The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-01-17
A Reckless
Driver
By THOMAS R. DEAN

over an eIeV1(e0 portion OIL Tie rOdU III
the Rocky mountains. The passengers
were. all looking out through the car
windows: at the awful heights and
depths. Far below my eye caught a
macadamized road that did not seem
to be much used and was falling out of
repair.
''The old stage road" said a gentle
man beside me who noticed me looking
at it. He was a very old nan with
hair as white as snow. There was
something in the confident way he
spoke of the road, a dreamy, far away
look, as he gazed at it himself that
arrested my attention.
"How do you know" l asked.
Because when I was a very young
man, he replied, Il went over it. and
an episode that occurred caused me to
remember it. That's the Powder Horn
bend over there. Pretty soon Well
pass Dead Mans turn.
1.-The ride l refer to was when the
stagecOach was the only method OF
travel in these parts. and the driver
was as important Il man then as the
captain of an ocean liner is now. Usu-
ally the man at the reins was a splen-
did specimen. He had full control of
his horses and always kept his head no
matter what happened. But on this
occasion-just about fifty years ago it
is now-the person driving us vas a
a; {eorr,,% vi lind of fol1nvu Hvo on
top, and several other passengers, east
ern tourists. who were anxious to see
the scenery were outside too. There
was one man who didn't e to be-
long among the rest of us. but rather
to the country. He was a very quiet
man, who minded his own business.
didn't bother the driver with questions
about the peaks and the canyons and
the cuts around the mountain sides, but
sat chewing on Il quid Of tobacco as
though the heights and the depths were
nothing compared to it.
1--WE were making one of those turns
where the road is cut around Il noun
tain side when, looking down at the
wheels on the outside. we all saw that
the hind one had gone within a foot
Of the edge. One Of the gentlemen re-
monstrated with the driver. and it
made him very ugly. He said it wasn't
customary for passengers to interfere
with stage drivers. Hc knew his
business and would listen to mo sug-
gestions from no man.
After this. instead of driving care
fully when we came to dangerous
parts of the road, he would whip up
his horses and go round in a hurry.
Every time he did this the rest Of us
would hold on to our seats like grim
death. expecting to be dashed over
the precipice. On one occasion the
outside hind wheel did go over, but
the driver dashed his horses and pulled
it up on the road again.
"There was but one man who didn't
seem to be ruff1ed at this kind Of driv-
ing-that was the silent man l was
speaking of. He sat silent in his seat
and 'chawed on Some of the passen-
gers noticing that he appeared to be a
man of the west asked him If nothing
could be done to induce the driver to
mend his ways.
"'Y' needn't do no more s%kylarkin,''
the w~esterner said to the driver. han
die them ribbons more keerful.'
1.-THE driver looked around to see
who was again interfering. and seeing
a quiet looking man flushed angrily
and asked him if he was afraid.
emo said the other; Il know what
stage drivers acansdo on the road, but
these ladies and gents amt used to it;
it skeers 'em.
"'Well, I'm responsible to the line
for my drivin' and not to you or any
one else. I'll handle the team as I
please ~
''The westerner made no reply to
this. and we, who had gathered a hope
that he might put a stop to the reck-
l~essness, felt a disappointment. he
didn't seem to be offended or irritated
with, the driver. He just 'chawed on
and seemed inclined to let the driver do
as he liked. But presently we ap-
preached Dead Mans turn, called so
from a coach having gone down over
the precipice-there it is across the can
yon. The driver whipped up his horses
and was getting on a big squirt when he
felt something cold pressing against
the back Of his neck. He must have
known that 1t was the muzzle Of q re-
volver, for he didn't turn his head to
see.
.'slow up said the westerner, who
was holding the pistol.
"The driver slowed up: then Mt the
w~esterner's further command came to
q full stop.
Hitch the reins on to the brake
was the next order, and the driver
Obeyed. Do you see that tree growing
over. the precipice on this side Of the
bend? Well, the w~esterner forced the
driver at the point OF his revolver to
climb out on to the farthest branch
OF that tree. He was white as a sheet
and chung to the branch with the clutch
ofSa cat. At one time I surely thought
he would 70 down. / had to look
away, and the rest Of the party did the
same. 5S8tg
"tDo you think you. kin drive keerful
-MAf- -. 84s .NNat