The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-10-11

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'sssa
aat he would still retain Wit enough 10
Irige slowly, but the first thing he did
VAS to bring the lash down upon the
lorses with viciousness that made
hem start into a frenzied run, and then
he maddest, most terrible journey a
nan ever undertook began.
ssThe stage spun along like crazy
;op, the horses galloping wildly, spring
ng wildly now and then to cut from
;he shouting drivers whip. while, abso-
sutely sick with terror, 4 had not strength
10 leap into the road, as I made up my
nind to do time and again. would I'M
aoubtedly have been killed at the rate at
which we we're going, and it was tho
bare shred Of hope, which they say
aeyer wholly leaves us, that kept me
from springing out. Part Of the time |
croucned on the floor, hiding my face in
the cushions; but, fascinated by the ter
rible scene outside, I could not refrain
from looking out upon it again and
again. On one side rose a perpendicular
wall of rock as bare as my hand: on the
,ther. and barely five feet from where /
looked out, was the canyon and certain
Heath.
'.The stage swayed fearfully, and
every time the whip cut into the horses
they would swing it to the very verge Of
the precipice, when I could look down
the wall and see the rivers CLEAN; when
would throw myself against the cppo-
site side Of the vehicle. Once the hind
wheels literally hung over the edge for
the thousandth part of a second, though
it seemed an eternity o me, but were
ierked on to the road again. just as /
felt the stage drag back into the ehasln.
Il remember screaming like a fright
ened child, and standing up in the
stage laughing horribly when saw the
wheels back in the road. doubt if the
mailman onthe box was further off his
balance than at that moment He was
standing up, though how he could have
retained his footing was marvel to me,
and yelling with delight, occasionally
breaking out into d screaming song,
varied by bursts of laughter
We had covered nearly five miles
when the road widened several feet, and
all at once / saw, as we tore by, the
faces of a group of men drawn to one
side to let us pass. / shrieked to them
in a wild cry for help, but as our speed
was undiminished, made up my mind
the noise we made had kept them from
hearing me, or that it was impossible for
them to overtalze us; but even as | de-
| SPARED heard a hoarse cry, and looking
out saw my lunatic's body hurled from
his seat into the road, and the next min
ute felt the horses checked aud finally
| stopped. The door of the stage was flung
! open and a bearded face thrust in, when
threw myself into pair of strong
arms and knew no more.
when / came to heard voice say,
Give the chap mother swallow O the
| stuff, Jim. He's a-cosnin to- Some
! Hery liquor trickled down my throat,
and opening my eyes, gasping, found
myself surrounded by crowd Of
roughly dressed men, but they, to my
| eyes. had the appearance of angels.
They were miners, who, Judging from
the drivers actions, had guessed some
thing Of the truth, and hearing my cry
for help had stopped the stage. This
was accomplished by two Of them catch
ing hold of and climbing up over the
boot behind and over the top, and thus
reaching the seat, from which they
knocked the mailman, and secured the
lines.
ION examination the lunatic was
found to be only stunned, when we
bound him securely and took him back
to Virginia City, where he was identi-
fed as prosperous merchant from Car
son City, who had recently lost his mind
through grief over the death Of his wife.
joined my rescuers in their search for
gold, and in six months we had struck
1t rich, when, selling ont my share for
$50, 900, returned to Philadelphia. hay-
ing had enough Of the west and its adj
ventures ~, 40 ssgs = IN