Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-10

swung his six horses with great flour
ish and cracking of whip through the
rough but level road of the main street
and out at the north end of the town.
A brilliant dash down the steep in
cline to the creek, and he brought the
coach far up the road on the other side.
where the mountains rose so suddenly |
from the plains. And so began the
climb over the divide
The three passengers inside the |
coach, a young girl and two men, ap- |
parently accustomed to this mode of |
travelling. did not brace themselves to |
resist the pitching and rolling of the
ponderous vehicle, but allowed them |
selves to sway with its every motion.
The road was broken and rough from
the heavy autumn rains. Once the
coach struck a 'chuck hole" which al
most brought the inmates to their feet
and caused a general friendly laugh.
Up to this time the girl had paid no
attention to her fellow travellers. She
had been absorbed with her own home
sick thoughts. To start the drudgery
of a govcrness' life, miles from no.
where, with no prospect of returning
home for a year, was depressing. Oh,
well. she must make the best of it.
She tried TO distinguish the mems faces,
but it was too dark, and both were
| muffled In heavy OvercOats. AS they
| boarded the coach at Redding she had
| noticed one was an old man, the other
gray as to hair, broad. strong and
youthful as to shoulders.
The older man sat beside her on the
back seat. The two men chatted about
the rich strike" in Deadwood, where
fortunes were being made in n day.
She gathered that the young-old man
was mining an old hydraulic property
just beyond Lewiston, and he was on
his way there. Well. she was going
lust beyond Lewiston" also, and she
wondered if this huge person was to
be neighbor of hers.
Their desultory talk gradually died
away, the old man fell asleep, and his
head bobbed and swayed and ducked
about until he seemed in danger of
losing it, but he slept on obliviOus of
such alarming possibilities.
At IL o'clock they reached the Half
way House, and while the driver
changed horses the passengers stretch
ed their cramped limbs, pacing the
narrow porch of the inn. Later they
went into the low, long dining room.
where a cold lunch and hot coffee were
served them on n table spread with a
red and white cloth The girl saw
that the young-old giant could not be
more than thirty or thirty-eight
years old, though his hair was silver.
And such blue eyes, They seemed
to belong TO child, so clear and IN
clouded were they.
He supplied her needs at the table
without seeming to do so, and when
the driver called "All aboard he
helped her into the coach in the same
unobtrusive manner.
The fresh Horses, only four now, as
the heavy climb was over, pulled the
stage along at n livelier pace. and
within a half hour they had reached
the summit of the divide and COM
menced the descent.
The driver cracked his whip, and
they whirled down the narrow noun
tain road, swinging the horses far out
on the very edge of the embankment
as they turned the outward curve of
the mountain and then sweeping rapid
ly in at the bend-as only stage
driver can and keep his coach in the
, middle of the road.
1t was magnificent night, the moon
light making it clear as day. The
d girl from her window could see in
: Vulnerable lofty peaks Of the great
coast range stretching in what seemed
2 a level line.
| The passengers were startled by ;
( sudden jerking of the coach and wilt
imprecation from the driver.
p Something's wrong" said the giant
and he opened the window on the RICH
e hand side and looked out. In mo
!. ment he drew back.
b 1.-THE off lead has broken the insid
: trace and is frightened" he said as b
b Invested himself of his overcoat. TIL
: driver must have some help. Don
be nervous''-this to the young gir
r We'll fix it all right"
He opened the door and stood on tn
t step a second. By this time the terro
of the runaway was communicated t
e the other horses, and they were fas
/. getting beyond control. The coach wa
t rocking and pitching at a tremendou
rate.
i "Close the door after I get on top,
/. he called to the old man, who wa
t thoroughly awake by this time, an
k then, waiting until the coach swun
around the inner curve, he put on
foot halfway up the door on the ope
window ledge and, grasping the lo'
!; railing above, pulled himself up on
g the top of the coach.
y The girl had closed the door an,
leaning far out, watched him as til
y swinging coach permitted step to til
st seat of the driver and over the dasl
It. board to the tongue. A terrible lure
n and he had to pause and hold on for
S moment.
is "Pull hard on the wheelers," he sal
'e to the driver. "I'n look after IL
Id others"
Is Slowly he began moving along Il
lie to,cr,,a nf tho mo 1op ond tho GIRL 70