Owing to the sickness of the driver, William Rumsey was pressed into service for the trip, and the coach left Virginia City at the usual hour in the morning, with Messrs. Madison, Percy, and Wilkinson, as passengers. One of the heavy snowstorms peculiar to this season and latitude set in soon after the coach was under way, and continued during the drive of the first ten miles, rendering their progress slow and cumbersome. At Baker’s ranche the passengers were obliged to wait until the herder, who had been housed during the storm, could drive up the horses. He returned after an hour’s search with an indifferent team, which was driven on a run to Dempsey’s ranche, to recover the time lost by the delay. Here “Bummer Dan” took passage, and the same speed was maintained to “Point of Rocks,” the locality known in Lewis and Clark’s travels as Beaver Head Rock. The wearied horses gave place here to a fresher team, which continued on a keen run to Bunton’s ranche on the Rattlesnake. It was now sunset, and yet twelve miles to Bannack. The herder who had brought up the horses for the change at the usual hour, finding that the coach did not arrive on time, had, under Bunton’s orders, turned them out again, an hour before. Bunton pretended that he did not expect the coach. The herder was sent out immediately after the horses, and returned at dark with the report that he could not find them. Rumsey then requested “Little Frank,” a Mexican boy in whom he had confidence, to go in search of the horses. He, too, soon returned with the report that they could not be found. This “Little Frank,” a few weeks afterwards, told Rumsey that the horses were near at the time, but that before he started to look for them, Bunton told him that if he did not report them to be missing he would kill him. A night with Bill Bunton was unavoidable, and the passengers at once determined to “make a night of it.” Bunton entered into the spirit of the occasion with them. Whiskey was provided. They drank themselves hilarious, sang, related adventures, and caroused until daylight; but, to Bunton’s disappointment, without becoming intoxicated, and never forgetting, meantime, their exposure to robbery, or the convenience of a revolver in the belt.