Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-29
ON THE DRIVERS SEAT.

nall u dozen prominent C1t1ZenS, were
assembled recently in the smoking room
of the Art club when the conversation
drifted to modern travelling conven-
fences, and one Of the number observed
that, while we had gained most marvel
lously in point of rapidity and luxury,
we had lost the poetry of travel as ex-
emplifed by the old fashioned coach,
with its beHed and caparisoned horses,
its flourish of tasseled whip and the
merry winding horn. The speaker was
stopped by another Of the party, whose
face had signifed his uneasiness at the
description.
Don't, my dear sir!' said this gentle
man, who is q power in the financial cir
cles of Philadelphia. "Your reminis-
cence is very pretty, but your mention
of the antebellum stage coach revived
memory which is even yet a horror to
me, though it is over thirty-fve years
old. l had an experience in one of your
lauded vehicles once that afterward made
me walk nearly hundred miles to keep
from entering another, and to this day,
whenever l am unwell or troubled in
any way, am sure to dream of the oc-
currence, and my wife, hearing me
groaning, will awaken me with the cold
perspiration flowing from my body, and
say, Dreaming again of your stage coach
fright, aren't your And yet l fatter
myself that am not more cowardly than
most men,"
The company insisted on the story, it
was given, as follows:
''As most of you know, my fathers
death followed close on the heels of his
failure in business, leaving me, his son
and only surviving member of his fam
lily, without penny. left college, but
wholly untitled for any work found
myself on the verge of starvation, so !
left Philadelphia and started west, turn
ing up finally in Virginia City. was
pretty desperate by this time, and glad
enough to accept an offer made me to
drive the stage to Sacramento. 1t was
not long drive nor an unpleasant one,
though in parts rather dangerous, or at
least requiring careful driving and steady
| horses.
chad made several trips very success
fully, when one morning | left Vir-
ginia City with single passenger. This
was q man of slight, delicate build,
rather undersized, too, dressed in heavy
clothes, which struck me at once as pecu-
liar, for the day was lovely June one.
Another thing impressed me disagree
ably in my passenger-his eyes were a
bright, unnatural blue, with something
in their furtive glance that spoke i'll for
his conscience or his wits, though I did
not think of the latter then.
'It was $very unusual thing for the
stage to carry so light a load, and l
found myself lingering few minutes
behind time to see if more were not
coming, for had q vague dislike, which
must have been q presentment, against
setting off alone with my queer passen-
ger. There was nothing for it, though,
but to go, so I started, hoping to pick up
others on the road did not, however,
and gradually l lost my depression,
though it was lonely ride without any
one to speak to, for, unlike most people
who patronized the line, the man
showed no disposition to talk or to ques-
tion the driver, so after one or two at
tempts to draw him out let my gentle
man alone.
"After awhile, however, She began to
complain aloud, though to himself, at my
management Of the horses, but took no
notice of his growing. We had by that
time reached the mountains and entered
on a narrow strip of road along the brow
of a canyon, at the bottom of which
CLEANED tiny thread of silver, which /
knew to be the river. 1t was a sheer
descent of 700 feet, and I usually checked
the horses at that part of the journey. /
had done this, when my passenger stuck
his head out of the window and demand
ed if meant to keep up that funeral
pace, but did not give me time to an
swer, and thrust out his hand with re-
volver clasped in it.
"'Get off that seatp he yelled. 4 will
drive myself!
81 saw he would not hesitate to shoot
me, so climbed down with alacrity when
he advanced toward me, ands threaten
ing me still with the pistol, made me
get into the stage.
:" do you know who ami? he asked.
well, I'm the devil, and I'm going to
drive you to hell.
"This speech and his looks, which were
those Of lunatic, and a dangerous one,
too, in his excitement, told me the truth,
and can tell you I felt the icy sweat
break over me, but / climbed meekly
into the coach and watched the madman
mount to my seat. could only hope