232 NEW TRACKS IN NORTH AMERICA. 
and Palmer and I took the world easy. We got a shake-do p 
on the floor of the ranche or stage-station, and had a go} ; 
night’s rest preparatory to starting for Denver by the m | 
day stage on the morrow. 
The Denver stage started for Cheyenne at seven 0 clock, fi 
that it reached our ranche about mid-day. As it came 
sight we quickly spied a well-known bulky figure, envelope 
in an equally well-known blanket coat, seated next the drive 
His cap was on the wrong way; and when all the passengel 
had rushed from the stage to make the most of the twent 
minutes allowed for refreshment, he alone remained master 0 
his commanding position. ‘‘ Well, Leland,” we asked, “‘ wha 
do you think of Cheyenne?” ‘Pretty good sort of town f for 
its size, Gen’l, but it is the most warlike place I was ever in 
Whiskey! It’s not whiskey at all, nor blue lightning ~~ 
its nitro-glycerine, you bet!” ‘But won’t you get down 
old fellow ?” we suggested. ‘No, thankee,” was the submis 
sive reply, “ I think T’ll take a sleep in the boot.” : 
The drive from the foot of the Black Hills to Denver was 
a glorious one, and occupied about nine hours. The same 
man drove us the whole way ; his cattle were of the bes t, 
for traffic had been very light of late; and as the thaw ha d 
not reached this part of the route, the road was in splendi id 
condition. During the whole distance of eighty miles we 
averaged nine miles an hour, including stoppages. ne 
Rocky Mountains lay in full view of us all the way, gradua 
increasing in grandeur as we neared Denver; the moon was 
very brilliant, and the view over the plains to the eastwa 
presented an endless expanse of undulating whiteness, up 
which the moonlight played like phosphorescence on 
sea. The complete solitude, the vastness of the expal 
es all sides, the clatter of the four-in-hand as they da 
