Evening star., 1909-05-16

an ent1Tely new experience lOI ne lI1eu TO
straighten them out but only made matters
worse, and soon the coach went over on its side.
The kingbot slipped out of the forward axle
and then | had six plunging horses badly
tangled up with the forward wheels OF the
coach don't know how my passengers felt or
how they got out of the coach; but it certainly
was serious moment for the new driver.
l finally got the team Strengthened out and
quiet, and the coach right side up: but how to
get it on the forward wheels and the kingbolt in
place was perplexing question. | could not
do it without help, and good strong help at that
On stating the to my PASSENGERS they
did not seem very enthusiastic over the pro
posal, and finally got inside the coach out of the
rain. Being very tired from their long ioltinp.
the patter OF the rain on the coach top soon
sent them to sleep
There was / out in the cold and soaked
through my clothes ruined, my nice boots.
gloves, and hat looking like the breaking up of
a hard winter, and the romance of CAV stage
driver considerably dimmed l unhitched my
horses and fastened them to the hind wheels
and waited for daylight
1t came at last, and on what dreary sight it
dawned! could compare it only with scene
| had once witnessed on battlefield, when
battery horse had been shot while hauling
calsson at full speed, and in falling became SO
mixed up with its mates that it was impossible
to tell which way they had been headed
With the coming of dawn | realized how
hungry and cold | was, and that without help
how powerless was my task 1t was miles to a
station either way. My passengers had wax
ened by this time and were asking what felt
were lmpertinent questions for l really did
not wish to be interviewed
While still debating with myself the posi-
billty OF getting out of that mudho1e, | heard
fam1llar noise from the west and there came
IN s1ght the east bound coach and also an ex-
press wagon accompanying it Slowly they
came through the mud and rain to where my
wreck lay.
explained to the big and experienced driver
OF the coach how it happened He vouchsafed
me nothing but grunts of disapproval and looks
that wlthered me. but poured forth volume of
curses for the man who would send kid out
with string of stock like that on such night
was growing smaller and smaller all the
time when there reached my ears the glad
sound of hearty Irish brogue MAY the divil
fly away wild me if it's not the gossoon! Why
by. what's the matter wild ye." and big Tom
Moffat, my old friend and champion. jumped
down from the express he was driving and
squeezed my hand until it ached We'll,
fellers," said he, lets get the by out of this
They went to work with a will, and soon had
things straight.
1t was decided by the two drivers that the
best thing to do was for me to turn back with
Toms team and the express. and for Tom to
take my run west. / did not like this arrange
ment: but had received my lesson and sub
mitted to their judgment.
felt that my doom sealed, and so it
proved, for on my return the division superin-
tendent fired without preliminaries He
afterward offered me the position Of stock ten
der at one of the stations: but, once having
reached the position to which l had SO long
aspired | was too proud to accept anything
below it.
Down with the Ague
i HAD more money than / had ever pos
sessed, and decided to go on West and see
what could hnd to do. 1t was not long before
l began to feel the effects of my nights ex-
posure and the cold, damp weather that fol-
lowed. | was soon shaking with chills and
burning with fever
We had reached point west of Fort Fletcher,
called Stormy Hollow, where we met small
outfit comprising many of my old comrades
who had been with Tom Dickson. His outfit
had met with disaster from the Indians, who
had stolen part of their stock, and he had de-
cided to split up the outfit, abandon Brigham
Youngs threshing machines at Downeys Sta
ton till spring, and send the men who were sick
back to the settlement to be paid off and allow
them to recuperate.
Most of them were shaking with ague like
myself They had one wagon to carry their
blankets and grub, and it also used as an
ambulance | was so i'll that decided to Join
them. Those who shook one dav would ride
and grumbe, while the rest walked and cussed;
but the next day positions were reversed So
we travelled day after day until we got back to
where quinine and pills were plentiful Some
OF the party, including myself, began to i'm
prove rapidly.