Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-03-17
Crossing
The Divide,
BY AXLE AIDYL.
Copyrighted. 1905 by Jessie Morgan.
BY AXLE AIDYL.

tie town of Redding at 6 o'clock on a
snappy December evening, The driver
swung his six horses with great -four
fish 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, young girl and two men, APP
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 it's every motion.
The road was broken and rough from
the heavy autumn rains. Once the
coach struck "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 governess' life, miles from no
where, with no prospect of returning
home for 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 Reddng 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 a 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
''just beyond Lewiston" also, and she
wondered if this huge person was to
be a 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 1t, 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 cold lunch aid hot coffee were
served them on a table spread with
red and white cloth The girl saw
that the young-Old giant could not be
more than thirty-seven or thirty-eight
years old, though his hair was silver.
And such blue eyes! They seemed
to belong to a child. so clear and IN
clouded were they.
He supplied her needs at the table
without seeming to do so, and when
he driver called "All aboardw he
helped her into the coach in the same
manner.
The fresh horses, only four now, as
he heavy climb was over, pulled the
stage along at a livelier pace, and
within a half hour they had reached
he summit Of the divide and COM
nenced the descent.
The driver cracked bis whip, and
hey whirled down the narrow noun
ain road, swinging the horses far out
N the very edge Of the embankment
IS they turned the outward curve of
he mountain and then sweeping rapid
Y in at the bend-as only a stage
lrlver can and keep his coach in the
middle of the road.
1t was magnificent night, the moon
light making it clear as day. The !
girl from her window could see in ,
lofty peaks of the great !
coast range stretching in what seemed ,
/ level line
The passengers were startled by a
sudden jerking of the coach and wild
mprecation from the driver.
Something's wrong said the giant,
md be opened the window on the right |
land side and looked out. In a mo-
nent he drew back
The off lead has broken the inside
race anu - tIlSuleueu' br SetIh 40 nc /
Invested himself of his overcoat. The |
lriver must have some help Don't !
be nervous'-this to the young girl. !
Wen fix it all right"
He opened the door and stood on the |
step a second BY this time the terror
Of the runaway was communicated to
the other horses, aud they were fast
getting beyond control The coach was
rocking and pitching at a tremendous
rate.
"Close the door after | get on top"
be called to the old man, who was
thoroughly awake by this time, and
then, waiting until the coach swung
around the inner curve. he put one
foot halfway up the door on the open
window ledge and, grasping the low
railing above, pulled himself up on TO
the top OF the coach,
The girl had closed the door and
L. g. 81. 1.