The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-06-18
A LIVELY ADVENTURE.

At 9 o'clock one September evening
in 1876, says a writer in the Youths
Companion, l took the coach which
left Custer City-or Custer village,
for the town consisted of twenty or
thirty log structures-to 90 to Sidney,
Neb. A coach l suppose it should be
called, though on the plains this vehi-
BILE, which has the drivers seat on the
same level as the passengers seat, is
called ''hack."
[ had gone to the "hills' to engage
in mining, but after four months of
prospecting had decided to open gen.
eral-supply store at the new town of
Deadwood and was on my way to
Omaha to purchase goods for the ven
ture.
A tin lamp, fastened to one corner
of the ''hack," discovered to me two
passengers within as l entered and
took my seat. One was an old gentle
man, apparently weak and i'll, for al
though it was not a cold night, he was
muffled in coarse, heavy ulster over
coat. Moreover, such of his face as
could see between a gray beard which
almost covered it and the rim of a
slouch hat was pale and thin, the eyes
so they struck me at Il cursory glance.
The other passenger was ayoung fel-
low of % or % years, | judged, decided
" danditied in his dress for that region.
He wore a stiff hat and stand-up>col-
lar encircled by neat tie, and had on
dark suit, evidently custom made,
which was an unusual "get-up'' for
that region, and one which at once
~
persons | had seen about the mining
towns dressed in anything like that
fashion were gamblers, class of men
l had made it a point to avoid.
Just before setting out the driver
came to the side of the vehicle, thrust
in light Winchester carbine, and
placed it between my knees.
81 see you didn't have no gun," said
he, ''an' | keep couple of extra ones
for sech."
That was all. No further explana-
ton was necessary in those days.
[ took charge of the weapon, al
though l was as little expert in its use
as was in handling the Smith & Wes-
son in my hip-pocket, which indeed I
had never yet discharged.
| knew enough of life in the mines to
know that the ''bad man with Il gun"
is usually the man who gets into diff
Guilty rather than the peaceful and I'M
armed citizen; but stage ride from
Custer to Sidney at that time was Il
trip not altogether likely to be without
its adventures, and for once 1 regret
ted my unfamiliarity with shooting
irons.''
1t occurred to me that if we were
dumped by road agents." as the phrase
went, the freeboOters of the route
would have little to fear from the oc-
cupants of the hack, whether they got
much money or not. There were
usually valuables of some sort in the
iron box under the drivers seat.
The young man who sat opposite me
had a carbine across his lap, but /
fancied he knew even less of its use
than | did. As we started he sat, with
out noticing me, twirling q slight mus
tache and humming tune. "A fresh
gamester, if one ut all" said to my
self upon a second look at him.
The old man had no arms in sight.
The driver no doubt regarded him as
out of the fight in any event.
As we rolled on up into Buffalo gap
1 had few words of conversation
with my companions. l learned that
the elder was an old farmer, who had
come out to see what he could do in
the new mines, but he had been i'll
with mountain fever, and afterward at
tackled by rheumatism, so that he had
been forced to abandon his projects
and return to the east. He spoke
freely and in the English of the west
ern men.
The young fellow said he was from
New York. ''Neh Yawk," he pro-
nounced it. He was, he said, a student
of mining engineering, but he did not
mention what his business had been in
that region; but that was not strange,
for he could not talk much. A iolting
stage bowling over a rough country at
eight miles an hour does not give the
best opportunity for conversation.
1 soon became sleepy, and leaning
back in my corner took such mo-
mentary cat-naps as the nature of the
road permitted. At II o'clock we
made a brief halt at temporary stage
station, where the drivers four-in-
hand team was exchanged for fresh
horses.
peeped out and got a glimpse of
the team, of two men with lanterns,
of a low structure of sod or adobe faint
lv outlined, and of the black side of a
pine-coyered mountain beyond. The
night was quite dark, with floating
clouds and no moon. 1t became some
what lighter as we passed out of the
gap little later, as noted through a
crack in the flap opposite.
The road was now smoother, and
settled back in my corner, as my COM
panions had done, to get a little solid
sleep if possible. l dozed off for a
time, but was awakened by the groan-
inc of the old man beside me. He
seemed to be in great pain and writhed
about nervously. l asked him what
was the trouble. He replied that hi:
rheumatism was nearly killing him.
Il wish the driver'd let me aout
when we git t tn mex crick. Hell
water likely, N I've jest got t stretcl
nv legs er die. Ye see I'm troubled
with cramp rheumatism, an tn an
no room in hyer to git the cramp on
O. me legs"
l told him 1 would speak to the
driver when we halted, few moments
later at the bank of a stream-Whlt(
river, believe l thrust my head out ot
the side and asked that the old gentle
man might be let out for a moment t.
stretch his legs.
IAN right!' said the driver, as h
clambered down from his seat. I'm
goin' ter let the hosses take a pull a
the drink"
then helped the old man to dis
monut -steadying him by the arm a
he cot down. He seemed to have
good deal of difficulty in alighting, ant
Sroaned in a most lugubrious fashion
The young man opposite me lay curle.
up on his seat, but l could see that hi
ewes were wide open, and that he wa
eyeing me with a sharp, keen glance
My eyes probably responded when the
fell upon his, for he Strengthened u
in an alert fashion and leaned towar
me.