Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-09-30
the Edge
By F. CHURCHILL WILLIAMS
Copyright, by ]. B. Llpplncott co..

'It's an ugly cornerl" remarked the
stage driver; "but anyone can round
it-with his horses in hand" The
"corner" was a bend in the stage road
over the mountains and through San
Marcos pass from San Luis Obispo to
the California town to which l was
travelling. "Why is 1t ugly, them" l
asked, seeming a story. In response
the driver told me about Maxine and
Captain Jack, which substantially was
as follows:
Captain Jack some years ago drove
one of the big four-horse stages over
the San Luis route. He was the best
driver in that part of the country and
to Maxine, the Mexican boy whom ne
had befriended more than once when
the other boys called him "Greaser"
and stoned him, he was a hero. Max
limo lived IL an adobe hut up by the
mission, at the throat Of the valley.
His father was a wood-cutter and
Maxine drove the long-bodied, rat
Ting wagon on which the wood, felled
on the mountain side, was brought to
town. Maximo's chance to prove him
self came one afternoon as he was
slowly toiling up the San Luis road
beside the empty timber wagon.
1t was a fine day for southern Cali
fornia-no more could be said in
praise of 1t. For mile, and in some
places two miles, ahead the road
wound around the shoulders of the
mountain until, at last, like a thin,
yellow ribbon, its dusty line vanished
in the gray and dull green of the
slopes. Everywhere this road fol-
lowed the edge of the 300-foot canyon,
crowding against the wall of rock
from which it had been cut.
Maxine watched an eagle wheel
slowly above the blue depths of the
canyon and wished he was back in
town with his loaded wagon.
Then, as his eyes followed the cir
cling flight of the eagle, a dark speck
came within the focus of his vision
and something about it made him sit
up very straight and gaze at it from
under his leveled palm. He knew
quickly enough what it was-the San
Luis stage inbound with Captain Jack
holding the Teins. What startled him
was the pace at which it was moving.
1t was two miles away, yet he could
see that it rocked along the curving,
steep road at a tremendous rate. 1t
was a runaway and runaway on
this, the most dangerous part of the
mountain route, could have but one
ending, unless soon stopped. A slip
or stumble by the horses, or, what
was worse, the failure of the coach
to cut a corner short enough-and
there would be only mangled bodies
and some splintered wood to mark
the place of tragedy.
Maxine, scanning the road ahead,
fixed on the spot where this was al
most sure to happen. 1t was hun
dred feet in front of where he had
| halted. There was the sharpest curve
on the road and there the road was
moreover than at any other point. A
moment he sat on the lumber wagon,
inactive; then he slipped down and,
urging on his team, drew up the wag-
on 200 feet above the sharp turn. The
road was broader there and almost
| level for a short distance and the
curve was a gentle one. The wagon
stood close to the edge of the road
and there was 10 feet Of space be-
tween it and the inside rocky wall
| He embarrassed the horses quickly
| and, with slap on their TANKS, start
ed them running loose down the road.
Then he scrambled up the rocks and
| 10 iI1cf in
The rapid pounding of the hoofs Of
the oncoming horses came to his
ears. Then the team and stage shot
around the corner above him and he
knew what had happened. The brake
of the stage had broken and Captain
! Jack, who was alone, had vainly tried
to check with the reins the four big
animals, which, alarmed by the bang
| ing upon the heels of the wheel
horses, had run away and now were
beyond control. The stage reeled
drunkenly and Captain Jack, with feet
braced, lurched and swayed on the
front seat, his face set, the reins tight
as a bow-string.
Maxine saw him throw all his
weight on the inside rein in an effort
to help the horses around the curb.
The leading horse nearest the edge of
the road made desperate attempt to
obey and its shoes struck fire from
the fiints. The heavy wheelers
hunched themselves stifHy, trying to
hold back. But all would have gone
over into the canyon If they had be-
gun to slide 20 feet further back. AS
1t was, the leading horses held their
footing and slipped inside of the bar
ricade of the lumber wagon. With a
crash the stage struck 1t, locking
wheels with it, throwing it partly over
the edge of the road The wheel
horses were thrown upon their hind
quarters, the front traces snapped and
the leader wildly galloped away. Max
limo sprang from the rocks and ran
to the wreck Of the stage.