It was now nearly eight o’clock, and the stage would not leave for Helena until midnight, and Manning, having nothing else to do, sought a few hours’ sleep in order to be better prepared for the long journey before him.  The distance from Bozeman to Helena was about ninety-five miles, and from what he had heard the roads were in a terrible condition.  Heavy rains had fallen recently, and the mud in some places along his journey was said to be nearly axle deep.  Undaunted by the gloomy prospect before him, however, Manning rested quietly, and, when the time for starting arrived, he was fully refreshed and eager for the long ride before him.

Profiting by his past experience, he now secured an inside seat, as he would be better protected from the chilling night winds so prevalent in this mountainous country, and would perhaps, be able to sleep at intervals during the hours which would ensue before daylight.

The other passengers in the coach were three men who were interested in mining in the neighborhood of Helena, and who, like himself, were bound for that place.  They were all, however, rather wearied with their journey from Billings, and very much disposed to sleep.  Manning, therefore, stowed himself away in one corner of the coach, as comfortably as he was able to do, and nodded and dozed fitfully until they arrived at the breakfast station at Gallatin, a little town on the river.

After an hour’s rest and a change of horses, they pushed on again.  From this point onward they found the reports about the condition of the roads fully verified.  The stage lumbered along through the deep, muddy roads, and ever and anon the passengers would be required to alight, and assist in lifting the wheels from a particularly soft spot, where they were threatened with being inextricably mired.  As may be imagined, a journey under such circumstances was far from being a pleasant one, but they all submitted with good nature to a state of affairs which was beyond their power to remedy.  As it was, they fared much better than a party of travelers whom they met upon the road.  They were returning from Helena, and when crossing a narrow bridge over one of the mountain streams, had the misfortune to have their coach overturned, and themselves precipitated violently to the ground, thereby sustaining serious injury.  Upon meeting this forlorn party of travelers, Manning and his companions all turned out again, and by herculean efforts succeeded in righting the overturned coach, and in repairing, as far as in their power, the damage that had been done.  With such laborious experiences as these, the party traveled on, and by the time they had arrived at the supper station they were almost exhausted.