The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-10-08

ArEI4 nell. furnishes the |
MsS/h-csk illustrations. Mrs
HT(I1N Pencil thus de-
scribes her hus-
bands ride In a diligence;
In company with a Spanish com
nerclal." and for an Insignificant sum,
he hired the three seats In the coupe
that Is. the seats under the large hood
II the top OF the diligence. which are
supposed to be the best. The CONNER
iial hurried him 10 the osiee an hour
pr so before the diligence started.
There It was In an open plaza In the
blistering sunlight. and though no
horses were about the inside was al
ready filled with people. The CONNER
fial insisted upon climbing up at once,
and suggested that he and j. should
zach take a corner and spread them
5elyes out as much as they could. This
rettled, they sat down. but II was only
TO jump up with a yell; the diligence
had been standing there all morning.
and the seat was like a 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 bottles and
various other breakable things. ecram-
bled up and sat In the middle OF the
coupe. J. tells me that he said very
strong things In several languages,
and referred the matter to the COM
merclal. who had paid with him that
they might have the seat quite 10
themselves But the commercial only
answered calmly that they ought TO be
thankful they had the corners At
their feet was what looked like foot
board; at least four people came and
5at on that At their back was an
pther board like It; lots OF people came
and eat on that
In the course Of time the driver APP
peared. all in gray. with a short jack
IT. q big hat. and an enormous whip.
lie carried a huge water bottle. from
which all the people had a drink. hold
Ing II In the air. and allowing stream
10 pour down their throats But this
required too much experience for J.
to venture when his turn came. The
team was now brought out. eight
mules. all ilngllng bells Those az the
pole alone were controlled with reins
by a man who 50, somewhere under
meath. and not by the driver at all. A
vast army OF men who always hang
about stables succeeded In getting the
heads Of the squealing. kicking. buck
ing mass somewhat IN the
same direction; horse was
attached to the head-a very
tall horse decorated with real
Jack boots-and then followed very
small boy with n very big jockey cap.
brass mounted whip. and rel and
white shirt. There was tremendous
arre-lng. a very Babel. Two mon
seized the small boy. threw him across
the high. brass mounted saddle, and
be dlyed into the jack-boots. lie and
the conductor In gray shrleked like
ilends and cracked their whips like
mad: the men who had hold Of the
mules let 20; there was a plunging, a
crash. n gallop. that ought TO have
pulled the whole machine 10 pieces.
Away went the diligence. shaving
houses. sending people dying, clearing
the streets. J. thought Il would b.
splendid. despite the crowd into which
he was now weiged immoyably. In a
few hundred yards. however. the paw
ing came to an end. and before the
mules were OF Il they were lost In q
cloud OF dust. In a second the near
est pair could scarcely be seen. The
whole diligence was enveloped In 9
thick. choking cloud Of dust, and IL
Ave minutes every face In the perspir
ing. whiting crowd was covered with I
mask.
In this whlrlwlnd Of sitting misery
everything completely hidden fron
them, they travelled for an hour o.
more across the plain. Then a thir,
man footed horn as they swayed an
jolted through the streets OF a village
and there was a sudden st0ppage. TIL
people scraped the cake OF mud OF
their faces: they could not slretcl
where they we're. for there was no
room: they literally could no, move
But now ]. thought they could sc
down at least for a moment. No, hi
OF Il. Right alongside the dillgenc
was another kicking. squeezing team {
take the place OF the painting, done-u
mules. The small boy was throw
from one horse to another, and IA
diligence was again on There wa
not even time TO paso the water bo'
tie.
And this went on the whole llvelon
afternoon. Toward evening they 70
into higher ground. There was lei
dust. Bold Ragged mountains wei
before them. Tho huge. lumberln
machine was slowly pulled up loni
steep incllnes. dropping into holes an
pitching over stones. But the dui
was much less, especially when n
pace was slow. Suddenly night Eel
and with Il came a cold bias, from n
mountains; Il was a change from mi,
summer to mldwlnter. Dripping wit
Precipitation, Us clothing seemed a
most to freeze upon him; and the who
crowd shlverod and groaned as OF
man. Lamps were lighted. but the
only showed that the dust had thicl
cned again. J. tried to eat, but u
bread was butiered with dust, and n
chicken leg was sailed with H. Q
they went. a rocking, crashing load
discomfort. Suddenly a lantern vi