The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-08-10
1 THRILLING RIDE.

,sntlv sat in a circle and ex.
honced stories. One Of them was
: swarthy, keen eyed westerner of
4 come 40 years of age. A story had
;rst been finished when the dark
n t,;red man knocked the ashes off
j his cigar and remarked, II guess it's
3 nv turn next, boys"
Yes, 60 ahead, jack" said his
s three companions
Well, commenced Jack. fitting
4 himself back in his chair. with a
q thoughtful expression, lin 1880
was in Denver and had to visit
4 1eadville ON business. In those days
4 there were two ways Of reaching the
q ,,ter place-one was to take the
j -ailroad to Buena Vista and the
q stage up the Arkansas river, the
4 other was the stage from Denver
4 across the mountains. / had always
4 cone tc Leadviile by the river route,
and on this occasion, for the sake
4 Of variety, resolved to take the all
j stage road.
4 I'VE started at daylight in q coach
/ Of the old Concord pattern that was
almost rs large as a Noah's ark.
4 The vehicle was swung on leathern
hinges so arranged that it was capa-
I bic of every conceivable form of
4 motion. It would lurch, pitch, roll
] like Il ship in the trough Of the sea.
i |. would rear, kick and buck like a
mustang and had the solid jolt of a
dromedary.
Like all the other coaches used
for carrying passengers over the
mountains, it had a mechanical at
4 tachment within easy reach of the
driver by which he could in an in
i slant detach the horses from the
1 coach. It was to be used to save the
horses in case the vehicle toppled
over precipice.
There were three seats inside.
each of which had three people, who
we're SO closely packed together
| that in case Of an overturn there
was no extrication, but all must go
over as one. There were two seats
Oh top of the coach besides the driv-
| er's, all of which were filled, max
/ ing total of IS persons, including
the man who held the reins over the
four horse team. In the front seat
was an Englishman and young
woman, he an agent of some Eng
lsh capitalists sent to inspect some
mines, and she an actgess, as after
ward learned, going to Leadville to
join some theatrical starring COM
pany.
The driver. who is always the
nost important feature OF the out
/ 1t, vas mere boy in appearance.
Hewas rather slender, very blond
astohair and smoothly shaved save
as to mustache, milky in it's white.
ness He wore an immense SOM
hrero, and his hair was SO long that
The ends lay on his shoulder.
i studied him with curiosity and
mingled anxiety. He seemed to me
to be very yonng for the responsible
Idaty Of holding the ribbons oyer
iour horses on route that is re-
gafded as one Of the most difficult
and dangerous in the Rockies.
i ascertained that this was his
second trip on this line, and that be-
lore coming here he had been driv-
ing in the San Luis valley. This
was not in his favor, as the valley is
almost q dead level and affords no
ualning for mountain driving.
de was very -Toticent, unlike the
average driver, and hence the pas
sengers did not cotton to him. We
Gied to establish social relations
WITH him, but he would only reply
e snr!y monosyiiables. He spoke
saly once, to the extent OF one or
'wo y, words We were passing a g
alanty on bit Of tableland, beside
Salch I stood a dog, regarding us
V Mlln friendly glance and exhibit
ing his satisfaction by wagging his
all Suddenly from the seat behind
me a voice was heard:
Say. driver. will your horses
scaref'
|, The driver as well as the rest
,OOsed 4 s around and saw young man
~ asOlding out revolver pointed in
.ne direction Of the dog.
Put up that gun, you foolr
'oared the blond driver. What do
5ou y, want to fire at the dog. fors
"aaf mat he-:s: ..ass las he 1oIo yous
The young man, very much
sOashed, muttered something about
.nly wanting to have a little fun
aDl scare the brute bF ute. and sihuepisiiiy
sas'urned ~ the pistol to his pocket.
~ .ae little incident had the effect to
"a .slse the driver in my estimation,
saa the favorable impression was
,a,tner heightened when the Eng
ssnman y offered him a drink from ,
! .Ask OF whisky. which he refused in
eruff manner.