The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-09-24
THE SPANISH DILIGENCE.


Pencil hired the three seats in the
coupe; that is, the seats under the large
hood at the top of the diligence, which
are supposed to be the best. The COM
mercial hurried him to the office an
hour or so before the diligence started.
There it was in an open plaza in the
5listering sunlight, and though no
horses were about, the inside was all
ready filled with people. The CONNER
cial insisted upon climbing up at once,
and suggested that he and j should
each take corner and spread them
selves out as much as they could. This
settled, they sat down, but it was only
to jump up with a yell; the diligence
had been standing there all morning,
and the seat was like red-hot stove
More people began to come, and more
again, but still there were no horses.
Presently a large fat man, armed with
live chickens and water hotties and
various other breakable and killable
things, scrambled up and sat in the mid
die of the coupe. ! tells me that he
said very strong things in several lam
guages, and referred the matter to the
commercial, who had paid with him
that they might have the seat quite to
themselves. But the commercial only
answered calmly that they ought to be
thankful they had the corners At their
feet was what looked like footboard;
at least four people came and sat on
that. AT their back was another board
like it; lots of people came and sat on
that.
In the course of time the driver APP
peared, all in gray, with short jacket,
big hat and an enormous whip. He
carried huge water bottle, from which
all the people had drink, holding it in
the air and allowing a stream to pour
down their threats. But this required
too much experience for j to VEN
ture when his turn came. The team
was now brought out, eight mules, all
juggling bells. Those at the pole alone
were controlled with reins by man who
sat somewhere underneath, and not by
the driver at all. A vast army of men
who always hang about stables sue
ceeded in getting the heads of the
sqealing, kicking, bucking mass some
what in the same direction; a horse was
attached to the head-a very tall horse
decorated with real jack boots-and
then followed very small boy with
very big jockey cap, a brass-mOunted
whip and a red and white shirt. There
was a tremendous arreing, a very
Babel. Two men seized the small boy,
threw him across the high brass-mount-
ed saddle, and he dived into the jack
shrielied like fiends and cracked their
whips like mad; the men who had hold
of the mules let go; there was plung-
ing, a crash, a gallop, that ought to
have pulled the whole machine to pieces.
Away went the diligence, shaving
houses, sending people flying, clearing
the streets. j thought it would be
he was now wedged immovably. In a
few hundred yards, however, the paw
ing came to an end, and before the
mules were off it they We're lost in a
cloud of dust. In a second the nearest
pair could scarcely be seen. The whole
diligence was enveloped in thick,
choking cloud of dust, and in five min
utes every face in the perspiring, wilt
ing crowd was covered with a mask.
In this whirlwind of sitting misery,
everything completely hidden from
them, they travelled for an hour or more
across the plain. Then third man
footed a horn as they swayed and jolted
| through the streets of a village, and
there was a sudden stoppage. The peo-
pie scraped the cake of mud off their
| faces; they could not stretch where
| they were. for there was not room:
| they literally could not move. But now
| j thought they could get down at
| least for a moment. Not a bit of it.
Right alongside the diligence was an
| other kicking, s9uealing team to take
| the place of the painting, done-up mules.
| The small boy was thrown from one
horse to another, and the diligence was
| off again. There was not even time to
| pass the water bottle.
And this went on the whole livelong
afternoon. Toward evening they got
into higher ground. There was less
| dust Bold, rugged mountains were
before them. The huge. numbering
machine was slowly pulled up long,
steep inclines, dropping into holes and
| pitching over stones. But the dust was
much less, especially when the pace
was slow. Suddenly night fell, and
with it came a cold blast from the
mountains; it was a change from mid
summer to midwinter. Dripping with
| perspiration, J-'s clothing seemed all
most to freeze upon him; and the
/ whole crowd shivered and groaned as
one man. Lamps were lighted, but they
only showed that the dust had thick
ened again. j tried to eat, but the
bread was buttered with dust, and the
chicken leg was sailed with it. On
! they went, a rocking, crashing load of
| discomfort. Suddenly a lantern WAS
swung just in front, and there were
wells and howls; the mules stopped in A
tangled mass. some carbines glittered,
and four civil guards appeared. They
clambered up at once, sitting on every
body's lap. They rode for an hour, and
then got off. Whether they were there
to protect the passengers from the
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