning to DO
sure that l was on the right road.
when / stumbled over something lying
in the. nov
1t was night now, but there was
sufficient moonlight to show me that a
man was lying there still and rigid.
l lifted him up, and at the first
glimpse l had of his face, even in that
uncertain light. i recognized him.
1t was Asa Deland! At last, I had
met him! The man who had wrecked