It is due to these desperadoes, however, to say that they are not entirely without some good qualities. When they have any reason to think that a woman is really respectable they will protect her, and they are always free with their money, and ready to help any one who may be in distress. Their vices, however, so far outnumber their virtues, that their good deeds will scarcely count for much when they are called upon to settle their final accounts.
A hard Set of Travelling Companions.
My companions of the stage coach, as we rolled out of Julesburg, were a rougher and more unpleasant set than the first party, and one of the most disagreeable among them was, I am ashamed to say, a woman. The men were tolerably full when we started, and we were scarcely off before they produced a bottle, and, after taking some of the fearful smelling whiskey which it contained, passed it around. I begged to be excused from partaking, but the other female passenger was not so fastidious, and she took a good drink every time it was handed to her. Her whiskey-drinking capacity was great, equal to that of any of the men.
The language this woman used was frightful, and she seemed to be unable to open her lips without uttering some blasphemous or obscene expression. Finally, having taken eight or nine big drinks from the bottle, she became stupidly drunk; and then, to vary the monotony of her proceedings, she produced a filthy pipe, which she filled with the blackest plug tobacco, and commenced to smoke. The fumes from this pipe were sickening to me, but I was willing to let her smoke in peace, for it at least kept her quiet, and soothed her until she fell into a deep and drunken sleep.
In this fashion we rolled along until we came to Cheyenne, which appeared to be quite a town, and a decided improvement on Julesburg. A number of moderately good-looking houses were already occupied, while others were in process of erection, and everything seemed to indicate that this, in a short time, was likely to be a really thriving place. The driver pulled up his horses, shouting, "Cheyenne House!" and out the occupants of the stage coach tumbled, the drunken woman and all, although she was so far gone that one of the men was forced to almost lift her out, to prevent her from falling flat on the ground.
