Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-12-28
Over the Crescent Bend
tOriginal.1

The stage driver between Golden
Gulch and Quartz City was inclined to
be facetious. Beside him sat Il quiet
little man and on the next seat back
were the rest of us, who were outside.
Jake. the driver, seemed bent on scar
ing the little man.
Were comm to the most dangerous
part of the road said Jake. "Many's
the coach that's gone over and down
into the creek fifty feet below. The
road turns sharp around. and it slants
off little SOS the coach is sure to
swing to the edge unless you go slow.
| Here we are
There was the turn, sure enough, but
instead of slowing up the driver crack
ed his whip about his horses ears and
went around at good speed. We on
the back seat gripped at what we
could and held our breaths. The little
man folded his arms and bore the or
deal without flinching. After making
the descent on the other side of the bend
Jake looked back at us and winked,
as much as to say, I'll scare him yet"
We would have protested against any
more such attempts, but feared that if
we showed fear the driver would be
melted to still greater recklessness.
We therefore held our peace.
The driver persisted in taking the
outer wheels of the coach within a foot
of the edge at every abyss and would
look back at u.s. winking at the little
man, who, however terrified he might
have been, managed to keep from show
ing his terror. Once when one of uS-a
woman-squealed at a lurch on the
very verge of a hundred feet of sheer
precipice he looked back inquiringly.
The woman asked Jake to be more
careful, but Jake assured her that he
was driving his best and was not re-
sponsible for the condition of the road.
He did not mend his ways and when
driving rapidly over a place where one
wheel was several feet above the other
he nearly upset the coach we all joined
in request that he would cease his
pranks.
1t may be that Jake had a little liq-
uor in him At any rate, his failure to
scare the little man and the effect of
IL.
He grew sulky and kept on driving
without respect to our comfort or safe
ty. Stones or ruts or inclines only
seemed to move him to shake us to the
utmost. We men held our peace, fear
ing that if we irritated him further he
would upset the coach on purpose. An
inside passenger poked his head out
Of the window and snapped:
whats the matter with the driver?
Is he drunk 2"
I'll show you that he's sober
enough" Jake snarled, when we col c
to the Crescent bend, where there's a
straight fall of 1000 feet
Jake made the threat in such ma
licious tone that we were all in terror
ut the prospect. The little man beside
the driver, though he showed no sign
of fear, we believed was more frighten-
ed than any of us. for he made no pro-
test. Presently we came to q pitch in
the road requiring all a drivers skill
and caution. down which Jake plunged
without even applying the brake The
women both outside and inside kept
up continued shrieking, and by the
time we reached the bottom of the de-
clivity one of those outside tainted
The little man looked around and ask
ed what was the matter. There was
babel of voices, some swearing at
the driver, some beseeching him, all in
tumult of Indignation.
do l understand" said the little
man, that you object to this kind of
drivingT
There was IA universal shout that we
did.
"Why didn't YOU apply to me? Driv-
er, you needn't do any more funny
business"
What kind of tenderfoot are you"
growled Jake, ito interfere with the
driver of this coach? Git up"
The next thing to arrest our atten-
ton was the little man holding a re-
volver nearly as big as himself press
ed against Jake's left ear Jake felt
the cold steel and made no movement
except to draw rein.
rs this the Crescent bend we're
coming to?" asked the little man.
Jake muttered that it was. When
we reached point near the confer of
the bend, coming to Tree growing ON
the very verge of the precipice. the lit
tie man in the same soft voice he had
used from the first directed Jake to
come to full stop, to tie the reins to
the brake handle and to get down from
the box The little man got down after
him, keeping the revolver in position.
and on reaching the road relieved Jake
Of revolver. He then drove the ruff
fan to the boot of the coach and or
dered him to take out rope.
What v goin' to do?" asked the ter
rifed Jake.
I'm going to show you how it feels
to dangle over the cliff"
While the little man covered the