Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-04-05

once spent with Archibald FORBES IN
| der rather peculiar circumstances, say
a writer who knew him There Is II
| the widest mountain district OF New
| Zealand a desolate spot called ths
Beaiey pass. IL is up in the region ol
eternal snow. and in full view OF on.
/ of the greatest glaciers in the world
| In this awful solitude the government
has established an accommodating
house for travellers. and stables for the
coaches. which supply the only means
| OF traffic over the mountain road
| had arrived one bitter night. with
about a score OF other passengers. by
| the coach from the south and had
spent an hour or so IL the genial glow
OF an immense fire OF beech logs, wait
ing for the coach from the north. Oh
the arrival OF which the combined par
ties of travellers were TO have supper
Presently was heard a loud cracking
of whips and barking of dogs and rum
bling of wheels. and the north coach
rolled into the courtyard, a mass OF
snow and icicles.
High above the din l heard voice,
which | knew could only belong TO
Archibald Forbes. calling down perdi-
ton on all coach drivers and coaching
arrangements and generally ordering
everybody about in style entirely his
own. As he entered the cheerful sit
ting room with a dozen or more of half
frozen fellow travellers, he recognized
me. shook hands with a grip that near
ly dislocated my wrist, and Instantly
set about making himself more COM
Portable than anybody else.
In three minutes he was firmly fixed
In the best seat AZ the table. on the
right of the landlord. a sergeant of po-
lice, who acted as carver, and was Is
suing his commands to the landlady
and the pretty servant girl, who did
The waiting. Almost before anybody
else could get seated. he had his plate
piled with the finest cut of hot roast
beef cabbage and potatoes and quart
of Bass ale by his side, and theneefor-
ward he continued to eat and drink
and lord over everybody for at least an
hour.
The only one of the party who ven
tured to cope with him at all was
stout and irasc:ble old Jew. who had
come in the south coach with me and
was suffering agonies from the govt.
1t was his seat that Forbes had APP
at the table, aud, in the
rush for places, Forbes tlod on his
equity foot. making him yell with PAIN.
\ running fire Of angry remarks weat
on between them for some time, until
words waXed so hot that the Landlord,
for the sake of peace. gave up his own
seat TO the ew. This pacfied him n
little. and beyond glaring tiercely at
one another the combatants did not
renew hostlities.
After dinner Forbes planted chair |
right in front of the fire in the parlU, |
seated himself in 1t, lit his pipe and /
began haranguing the company on all |
sorts of local topics. about which lie |
soon showed that he really knew a |
great deal more than they did \ |
noisy discussion soon arose, and. as l |
saw there was likely TO be row. | |
took my candle and wHht to bed. Tie |
partitions. howe,-r, We're thin. and the
ha hel of wees made it imDossible 10
sleeD ut in the end Forbes talked |
+her, all down and had everything his
Il way 1t must have been na.r
iMniSht when | heard the moor ol,s
eW eNciaim as he shumed psrst my
DOR: IS help me, Abraham. Ere avg
been storekeepin on this coast for 70
ears, and 'eres a new chum FROM
england wants to teach me ow toY
Al 4honionsr'
We continued our journey at in thex
orning, leaving Forbes and his party
the Accommodation House, and as
ION as we began TO get sociable my
How travellers piled me with inqui-
es as to who and what my omniscien,
,quaintance was. | told them he was
lie famous Archibald Forbes and that
, was collecting Information for a
ork on the colonies. The old Jew
lid nothing for a couple of stages.
I length he looked sheepishly at me
Id muttered TO himself: . oily Moses,
'opes as wot e won't put me in is
oomin book
Forbes aftcrward published a clever
ascription of that very journey. but
IS version of the evening he spent
the Bealey pass was rather different
ON this one. on his return to Eng
nd from his colonial tour he married
Id settled down on the proceeds of
S Investments. but he found it harder
be idle than he had bargained for. |
be publishers sought him out. and he
ION had his hands full of literary
nrt- |