The Adair County news., 1914-07-22
NIGH UNTO
DEATH
By ALVA r. HUNTINGTON

1t was at time when the trans
mississippi country was developing. and
instead of the iron horse, with its train
dashing along at the rate of fifty miles
an hour, the stagecoach numbered at
the rate of five or six. One of these
coaches left Denver one morning,
struck the mountains at Golden City,
mounted to the highest point and NOV
ed on downward and upward alternate
Iy toward Georgetown.
On the top of the coach gentleman
and his family were enjoying the
scenery. The driver sat on his box
trying to keep awake. for be had been
drinking. while beside him sat young
man whose costume denoted that he
was resident of the region The
coach reached the top of an ascent,
and the road in front wound downward
in one of those frequent dips in the
mountains. 1t had begun the descent,
and the young man sitting beside the
driver noticing that be had failed to
put ON the brake. looked aside at him
to see what it meant. The fellow was
| asleep and had not only failed to
brake" but had let go his hold on
! the reins. which were now down or the
| pole.
A punch in the ribs awOke the driver,
| who. seeing the reins dangling from
! the pole and the coach rolling rapidly
down the crooked road. jumped from
his seat. preferring rather to be injur-
ed by a fall on the stony road than to
| oe hurled over a precipice he knew TO
be at turn farther down.
There were shrieks from the women
| passengers. while the men were para
| lyzed. But among the latter there was
one exception. The young man left
alone on the box let himself down ON
the pole. gathered up the reins, climb
ed back on to the box and put on the
/ brake. The horses were by this time
so wild and the speed so great thar It
was very difficult to control the one
] and lessen the other. Not an eighth OF
mile distant was the turn in the
soad. with a gulf thousand feet deep
on one side. The cries and shrieks had
| ceased with the effort thus far made
to regain control. and every eye was
fixed on the danger ahead, every breath
| held in terror.
The man on the box kept firm hand
! on the reins and pushed with all his
| strength with his right foot on the
| break. There was a lessening of the
speed. but would il be reduced sufi-
ciently TO go safely round the curve?
The hearts of those whose lives were
at stake were throbbing in time with
the jumping OF the horses. When the
turn was reached the velocity W 8
! still so great that there was little hope
The women RECOMMENDED to shrek
"Stop that said the driver "Yor II
excite rhe horses
The cries ceased. There was no
sound except whaL came from the
horses hoOfs and the c7eaking of the
coach. while every one held with a
tight grip to his seat and looked with
straining eyes at the gulf before him
The driver guided the horses as near
the rock on the Inner side as he dared.
for should be hit il the coach would
be knocked over the precipice. Not
withstanding his effort so great was
it's swing when it made the turn that
hind wheel slid over a slope 4 few
feet from the edge. The driver gave
a yell to the horses and threw the long
lash OF his whip among them with a
crack. Every animal gave jump. the
wheel came back ON level ground. and
the rest Of the turn was made In
safety.
! The fral effort caused the horses
to break forth again. and again they
must be brought under control But
| now the road was comparatively
/ straight end soon the IL lination began
/ to lessen In a few minutes the bot
tom of the dip was reached. and the
| coach was brought to a standStiIl.
Then the driver was 'infolded in the
arms Of those on the outside Of the
! coach. beth men and women.
An hour later the coach drove up to
the hOtei at Idaho Springs and all
] alighted. The gentleman who was
! travelling with his wife and family took
/ the driver aside for a private inter-
! view.
! lou nave SdEeO the ives OF cOdcn
! load of persoE." be said. including
| myself. my wife and family. Had it
not been for your coOIness and courage
we would ali have met with a frightfu.
| death. What can do for you? I'm
-ich and my fortune is at your dis
pOsaI."
You owe me nothing. sir" said the
! young man. with a British accent.
My own life was In jeopardy. In
saving myself I saved the others
you could have left the coach as
the cowsrdly driver did"
To this the young man made no
reply.
Come" resumed the gentleman:
anything you ask that is in my power
90 grant shall be granted"
The young man hesitated. then said:
81 don't belong here; I came from
England. You know the younger sons
h England must shift for themselves.
came to this country. where S;s, not
known. and can turn my hand to any