| OCR Text |
Show 128 TALES OF THE COLORADO PIONEERS. have given pleasure to any lover of the Waltonian art. A lady, in great excitement, went around inquiring for a bucket, she wanted to fill it, and take it home to her dear husband, in Denver. But buckets were scarce up there, and none could be had for "freighting purposes." She was dreadfully disappointed, and said she intended to suggest to the proprietor of the hotel the advantage of keeping a stock of buckets for the accommodation of tourists. But when we came to settle our bills, and found we were charged fifty cents apiece for every fish caught, she forgot to make the suggestion. After one sweet hour of heavenly quiet and calm in that beautiful spot we began our descent. The driver, who plumed himself upon his skillful manipulation of the ribbons, seemed intoxicated with pleasure, and we went down that steep and rugged path, past the everlasting procession of tourists, at an alarming rate. A broken vehicle lay up against the side of the road, awaiting repairs. " Just watch me take the wheel off that," said he, cracking his whip and augmenting his speed. I felt myself turning pale, and poor, "chicken-hearted" Hal. looked somewhat nauseated, and closely embraced the arm of a gentleman who sat beside her. Off came the wheel, throwing our wagon against a huge stone on the edge of the road; that being thus rudely knocked from its resting place, stopped not to "gather moss" on its way downward. He laughed, almost shouted over his exploit, and turning deliberately around in his seat, told us not to be frightened, "he had driven oyer that road a hundred times and had never met with an accident yet;" but we would have felt vastly more comforted if he had kept his eyes on his horses. |
