The Adair County news., 1914-02-04
NIGH UNTO
DEATH
By ALVA r. HUNTINGTON

an hour, the Stage,oach 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
ly toward Georgetown.
| On the top of the coach a gentleman
and his family We're enjoying the
scenery. The driver sat on his box
trying to keep awake. for he 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 he had failed to
! put on the brake. looked aside ut 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 OF 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 fall on the stony road than to
! be 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 that it
was very difficult to control the one
and lessen the other. Not an eighth of
a mile distant was the turn in the
road. with Il gulf a 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.
| 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 it be reduced Suffi-
ciently to go safely round the curve:
| The hearts Of those whose lives were
at stake We're throbbing in time with
! the jumping Of the horses. When the
.ho1 he -.
still so great that there was little hope
The women recommended to shrek
stop that" said the driver. "YoU II
excite the horses"
The cries ceased. There was no
sound except what came from the
horses boots and the creaking of the
coach. while every one held with Il
| 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 he hit it the coach would
be knocked over the precipice. Not
withstanding his effort so great was
its swing when it made the turn that
| a hind wheel slid over slope few
| feet from the edge The driver gave
yell to the horses and threw the long
lash of his whip among them with a
| crack. Every animal gave a jump. the
wheel came back on level ground. ami
the rest of the turn was made III
| safety.
The final effort caused the horses
to break forth again, and again they
must be brought under control. But
now the road was comparatively
straight and 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 standstill.
Then the driver was infolded in the
arms of those on the outside of the
coach. both men and women.
An hour later the coach drove up to
the hotel 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.
You have saved the lives of a coach
load of persons" be said. Including
myself. my wife and family. Had it
not been for your GOODNESS and courage
we would ali have met with frightful
death. What can | do for you? I'm
itch and my fortune is at your dis
posal."
"YOu owe the nothing. SIR" said the
young man, with a British accent.
MY own life was in jeopardy. In
saving myself | saved the others"
You could have left the coach as
the cowardly driver did"
To this the young man made no
reply.
Come" resumed the gentleman:
anything you ask that is in my power
to grant shall be granted"
The young man hesitated, then said:
81 don't belong here: ] came from
England You know the younger sons
IN England must shift for themselves.
came to this country. where am not
known. and can turn my hand to any
thing. Being fond of horses. drove Il
stage I have left that and am going
up to Georgetown to start on a pros