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full of life, settled back upon the traces a dead weight, 

 dragging the poor animals in one confused heap down- 

 wards, until, shaking violently on its springs, it stood 

 still. 



'• A pretty severe tug," said one of the insiders to 

 the driver, as he stretched himself, with a yawn. 



" "NVell, I rather think it was," said Jehu, with a 

 smile of ineflfable disdain. " I've driv on this road 



fifteen years, but I never was so near as to-night. 



If I was on t'other side of ' Ball Mountain,' and my 

 wife on this (only three days married, recollect), I would 

 not drive that stage down ' Ball Mountain,' as I have 

 to-night, to keep her from running away with a darkey." 



" Why, you don't think there was any real danger, 

 do you ? " inquired another ' insider,' thrusting his 

 head into the cold air. 



" I calculate I do," said the driver contemptuously. 

 " If the oflF fore-leader, when I reached the ' devil's 

 rut,' " he continued, " had fallen, as he intended, your 

 body would now be as flat as either back-seat cushion 

 in that stage." 



" Lord, bless us, is it possible ! '' sighed another 

 ' insider;' " but it is all very well we have escaped, and 

 we must run a little risk rather than be dilaved in our 

 journey. 



Appreciating more than my fellow-travellers, the 

 terrible ordeal through which we had just passed, I 

 hav«' ()ft»Mi in my dreams fancied niv-, If ,,ii a >tagc- 



