That put speed and endurance into all of us.
Stern necessity often compelled us to lengthen our day's work even beyond our desires.

In the hostile Indian country, riders were frequently shot.

In such an event the man whose relief had been killed had to ride on to the next station, doing two men's ride.

Road-agents were another menace, and often they proved as deadly as the Indians.
In stretching my own route I found myself getting further and further west.

Finally I was riding well into the foothills of the Rockies.
Still further west my route was pushed.