She had been traveling for three weeks now in a dusty old stagecoach. This past week seemed worst then the first two with more hills, potholes and jars and jerky motions that kept tossing her from one side to another. Fortunately, there weren�t in any other passengers and she had the whole stagecoach to herself.

As for the name Swiften Stage Lines, she preferred to change it to Turtle Stage Lines. She had never seen such old horses pulling a stagecoach in her life. And the old man who drove the stage was as old as he was ornery, ever since she had the misfortune of missing the other stagecoach and buying a ticket for this one the old man had pinched her bottom half a dozen times. And he often tried to coax her to ride up front with him, but she bluntly declined every time.

Josie Cromwell was heading for Dreamville again. She had been there a year ago to help her uncle and cousin get settled in, and now she was heading back to make sure they were doing alright. If things weren�t going well, then Josie had promised her ma, Cora, that she would bring them back to New Mexico with her.

As they hit another bump in the road and Josie was swung to the right, she thought this is the absolute first and last time I ever take a stagecoach with an old man. Even if he assures me that he knows all the back roads that will get me to Colorado Springs a few days ahead of time. It�s about time this old rackety stagecoach and driver retire for greener pastures, preferable a long way away from her.

The next day the stagecoach pulled into Colorado Springs and Josie was never so happier in her life to see a town. She quickly got out and watched as the old man threw her luggage to the ground. She was going to head to the hotel when she saw another stage coming in. As the Swiften Stagecoach rattled on down the road out of sight, the other stagecoach pulled up in it�s place.

"Excuse me, where will you be heading next?" Josie asked the stagecoach driver.

"I�m heading northeast up to Nebraska." Dev replied.

"Are you going to Dreamville?" Josie hoped so.

"Yes, ma�am. That�s one of my stops." Dev pulled the horses over to the trough to drink.

"Just one more question, please. When will you be leaving?" Josie inquired.

"Just as soon as my horses and I get watered down." She replied.

"That soon?" Josie had been hoping to spend at least one night in a hotel room. Dev nodded. So Josie paid Dev her fair and climbed aboard the stagecoach for yet another long and dusty ride.