Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-10

was recalled to my own danger as I chung
with difficulty to the seat, and braced my
self for leap the moment opportunity Of
fered.
Just then the driver rose to his feet. His
long whip described a swift circle and fell
across the backs of the leaders. They
sprang forward like shot from a CANTON.
dragging the wheel horses with the coach
As the lash struck the leaders the driver
frightened the reins and gave a yell Of en-
enlargement to his team, and then, lean
ing far back, guided them with taut lines
directly down the narrow road. The four
horses at once leaped into a wild run, and
then 1 comprehended that he intended to
keep in the road instead Of abandoning the
coach to fits fate. So far as l can recall.
there was no sound uttered after the shout
of the driver. Within and without the
coach a paralysis possessed all. The only
sound was the fierce pounding Of the iron
hoofs on the rock-faced road, the roar of
the wheels. and the frantic creaking OF
the leathern-springed coach, as 1t rocked
like tempest-tossed vessel.
ION neither side did anything take
definite shape. We moved. as 1t were, be-
tween two great walls of darkness some
what as are in a swift railway train when
passing through a narrow gorge. There
was no difference between the wall of rock
on one side and the abyss on the other. 1
continued standing, ciinging to the stanch-
ions with deadly clasp. Possessed by a
vague impression that q jump must be
made at some approaching crisis. have
in the drivers seat had both her arms
about the waist of the Englishman. and
that he stood with his face to the wall to
the left, and chung to the railing OF the
seat like a drowning man to a storm tossed
spar.
II recall that we seemed scarcely to touch
the ground; that we flew; that our move
ment was one OF vast leaps in which we
struck the ground with a resounding CLASH,
like a vessel in a storm when its bow is met
by wave.
1.-The air pushed against my face as IL ii
were some demoniacal energy trying to
wrench me from the coach. All the time,
in my hazy Consciousness, lying apparently
across the road. was impending death. /
felt it was the fate which menaced us; 1t
was black wall against which We would
break. and decentralization.
Il have no idea Of the time: It might have
been a minute, Ii might have been twenty
for aught that comprehended during our
descent. I only recall that we went rock
ing. laundering down the steep grade, and
observation-disclosures.
Here the dark man stopped his narration,
as If there were no more to say.
You were not killed, evidently" said
one Of the listeners. What else hap
penedT'
Nothing much. when came to myself
we were In front of a ranch used for
station. The coach had stopped and several
men were running toward us from the
stables. The four white horses stood with
dropping heads in front of the coach and
were HdruIy visible through the dense cloud
OF steam which rose from their heaving
bodies The driver was sitting in his seat,
his elbows on his knees. his chin resting
on his hands and himself as impassive as
II cut in marble"
How about the rock you were going to
smash up against? That's what I'd like to
know"
That's what I'd like to know myself"
replied the dark man. Il believe, however,
that just where We rounded the rock there
was a deep impression in the road on the
side next to the wall, and it was the dip
of the wheels in this hollow which pre-
vented the coach swinging outward, so that
as 1t righted We had passed in the open
place just a few feet from the gulch. 1t
was the tremendous shock as the wheels
plunged into the depression and the
thought We had struck the rock and 1 was
killed which made me insensible."
Anybody hurt?"
met q hair Of one of our heads The
driver landed us in as good condition as
we are this minute in this room. We made
up purse for him of 800 and the company
gave him as much more. That's all. I'm
Off. Good night"