John Hundley's stage horses were big, strong animals, but John did not believe in punishing them. They were given all the time in the world to pull up the long hill above Cripple. At the top, with the town spread below, the horses paused to get their breath and the driver would warn the passengers to hold tight. This was the moment which Bob and fifty other people hung around at the Continental to see. The six horses would plunge downgrade at a wild gallop, past the cemetery, the stage careening and the passengers hanging onto the roof for dear life. At the city limits, dogs, chickens and burros would scatter. And then the stage's squealing brake shoes would squeal louder as the big horses slid to a stop in front of the hotel.
from page 99, Money Mountain
from page 99, Money Mountain