FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  
t out of sight in the spot he had taken the other from. Then he returned to the coach and drove on once more as though he felt no fear of his surroundings. He reached the night-cabin on time, and surprised the stock-tender there by telling him that he intended to drive on to W---- that night. "You don't mean it?" "I certainly do." "Why, yer'll kill yer team, smash ther old box, and crush yerself to atoms." "I believe I can drive the road at night," was the firm response. "It's ther wust piece of road on ther whole Overland Trail." "It is a bad one, but I will depend upon my team mainly and risk it." "Why do you do it?" "I have an idea that it will be safer." "How so?" "Well, if there were road-agents on the trail to hold me up to-morrow, I'll miss them, that is all." "Right you are, pard; but I don't believe they is as dangerous as traveling this trail to-night." "I'll let you know what I think upon my return," was Harding's answer, and he drove on once more. Night had come on, and he well knew the dangers before him from a mistake in driving. He had been over the road perhaps half a dozen times, always riding upon the box, but upon his last run as driver he had most carefully noted every foot of the way. The night was dark, but he knew that he had the instinct of his team to depend upon, and this was more than half the battle. He was determined to push through and save his load of gold, and if he did make a successful run over that part of the trail by night, he would do what no other driver had done, and on this account his pride was at stake. So he started boldly yet cautiously upon his way, and when the sun was just rising in W---- the stage-agent there was awakened by wheels dashing up to his door and heard the call: "The coach from Last Chance has arrived." He was up in a hurry and congratulating the young driver upon his night drive, while he said: "Do you know I feared you would be held up to-day, for a party of desperadoes lately left W----, and I felt most anxious about you." "Yes, they are on the trail waiting for me now, not knowing that I slipped by in the night. I'll get together a band of brave fellows and go back after them," and an hour after Harding was mounted upon a fine horse and leading a dozen men back upon the trail he had safely driven over in the night. CHAPTER XVIII. A MYSTERIOUS SOUND. The stage-agent at W---- was right in decla
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78  
79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

driver

 

depend

 

Harding

 
boldly
 
started
 

dashing

 
wheels
 

awakened

 

cautiously

 

account


successful
 

rising

 

mounted

 

fellows

 

slipped

 
leading
 

MYSTERIOUS

 

safely

 

driven

 
CHAPTER

knowing

 
feared
 

congratulating

 

Chance

 

arrived

 

waiting

 

anxious

 
desperadoes
 

response

 

yerself


Overland

 

returned

 

surroundings

 

reached

 

telling

 

intended

 

tender

 

surprised

 

driving

 

dangers


mistake

 

riding

 

instinct

 

battle

 

carefully

 

morrow

 
agents
 

return

 

answer

 

dangerous