The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-03-21
THE OLD DRIVERS DEATH.

In the winter of 1886 l had to leave
my ranch on Eagle Lake, in the noun
tains of Klamath County, Southern
Oregon, for Yreka, Cal. ANY one who
has wintered in this desolate region
knows that the month of January is as
uncongenial as it possibly can be. The
snow does not come down in soft flakes,
but itfalls in huge, damp clods and
suddenly blots from sight the entire
landscape. The ranch houses, too,
were half buried in the snow. From
the mems houses to the principal
ranch house a sort of pathway had
been cut over the frozen snow to the
stables. and road had also been
scraped in the supposed direction of
the gate, but as posts had been found,
and not the gate itself, it was presumed
that the gate had been walked over,
and could also be ridden and driven
over.
1t was not cheerful prospect under
any consideration, and less so when a
long days travel was i'll contempla-
ton.
II think" l said to 'Old Tom," the
veteran stage driver of those parts,
"that we shall have to put off our
journey till the weather breaks. Those
clouds in the east look black enough
for more snow, and if we don't have
more don't believe the blazing on the
trees will show"
Just as you say" replied Tom. as
he drew his chair closer to the hearth,
on which were burning several logs of
mountain mahogany. 1t is mighty
bad weather to travel, but have been
through such weather before, and, dod
gast it. never lost my way nor come
to no grief neither. Never had no
trouble except that time when that
skunk of Modoc Jim fired at me.
But, though my fingers wereso blamed
stiff, pulled my gun and fred and
winged him. Thank the Lord that he's
under tile sod Low, or else he mighl be
hanging about on the trail now"
..Faith. and you have little to thank
the Lord for, Tom" said Tulc Jack
"Warn't that sneak-faced partner of
his, Scarfaced Charley. here some two
or three days ago asking for Moose,
Moose and didn't he ask if Tom
wasn't going to take Alf to Yreka OF
LinkvilIep tell you he is after blood. 3"
"Oh, there is no harm in Scarfaced
L
he did travel with Modoc Jim, but
though Jim is his cousin. and these
Indians hang together like coyotes,
don't believe that Scarfaced Charley
had a hand in any of the robberies and
murders, nor does he intend to kill
Tom for killing JIM
"Well," said Tom, slowly, "you may
think what you like, but don't be-
lieve there is more murderous rascal
| unhung than that same Scarfaced
Charley. Now, when you come to
think of it, it was this same Scarfaced
Charley that found out what road that
Dutchman and his family were going
to take toward Redding, and you know
the plaguey Dutchman swears that
when he turned the bend in the road,
| just where the sunken timber is, who
was standing there but Modoc Jim
and you know as well as do that il
couldn't have been one man who pack
ed away all the stuff that was thrown
out to him. Betcher life Scarfacet
| Charley was up one of them there
pines when MOdoc Jim was going
through the Dutchman's wagon. Ant
YOU know that the Dutchman showed
a bullet hole in the canvas roof of his
wagon while the parley was going on
] which proves that some one must have
sent that shot from the rear. Scar
faced Charley fired that shot, or elst
I'm an Injun myself"
.'Well, well, | replied, Modoc jim
is dead and Scarfaced Charley. though
an Internal thief and scoundrel, will
not be attacking us, for he knows tina
if he did and we escaped this raucl
house would be closed to him, and h
would be shot like Il coyote if fount
within shooting distance"
With the last remark | walked owe
to the door, and, scrambling up tn
bank, applied my eye to the weather
and concluded that | would get Tom t.
start.
l may say that Tom had the mail
CARRYING contract for our part of tn
country, and, as there was no time Sc
for the delivery of letters, he took a
long as he chose, sometimes not car
rying any letters to distant postoifice
for six months; sometimes in summe
he would get on what is calleda liam
boree" at some friendly ranch, an
then the mail was never delivered
But with all his many faults and nun
erous failings, Tom was well liked b
all. He was curious creature
sort of animated wooden machine.
He was hard and knotty. Their
was not an ounce of spare flesh abou
him. His face was like his frame
hard as nails. He liked whisky.
was whispered of him that he wa
noted for his gallantries, but probabl
this was only satire. He seldom talked
l. i. 4 -
cheerful tone; sometimes he wOul
sing. and the song was generallya liu
from the songs he had heard, and I'll
) ttune-wcll, the tune; he never sun
the same snatches to the same tur
: twice. For twenty-five years and MOI
Tom had been stage driver-n'
such stage as one sees from some +
spectacle sized place. but TOMS stas