"Yes, but ye might have dropped onto it in the dark, and it's all on the
down grade," responded the strange voice more audibly.

The passengers were now thoroughly aroused.

"What's up, Ned?" asked the one at the window of the nearest of two
figures that had descended from the box.

"Tree fallen across the road," said Ned, the expressman, briefly.

"I don't see no tree," responded the passenger, leaning out of the
window towards the obscurity ahead.

"Now, that's onfortnit!" said Yuba Bill grimly; "but ef any gentleman
will only lend him an opery glass, mebbe he can see round the curve and
over the other side o' the hill where it is. Now, then," addressing the
stranger with the lantern, "bring along your axes, can't ye?"

"Here's one, Bill," said an officious outside passenger, producing
the instrument he had taken from its strap in the boot. It was the
"regulation" axe, beautifully shaped, highly polished, and utterly
ineffective, as Bill well knew.

"We ain't cuttin' no kindlin's," he said scornfully; then he added
brusquely to the stranger: "Fetch out your biggest wood axe--you've got
one, ye know--and look sharp."

"I don't think Bill need be so d----d rough with the stranger,
considering he's saved the coach a very bad smash," suggested a
reflective young journalist in the next seat. "He talks as if the man