The Elbert County tribune., 1905-01-26
n Montana Uhip


The sta8r coach was coming down a
fonE, steep stdAng. where the newly made
road had been blasted out OF a rocky
eiin everhanzmg the Hell Gate river. I
had tried again and again to entertain
the df1ver with description of a parade
of the coaching club which i had witt
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
ana the brake, ana the necessity OF brac-
perch. we had enough to do. 70 COM
picate the situation. a trunk lashcd upon
the roof OF the coach had worked lvr-
ward. and was now resting against the
backs OF necks.
The wheeiers. holding back for all thew
were worth. were sliding on their hocks-
their collars horizontal and the pole
pointing skyward- AT the bottom OF the
grade tse rotd. turning sharply 70 tne
right crossed the river on wide pole
bridge There WAS not room enough Tor
the team to swing rounc. the LEADERS
kept straight on down into the bed of the
stream until the pole lay across the
road, then. as the wheelers came founu,
the little mares in the lead serambied
the team sfraightehed out again
Pretty bit OF work. that com
"Fair to middlin'. for a scrrb team
asmilrt little mare. that on leader"
"ohl she'll do fur this kind Of job;
He glanced nay way, spat deliberately
and addes Most "sio o S1S Moss Eas9Ie snlens he's
been clipped and got his tail cnoppsu u,
short-ifke them taliy-ho teams YOU was
sneakisai about time ago. low soihe
81 :eIn wouid IA been bothered to make
that ere turn though. don't ye reckia
..r,-ckoped" and further dropped the
hin, that / was an old trooper. and so
looked beyond a clipped coat and
"bunged tall. In estimating the points
VI II horse. The random shot scored
fnllaeye L had got him wher" ne
iived.s He, too. had served in a Kansas
cavalry command, mostly on me ..l1 Ironuea ,,a
had drifted West. following various call
tiiss. Th.,re was material for a BOOK IN
ce sional DEPRESSION which must nave
given the recording angel a steauy gou.
ending always with a persuasive Come
VI, Kitty to the little dun mare IN the
Yes. ye've got to have some savey.
aud keep yer eye peeled all the time over
mnst lines this side o. the Rockies, he
':,llowed." We had just passed place.
going UP the Bitter Root divide where
natural slope. and where the uphill
wheels trod 20 lightly that in order 10
keep the coach on II Keel. al aHallabie
live ballast had had to hike out to
windward'' wherever we could hnd foot
ing. But that alnt patchin 10 some
places rye saw in the Gunnlson na COUNTRY; Wy
team and got daylight. But you take II
of piteh-dark night. snow and sleet
where yer leaders is 'ceptn' by the feel
o. yer reins, and yer hands that stiff ye
can't even be sure o. that. and likes not.
a new team. just off'n the range and not
one Of en- amt never looked through a
collar beforei Then see eff ye can do the
trick TheT' amt no taly,ho frills on
tellin' We straight
Road agents.. ye say? OH yes. I
run into EN- a time or two: not on this
ronte though-onct in Arizona and onct
down Boise way. They didn't make no
trouble though, neither time; jist took
hke-no shootin' nor fuss
There isn't generally. 1t seems from
all accounts"
Not unless there's some tenderfoot
aboard at amt cut his eye-teeth. and
gits laid out afore he gets the chance ter.
There's good many Eastern folks has
your idee- 1t remines me o the picturs
you used to see on the cylinders o. the
old pattern Colts 32's-one feller standln'
of huh 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 feller longside o. yer ain't
in cahoots with the gang-peopie travelin'
out here Is mostly strangers to each
won't be yer last. Likes not they don't
want nothin'. only the Wells-Fargo
t time. You W" Bet. Il Nc Now. a spose pos h the coach
was to stand OFF n gang-she's got to
come back that same way. and drivers
amt paid fur gittin' filed up with buck
shot. Not muchl No. sir. When you
hear n fellow sing out Hands up Jist
ahead o. ye of a dark night. ye KIN jist
go yer pile he's a a'holdn' high cards
agin ye. and they amt no sense In buck
in the game then"
As We topped the divide the wind came
bleak on the summits of the. Bitter Root
ringe. and the snow. which had been
threatening all the afternoon. began to
sift doHn, capering off in sw!rling riffs
across the open bunch-grass plateau. The
road on the long down grade grew
slippery that the brake had little power
to check our descent and we bowled down
at 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. II had been chilly
work for the last two hours, and we
promptly lined up at the bar:
Five whiskses!"
well. so long. gents said my late
companion. as he set down his empty
glass-"must go turn ia my waybill An
say, pard. ef ye meet up with any o. them
tally-ho ducks. back East. tell 'em Tn
thinkin' % comm on ter j,ne the next
parade. Will yeT'-Allen C. Redwood. In
Pearson's Magazine.