The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-01-25
II Montana Nhjp

The stage coach was coming down a
I long. steep siding. where the newly-inaoe
road had been blasted out Of a rocky
I cliff. Overhanging the Hell Gate river.
I had tried again and again 20 entertain
the driver with a description Of parade
VI the coaching club which had Wit
messed In New York the preceding season.
but his interest had seemingly not been
aroused and the topic was abandoned
Indeed. what with the care OF the team
and the brake. and the necessity OF pre-
ing ourselves on our lofty, sWinganS
perch We had enough 20 %. ~ . eola-
piicate the situation, trunk lasned upon
the roof OF the coach nau WofAta toi :
ward. and was now resting against tha
backs Of our necks
were worth were sliding on their hochs,
their collars horizontal and tne p9ie
pointing skyward AZ the bottom u ths
grade the road, turning Sharply y tiiS
right crossed the river on a wide D0ie
bricge There was not room enough ~.
the team 10 swing 'rounc. the letAssIs
kept straight cn down lnto ane oso ososs ~ he
stream until the pole iay across sts1
road then as the wheelers came rounos
the little mares IN the lead scramDieq
like cats uD the side oI ths Di.u -
the team Strengthened out asalh- 49,
Pretty Bit OF work. tnal eoin-
PAR Fair 10 middIin' for scrub team"
ne ..smlrt samlt'iR little mare that on leader"
hazarded presently. ,s - - ioh
eOhf she'll DO fur this kind q ~, ~.
He glanced my way sD spaf Fastern us' folks
dont keer to notice hoss osd onisss ~ IN
peen clipped ana got MS tan chePPSo
short-like them tally-ho Teams ~, W" ..,rr,e
sneakin' about time ago 10" 49, soit.
cf fann would a been bothered 70 HtaS3 l ~
that ere tura though non " 9s,r,sG the
'.reckoned." and zurtner cIoppsoa - -
hint that / was an oid troopei' s .'
locked beyond a clipped coat anu
,.hanged tai" in estimating lne koni.s
,f n horse. The random shot scored
hniiseve I had got him Where ny
ifved He too. had served in Kansas
cavalry command. mostly on the Irontlea ts.
of indian Territory: After the wa ,ii- IL
had drifted West following EaIious tl1,c,, 4,
his "reminiscences, punctuated Dy an oc-
saslonal depression which must nave
given the recording angel a steauy JuD
ending always with persuasive SoIle
SR. oR. KITTY" to 'ns niue o"" mar : -
'Yes. yc've got to have some sayey.
and keep yer eye peeled all the time over
most lines this side o the koekles. ne ~
allowed" We had just passed a place,
going up the Bitter Root divide where
the road wound around a knoH on tne
natural slope and where the uphill
wheels trod 50 lightly that in order to
keep the coach on keel. al aVallaDie
live ballast had had to hike out to
windward" wherever we could ind foot
places I've saw in the Gunnison country.
Ye're all right, slong ye know yer
team and got daylight. But you take Il
Of a pitch-dark night snow and sleet
a-drivin' in yer eyes, sos't yer can't tell
where yer leaders is 'ceptin by the feel
O. yer reins. and yer hands that stiff ye
can't even be sure Q. that, and likes not.
a new team. just off'n the range and not
one of EN- amt never looked through
collar before Then see ef ye can do the
trek. Their, ain't no tally-ho frills on
that job-it takes drivin'. that does. I'm
tellin We straight"
run into en- time or two; not on this
route though-onct in Arizona and onct
down Boise way. They didn't make no
trouble though, neither time; Jist took
what they wanted and lit out peaceable-
like-no shootin' nor fuss"
There isn't generally. it seems from
all accounts"
Not unless there's some tenderfoot
aboard at amt cut his eye-teeth, and
gifts laid out afore he gets the chance ter.
Ihere a good many Eastern folks has
your idee. 1t remines me o the pcturs
you used to SEQ on the cylinders o. the
old pattern Colts 32's-one feller standin'
off hull outfit o. agents. But I'm tellin
ye-them roosters don't take no chances.
nor they don't aim TO give ye no show
for yer money. An ye don't never know
but what the felIer flongside O. yer amt
In cahoots with the gang-people travelin'
out here is mostly strangers to each
other-and thet yer first move fer yer gun
won't be yer last. Likes not they don't
want nothin', only the Wells Fargo
freight; they're out fur the stun cYa}y
time, you bet Now, spose the coach
was to stand off a gang-shes got to
come back that same way and drivers
aint paid fur gittin' filled up with buck
shot Not muchl No, sir When you
hear fellow sing out Hands upr jist
ahead O. ye Of a dark night, ye kin list
go yer pile he's a a'holdin' high cards
agin ye, and they amt no sense in buck
in the game then"
AS we topped the divide the wind came
bleak off the SUBMITS Of the Bitter Root
range, and the snow. which had been
threatening all the afternoon began to
sift DO xn, capering off in swirling riffs
across the open bunch-grass plateau The |
road on the long down grade grew so
slippery that the brake had little power
to check our descent and we bowled down
at a pace suggestive of disaster should
anything give way. The visible world |
was all one color when the lights of Deer
Lodge showed dimly through the murky
twilight and our smoking team pulled up
In front of the hotel 1t had been chilly |
work for the last two hours, and we !
promptly lined ap at the bar:
Five whiskiesi'
well, so long gents" said my late
companion, as he set down his empty |
glass-"must go turn in my waybill. An
say pard, eff We meet up with 9ay O. them
tally-ho ducks. back East, tell 'em Tn |
thinkln 3 comm on ter jne the next
parade will ye?''-Allen c. Redwood, in |
Pearson's Magazine.