Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-06-05
4 WILD RIDE.


Of liquids, smoking cigars and pipes
and telling stories. One of them was
a swarthy man of some 35 years Of
age, who sat with his feet, in huge
miners boots, resting Oh an adjoining
table. He wore a large brlmmed black
hat, and sat with closed eyes, as if
asleep or in profound thought
A story had just been finished, and
there only remained the dark man
who had not been heard from. Some
one suggested that lodgings must be
paid for in advance, and then a young
fellow went over and slapped the ap.
parent sleeper. and asked what time
he would like Ia be called for break
fast. and whether lac had not best take
in his feet for fear of catching cold.
TIE MAI took down his feet, pushed
his hat on the back Of his head. and
said he had not been asleep.
Then give MS a story. Its your
turn"
All right, boys
And then he It'd them what fol-
lows:
In 1850 | was H. Denver and wished
TO 90 back 10 Luldville, where | had
some claims. ~ that time there were
two wayso OF get ng 10 that point from
this place. Ore was TO take the rail.
way from here to Buena Vista aud the
stage up the Arkansas river. Tie
other was the ,tage from Denveracross
the mountains had generally gone
10 Leadville 10y the river road. and for
the sake of variety | concluded TO take
the all stage route.
We We're off at daylight, II Of my
acquaintance calling out To me as we
started: "Good-by, old man; I'll never
see you again"
NOT Why"
You'll be smashed up so that even
a fine toothed comb won't collect the
pieces"
With this ominous good-by we rolled
away. The coach was one of the old
Concord pattern, and almost as large
as Noah's ark. 1t was swung ON leath.
ern hinges, so arranged that it was
capable of every conceivable form Of
motion. 1t would lurch, ditch. roll
like a ship in the trough of the waves;
it would rear, kick and buck like a
mustang, and had the solid jolt of a
dromedary.
Like all the other coaches used for
carrying passengers over the noun
tains. it had a mechanical attachment
within the easy control Of the driver
by which he could in an instant detach
the horses from the coach. Ii was to
be used 10 save the team in case the
vehicle toppled.
There We're three seats inside, each
OF which had three people, who We're
SO closely packed that in case Of an
overturn there was no ~extrication, but
all must 60 ove as There were
two seats on the top besides the
drivers, all OF which were filled, max
ing a total of eighteen, including the
man who held the reins over the four
horse team. | occupied the seat be-
hind the driver and on the right hand
side. In the front seat were an Eng.
lishman and a young woman; he an
agent Of some English capitalists TO
inspect some mines, and she a variety
actress-as | afterward learned-gO-
ing 70 Leadville to secure an engage
ment.
The driver is always the most i'm
portant feature Of the outfit. The one
who had charge of US was a mere boy
in appearance, not apparently more
than 20 years of age. He was rather
slender, very blonde as to his hair,
and smoothly shaved save as TO a
mustache, milky in its whiteness. He
more an immense sombrero with a
round top, and his hair was 20 long
that the ends lay on his shoulders.
| studied him with curiosity and
something Of anxiety. He seemed 10
NE to be very young for the RESPONSE.
BILE duty Of holding the ribbons over
four horses on a route that is regarded
as the most difficult and dangerous in
the Rockies. | found that this was
his second trip on this line, and that
before coming here he had been driv-
ing in the San Luis Valley. This was
not in his favor, AS the valley !, al.
most a dead level and affords no train.
ing for mountain driving.
He wa very %reticent, unlike the
average driver, and hence the passen.
gers did not take to him. We tried TO
establish social relations with him, but
he would only reply in surly mono
syllables, He spoke only once TO the
extent Of more than one or two words.
We were passing a shanty on a bit Of
tableland, beside which stood a dog
regarding US with a friendly glance
and exhibiting his satisfaction by wag.
cling his tail.
Suddenly from the seat behind me a
voice was heard:
Say. driver, will your horses scaref"
The driver as we'll as the rest looked
around and sawep young man holding
out a revolver, bointed in the direction