Smyrna times., 1901-09-04
A MAD RIDE.
A Philadelphian's Adventure
on Stagecoach.

A party of gentlemen composed of
half a dozen prominent citizens were
assembled recently in the smoking room |
of the Art club when the conversation |
drifted 10 modern travelling conven-
fences. and one of the number observed |
that while we had gained most marvel |
ously in point of rapidity and luxury |
we had lost the poetry of travel as ex-
emplified by the old fashioned coach, |
with it's belled and caparisOned horses,
its flourish of tasseled whip and the
merry winding horn. The speaker was
stopped by another of the party, whose
face had signified his uneasiness at the
description.
Don't, my dear sir" said this gentle
man, who IS a power in the financial
circles of Philadelphia. "Your reminis-
cence is very pretty. but your mention
of the antebellum StagecOach revived
a memory which is even yet horror to
me. though it is over 81 years old.
had an experience in one of your laud-
ed vehicles once that afterWard made
me walk nearly 100 miles to keep from
entering another, and to this day when
ever dLl ullNClA VI lIOuOlCu III any
way | am sure to dream of the occur
renee, and my wife, hearing me groan-
ing, will awaken me. with the cold per-
spiratiOn flowing from my body, and
say, Dreaming again of your stage
coach fright, aren't your And yet
fiatter myself that am not more cow
ardly than most men,"
The company insisted on the story.
it was given, as follows:
'As most of you know, my fathers
death followed close on the heels of his
failure in business. leaving me. his son
and only surviving member of his fam
lily, without penny. left college; but,
wholly untitled for any work, | found
myself on the verge of starvation, so l
left Philadelphia and started west,
turned up finally in Virginia City. l
was pretty desperate by this time and
glad enough to accept an offer made
me to drive the stage to Sacramento.
1t was not n long drive nor an unpleas-
ant one though in parts rather danger
Gus or at least requiring careful driv-
ing and steady horses.
Il had made several trips very sue
cessfully, when one morning l left Nir-
ginia City with a single passenger.
This was a man of slight, delicate
build, rather understood, too; dressed
in heavy clothes, which struck me at
once as peculiar, for the day was a
lovely June one. Another thing i'm
pressed me disagreeably in my passen-
ger-his eyes were a bright, unnatural
blue, with something in their furtive
glance that spoke i'll for his conscience
or his wits, though l did not think OF
the latter then.
1T was a very unusual thing for the
stage to carry so light a load, and
found myself lingering a few minutes
behind time to see if more were no
coming, for l had a vague dislike
which must have been a presentimen
against setting off alone with my quee
passenger. There was nothing for IT
though, but TO go, so l started, hopini
to pick up others on the road. dix
not, however. and gradually | lost IN.
depression, though it was lonely rid
without any one to speak to. for, unlik
most people who patrOnized the line
the man showed no disposition to tail
or to question the driver, so after on
or two attempts to draw him out lie
my gentleman alone.
after awhile, however, he began t
complain aloud. though to himself,
my management Of the horses, but
took no notice of his growing. We ha
by that time reached the mountain
and entered on a narrow strip Of roa
along the brow of canyon, at the bo
tom of which cleaned a tiny threa
Of silver, which knew to be the rive
1t was a sheer descent of 100 feet, ar
| usually checked the horses at th
part of the journey. l had done thi
when my passenger stuck his head o.
Of the window and demanded IL
meant to keep up that funeral pace, b
did not give me time to answer, al
thrust out his hand with a revolv
clasped in it.
"'Get off that seat he yelled. I W
drive myselfp
81 saw he woHld not hesitate to she
me, 50 climbed down with alacri
when he advanced toward me al
threatening me still with the pist
made me get into the stage.
"'Do you know who amY he ask
Well, I'm the devil and I'm going
drive you to hell
This speech and his looks, VIII
were those of a lunatic, and a dang
GUS one, too, In his excitement. told
the truth, and | can tell you | felt
Icy sweat break over me, but climl
meekly into the coach and watched
madman mount to my seat. | could
~ hope that he would still retain
enough to drive slowly, but the {
thing he did was to bring the lash do
upon the horses with a viciousness t
made them start into a frenzied I
and then the maddest, most terri
Journey man ever undertook bega
The stage spun along like CT