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Emergency topics
Arrests
Adult resuscitation E pp. 232–3
Obstetric resuscitation E p. 244
Neonatal resuscitation E pp. 242–3
Paediatric resuscitation E pp. 238–40
Trauma resuscitation E pp. 236–7

Emergencies
Abdominal pain E p. 294
Aggressive behaviour E p. 370
Anaphylaxis E pp. 484–5
Bradyarrhythmia E p. 262
Breathlessness E p. 276
Burns E pp. 480–1
Chest pain E p. 246
Clotting abnormalities E p. 418
Coma E pp. 344–5
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) E p. 330
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) E p. 417
GI bleed E p. 304
Hepatic encephalopathy E p. 318
High INR E p. 418
Hyperglycaemia E p. 330
Hyperkalaemia E p. 399–403
Hyperosmolar non-ketotic state (HONK) E p. 332
Hypertension E p. 268
Hypoglycaemia E p. 328
Hypokalaemia E pp. 399–403
Hypotension E p. 488–9
Hypoxia E p. 276
Limb pain E p. 458
Liver failure E p. 318
Overdose E p. 506
Paediatric seizure E p. 349
Psychosis E p. 378–81
Rash E p. 424
Red eye E pp. 440–2
Reduced GCS Epp. 344–5
Renal failure/kidney injury E p. 386
Shock E pp. 490–5
Shortness of breath E p. 276
Stridor E p. 290
Stroke E p. 354
Tachyarrhythmia E p. 254
Seizures E p. 348
Normal values
Despite national efforts to standardise laboratory testing and reporting,
exact ranges vary between hospitals, these figures serve as a guide.

Haematology see E p. 580

Hb–men 130–180g/L WBC 4–11 x 109/l
Hb–women 115–160g/L • NØ 2.0–7.5 x 109/l
(40–75%)
MCV 76–96fl • LØ 1.3–3.5 x 109/l
(20–45%)
Plts 150–400 x 10 /l
9
• EØ 0.04–0.44 x
109/l (1–6%)
Ferritin 12–200micrograms/l B12 197–866pg/ml
TIBC 42–80µmol/l Folate 2–20micrograms/l
Clotting see E p. 581
INR 0.8–1.2 APTTr 0.8–1.2
PT 11–16s APTT 35–45s
Fibrinogen 1.5–4.0g/l D–dimer <0.3mg/ml
(<300ng/ml)
U+Es see E p. 582
Na+ 133–146mmol/l Ca2+ (adjusted) 2.2–2.6mmol/l
K+ 3.5–5.3mmol/l PO43– 0.8–1.5mmol/l
Urea 2.5–7.8mmol/l Mg2+ 0.7–1.0mmol/l
Creatinine 70–150µmol/l HCO3– 22–29mmol/l
Osmolality 275–295mOsmol/kg Cl– 95–108mmol/l
LFTs see E p. 583
ALP 30–130units/l Bilirubin 3–21micrograms/l
ALT 3–35units/l Albumin 35–50g/l
γGT 10–55units/l Total protein 60–80g/l
Other
Amylase 0–120units/l CRP <5mg/l
Fasting glucose 3.5–6.0mmol/l ESR <20mm/h
Immunoglobulins 24–37g/l CK 25–195units/l
Cholesterol <6mmol/l LDH 70–250units/l
Triglycerides 0.5–1.9mmol/l PSA 0–4ng/ml
Blood gases see E pp. 598–9
pH 7.35–7.45 PaO2 10.6–13.3kPa
Base excess ±2mmol/l PaCO2 4.7–6.0kPa
OXFORD MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS

Oxford Handbook for the

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Programme
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Oxford Handbook for the

Foundation
Programme
Fifth Edition
Tim Raine
Consultant Gastroenterologist,
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK
George Collins
Cardiology Registrar
Barts Health NHS Trust, UK
Catriona Hall
General Practitioner,
James Wigg Practice, Kentish Town, London, UK
Nina Hjelde
Anaesthetic registrar,
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Consultant Editors
James Dawson
Consultant Anaesthetist,
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK
Stephan Sanders
Assistant Professor, UCSF School of Medicine, USA
Simon Eccles
Consultant in Emergency Medicine, St Thomas Hospital, UK

1
1
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Second Edition published in 2008
Third Edition published in 2011
Fourth Edition published in 2014
Fifth Edition published in 2018
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 v

Preface

It seems that every new edition of this book has arrived fresh on the tail
of some major change impacting the training and lives of junior doctors
in the NHS. Previous new appointments into the Foundation Programme
had to contend with the traumas of the introduction of ‘Modernising
Medical Careers’. More recently, we have seen the treatment of junior
doctors reach the national media once more with the new junior doctors’
contract and the ensuing, unprecedented industrial relations dispute of
2015–​2016. If there is a theme, beyond the constant upheaval that our
junior doctors are being subjected to, it is the increasing void between
those delivering healthcare on the ‘shop floor’ and those planning what
is best for the health service, often based upon misinformation and mis-
understanding. In a landscape where a Secretary of State for Health so
wilfully misquotes data as to lead to questions regarding his honesty and
his intelligence, what message of hope can we send to newly appointed
junior doctors? And as we wrote in a previous preface, through all of this
turbulence, the fact remains that the leap from being a final year medical
student to a junior doctor remains immense. No matter what elements
may be introduced to final year curricula, or to Foundation Programme
et
inductions, the psychological and professional gear-​shift is a change that
.n
o kX
many feel unprepared for. Overnight the new doctor inherits huge re-
sponsibility, an incessantly active bleep, and an inflexible working rota.
o
w.B
But something else happens, overnight. The new doctor also becomes
a valued member of the medical team, someone who patients look to
ww
for help and someone with the capacity to provide that help to both pa-
tients and their relatives. Despite changes in training structure, the new

.n et
doctor has the potential and flexibility to learn and shape a career in just
about any area of medicine they wish to pursue. And if the assault of
kX
politicians might well distress some, take solace in over two decades of
o
o
UK polling data, showing doctors as representing the profession consist-
w.B
ently rated highest for trustworthiness, with politicians languishing con-
sistently at the very opposite end of the spectrum.
ww
Nevertheless, such is the burden that comes with the new professional
status, that nothing can make the transition that a student doctor must
t
go through easy. At the very least, we hope that this book can act as a
e
X.n
guide, a manager of expectations, but above all else, as a companion

o ok
on this difficult journey. Carry the book with you. Turn to it when you
feel most exposed or most worried. We have tried to make sure that,
w.B
whatever the situation, there will be at least something that you can read

ww
and use to start you off along the right path. And if there isn’t? Don’t
panic—​make sure you have spoken with someone senior, and take heed
of the advice on p. xxviii. Finally, when the dust has settled, please take
the time to let us know and to help us continue to improve this book by
sending comments and suggestions to: Mohfp.uk@oup.com
TR, 2017
To every doctor who’s ever stood there thinking:
‘What on earth do I do now?’
 vii

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to many people for
their wisdom, knowledge, and support:
• Tim thanks Lucy for her patience and support and Beatrice, Felix, and
Max for their carefree good humour
• George would like to thank Mel, Mark and Charlie, whose support
and space made this authorship possible
• Catriona would like to thank her former Foundation colleagues for
their friendship, encouragement, and resilience, and her colleagues in
General Practice for their mentorship and unfailing support
• Nina would like to dedicate this work to her husband for his endless
support through yet another one of her ventures
Specific thanks for assistance with specialist material go to Dr Daniel
Neville (Respiratory), Dr Sam O’Toole (Endocrinology), Dr Simon Vann
Jones (Psychiatry), Drs Bjorn Thomas and Duncan Leadbetter (Skin and
eyes), and Dr Elaine Church (Emergencies).
This book builds upon the efforts of authors of all previous editions.
In particular, we are grateful for the vision of Simon Eccles and the hard
work of James Dawson and Stephan Sanders, without whom this book
would never have come to be.
We would also like to thank all the staff at Oxford University Press
for their help and for making our writing into a book. In particular, Liz
Reeve and Kate Smith for their terrific efforts and support in making
the OHFP5e such a pleasure to work on, along with the rest of the
OUP team:
• Michael Hawkes
• Fiona Chippendale
 ix

Contents

Symbols and abbreviations x

Introduction xxv
10 tips on being a safe junior doctor xxvii
10 tips on being a happy doctor xxviii

1 Being a doctor 1
2 Life on the wards 67
3 History and examination 125
4 Prescribing 169
5 Pharmacopoeia 183
6 Resuscitation 225
7 Cardiovascular 245
8 Respiratory 275
9 Gastroenterology 293
10 Endocrinology 327
11 Neurology 343
12 Psychiatry 369
13 Fluids and renal 385
14 Haematology 405
15 Skin and eyes 423
16 Emergency department 447
17 Procedures 523
18 Interpreting results 579
Appendices 613

Index 629
x

Symbols and
abbreviations

K definition
I topics covered elsewhere
E cross reference
T supplementary information
2 emergency
3 don’t dawdle
M website
i increased
d decreased
l leading to
± plus/​minus
> greater than
< less than
♀ female
♂ male
A+E accident and emergency
AAA abdominal aortic aneurysm
ABG arterial blood gas
ABPI ankle–​brachial pressure index
ABx antibiotics
ACCS acute care common stem
ACEi angiotensin-​converting enzyme inhibitor(s)
ACF academic clinical fellowship
ACR albumin:creatinine ratio
ACS acute coronary syndrome
ACTH adrenocorticotrophic hormone
ADH antidiuretic hormone
ADL activities of daily living
AED automated external defibrillator/​anti-​epileptic drug
AF atrial fibrillation
AFB acid-​fast bacilli
αFP (AFP) α-​fetoprotein
AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
AKI acute kidney injury
ALL acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
 Symbols and abbreviations xi

ALP alkaline phosphatase

ALS Advanced Life Support®
ALT alanine aminotransferase
AML acute myeloid leukaemia
AMPH approved mental health professional
AMPLE Allergies; Medications; Past medical history; Last meal;
Events leading to presentation
ANA antinuclear antibody
ANCA antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody
AoMRC Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
AP anteroposterior
APH antepartum haemorrhage
APLS Advanced Paediatric Life Support
APTT activated partial thromboplastin time
AR aortic regurgitation
ARB angiotensin receptor blocker
ARDS acute respiratory distress syndrome
ARVC arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy
AS aortic stenosis
ASA American Society of Anesthesiologists
ASAP as soon as possible
ASD atrial septal defect
AST aspartate transaminase
AT angiotensin
ATLS Advanced Trauma Life Support
ATN acute tubular necrosis
AV atrioventricular
AVN atrioventricular node
AVR aortic valve replacement
AXR abdominal X-​ray
Ba barium
BAL bronchoalveolar lavage
BBB bundle branch block
BCG bacille Calmette–​Guérin (TB vaccination)
bd bis die (twice daily)
BE base excess
β-​hCG β-​human chorionic gonadotrophin
BIH benign intracranial hypertension
BiPAP biphasic positive airways pressure
BKA below knee amputation
BLS Basic Life Support
xii Symbols and abbreviations

BM Boehringer Mannheim meter (capillary blood glucose) or

bone marrow
BMA British Medical Association
BMI body mass index
BNF British National Formulary
BNP brain natriuretic peptide
BP blood pressure
BPH benign prostatic hypertrophy
BX biopsy
C+S culture and sensitivity
Ca carcinoma
Ca2+ calcium
CABG coronary artery bypass graft
CAD coronary artery disease
CAH congenital adrenal hyperplasia
CAPD continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
CBD case-​based discussion/​common bile duct
CBG capillary blood glucose
CBT cognitive behavioural therapy
CCF congestive cardiac failure
CCG clinical commissioning group
CCT Certificate of Completion of Training
CCU coronary care unit
CD controlled drug
CDT Clostridium difficile toxin
CEA carcinoembryonic antigen
CEPOD Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths
CEX Clinical Evaluation Exercise
cf compared with
CHD coronary heart disease
CI contraindication
CJD Creutzfeldt–​Jakob disease
CK creatine kinase
CK-​MB heart-​specific creatine kinase (MB-​isoenzyme)
CKD chronic kidney disease
CLL chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
CLO Campylobacter-​like organism
CML chronic myeloid leukaemia
CMV cytomegalovirus
CNS central nervous system
CO carbon monoxide
 Symbols and abbreviations xiii

CO2 carbon dioxide

COAD chronic obstructive airway disease
COC combined oral contraceptive
COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
CPAP continuous positive airway pressure
CPK creatine phosphokinase
CPN community psychiatric nurse
CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation
CQC care quality commission
CRP C-​reactive protein
CRT capillary-​refill time/​cardiac resynchronization therapy
CSF cerebrospinal fluid
CSU catheter specimen of urine
CT computed tomography/​Core Training/Core Trainee
CTCA CT coronary angiogram
CTG cardiotocograph
CTPA CT pulmonary angiogram
CVA cerebrovascular accident
CVP central venous pressure
CVS cardiovascular system
CXR chest X-​ray
d day(s)
D+C dilatation and curettage
D+V diarrhoea and vomiting
DBS Disclosure and Barring Service
DC direct current
DCCV direct current cardioversion
DCM dilated cardiomyopathy
DEXA dual-​energy X-​ray absorptiometry (DXA)
DH drug history/​Department of Health
DHS dynamic hip screw
DI diabetes insipidus
DIB difficulty in breathing
DIC disseminated intravascular coagulation
DIPJ distal interphalangeal joint
DKA diabetic ketoacidosis
DLB dementia with Lewy bodies
DM diabetes mellitus
DMARD disease-​modifying anti-​rheumatic drug
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid/​did not attend
DNAR do not attempt resuscitation
xiv Symbols and abbreviations

DOAC direct oral anticoagulant

DoB date of birth
DOPS Direct Observation of Procedural Skills
DRE digital rectal examination
DSM-​5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
5th edition
DTP diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis
DU duodenal ulcer
DVLA Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
DVT deep vein thrombosis
d/​w discuss(ed) with
Dx diagnosis
EBM evidence-​based medicine
EBV Epstein–​Barr virus
ECG electrocardiogram
Echo echocardiogram
ECV external cephalic version
ED emergency department (formerly A+E)
EDD expected due date (pregnancy)
EEG electroencephalogram
EMD electromechanical dissociation or pulseless electrical
activity (PEA)
EMG electromyogram
ENP emergency nurse practitioner
ENT ear, nose, and throat
EO eosinophil
EPO erythropoietin
ERCP endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
ERPC evacuation of retained products of conception
ESM ejection systolic murmur
ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate
ESRF end-​stage renal failure
ET endotracheal
EtOH ethanol (alcohol)
ETT endotracheal tube
EUA examination under anaesthetic
EVD extra-​ventricular drain
EWTD European Working Time Directive
F1/​F2 Foundation year one/​two
FAST focused assessment with sonography in trauma
FB foreign body
 Symbols and abbreviations xv

FBC full blood count

FDP fibrin degradation product
FEV1 forced expiratory volume in one second
FFP fresh frozen plasma
FH family history/foetal heart
FiO2 fraction of inspired oxygen
FNA fine needle aspiration
FOB faecal occult blood
FOOSH fall on outstretched hand
FP Foundation Programme
FPP flexible pay premia
FRC functional residual capacity
FSH follicle stimulating hormone
FTSTA fixed-term specialty training appointment
FVC forced vital capacity
G+S group and save
G6PD glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
GA general anaesthetic
GB gall bladder
GBS Group B Streptococcus/Guillain–Barré syndrome
GCS Glasgow Coma Scale
GFR glomerular filtration rate
γGT (GGT) gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
GH growth hormone/gynae history
GI gastrointestinal
GMC General Medical Council
GN glomerulonephritis
GORD gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
GOSWH guardian of safe working hours
GP general practitioner
GTN glyceryl trinitrate
GTT glucose tolerance test
GU(M) genitourinary (medicine)
h hour(s)
h@N hospital at night
HAART highly active antiretroviral therapy
HAI hospital-acquired infection
HAV hepatitis A virus
Hb haemoglobin
HbA1c glycosylated haemoglobin
HBV hepatitis B virus
xvi Symbols and abbreviations

HCA healthcare assistant

HCC hepatocellular carcinoma
hCG human chorionic gonadotrophin
HCM hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
HCSA Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association
HCT haematocrit
HCV hepatitis C virus
HDL high-​density lipoprotein
HDU high dependency unit
HEE Health Education England
HELLP haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets
(syndrome)
HHS hyperglycaemic hyperosmolar state
HIV human immunodeficiency virus
HLA human leucocyte antigen
HMMA 4-​hydroxy-​3-​methoxymandelic acid (phaeochromocytoma)
HOCM hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
HONK hyperosmolar non-​ketotic state
HPA Health Protection Agency
HPC history of presenting complaint
HR heart rate/​human resources
HRCT high-​resolution computed tomography scan
HRT hormone replacement therapy
HSP Henoch–​Schönlein purpura
HSV herpes simplex virus
HTN hypertension
HUS haemolytic uraemic syndrome
HVS high vaginal swab
I+D incision and drainage
IBD inflammatory bowel disease
IBS irritable bowel syndrome
ICD implantable cardiac defibrillator
ICD-​10 International Classification of Diseases 10th revision
ICP intracranial pressure
ICS inhaled corticosteroid
ICU intensive care unit
ID identification/​infectious diseases
IE infective endocarditis
IFG impaired fasting glucose
Ig immunoglobulin
IGT impaired glucose tolerance
 Symbols and abbreviations xvii

IHD ischaemic heart disease

ILS Immediate Life Support
IM intramuscular
Imp impression (clinical)
IN intranasal
INH by inhalation
INR international normalized ratio
ITP idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
ITU intensive care unit/​intensive therapy unit
IU international unit
IUCD intrauterine contraceptive device
IUP intrauterine pregnancy
IV intravenous
IVDU intravenous drug user
IVI intravenous infusion
IVP intravenous pyelogram
IVU intravenous urogram
Ix investigation(s)
JDC Junior Doctors’ Committee of BMA
JVP jugular venous pressure
K-​nail Küntscher nail
kPa kilopascal
KUB kidneys, ureter, bladder (X-​ray)
K-​wire Kirschner wire
L litre(s)
LA local anaesthetic/​left atrium
LABA long-​acting β-​agonist
LACS lacunar circulation stroke
LAD left axis deviation/​left anterior descending
LAMA long acting muscarinic agonist
LBBB left bundle branch block
LDH lactate dehydrogenase
LDL low-​density lipoprotein
LETB Local Education and Training Board
LFT liver function test
LH luteinizing hormone
LHRH luteinizing hormone releasing hormone
LIF left iliac fossa
LMA laryngeal mask airway
LMN lower motor neuron
LMP last menstrual period
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Alden the Pony
Express rider
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
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you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Alden the Pony Express rider

or, Racing for life

Author: Edward Sylvester Ellis

Illustrator: Edwin John Prittie

Release date: December 24, 2023 [eBook #72501]

Language: English

Original publication: Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Company,

1909

Credits: Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed

Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ALDEN THE

PONY EXPRESS RIDER ***
 THE OVERLAND SERIES

ALDEN THE PONY EXPRESS RIDER

The Sharp Crack of Weapons Rang Out in the Stillness
 THE OVERLAND SERIES

ALDEN
——THE——

Pony Express Rider

——OR——

Racing for Life

——BY——
EDWARD S. ELLIS
Author of the Deerfoot Books,
The Arizona Series, etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY
EDWIN J. PRITTIE

THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY

PHILADELPHIA
 Copyright 1909, by
The John C. Winston Co.

PRINTED IN U. S. A.
 CONTENTS
Chapter Page

I. Introductory 9
II. A Quarrel 24
III. Westward Bound 39
IV. The Danger Cloud 54
V. On Guard 69
VI. Aboriginal Cunning 84
VII. Just in Time 99
VIII. The Attack 114
IX. Old Acquaintances 129
X. A Hunt 145
XI. A Disappointment 159
XII. A Not Uncommon Incident 176
XIII. “That’s Just Like Him” 191
XIV. An Alarming Situation 204
XV. Now for the Mail Station 219
XVI. Cause and Effect 234
XVII. At the Station 249
XVIII. Outwitted 264
XIX. A Blessing in Disguise 279
XX. A Strange Proceeding 293
XXI. A Setback 307
XXII. Jethro’s Secret and What Followed 320
RACING FOR LIFE
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY

N ever did the town of St. Joseph, in the State of Missouri, pass
through more stirring excitement than on the afternoon of April
16, 1860.
Every man, woman and child seemed to feel the pulsing in the air.
Most of the people were on the street, though hundreds of mothers
and daughters were at the upper windows, on the alert that
something which was expected should not elude them. The men
talked together in earnest voices, sometimes moving restlessly over
the pavements, glancing at their watches and saying, in those
hushed, eager tones which often accompany tense emotion:
“It’s pretty near time! I hope he won’t be late.”
“No fear for Alec; he’s always on time.”
“Poor fellow! he doesn’t look strong,” remarked a sympathizer.
“Alec Carlyle is one of those chaps that you can’t judge by looks;
there isn’t a better horseman west of the Alleghanies.”
St. Joseph in those days was not a large town. There was room to
hold in comfort most of the population on Third Street, and it was
there that nearly all of them had gathered on this soft spring
afternoon. Had you been a member of the crowd you would have
noticed that the eyes of nearly every one were turned expectantly
toward the one-story, brick express office on the east side of the
street, between Felix and Edmond Streets. Something was going on
inside of that modest structure, but as yet it was veiled from the
public. Several men and boys who stood nearest the building tried to
peep through the windows, but, unable to do so, intently listened. All
that they heard was the occasional stamp of a horse’s feet, and the
confused murmur of voices. But it was not hard for them to imagine
the scene within.
It was about four o’clock, when a small cannon boomed from the
side of the street, two or three doors distant. The report was a signal
to the ferry boat to come across from the Ellwood side of the river
and await a certain horseman who would soon arrive at the bank.
Only a few minutes had passed, when from within the stables near
the express office, some one vigorously shoved open the doors. At
the same instant, a wiry pony, with flashing eyes and dilated nostrils
and fine muscles aquiver, made a tremendous leap which carried
him almost to the middle of the street, and heading toward the river,
plunged away under the prick of the spur, on a dead run.
Horse and rider made a fine picture. Silver mounted trappings
decorated both. The man might have been mistaken for a circus
performer, in his brilliant uniform, with plated horn, pistol, scabbard
and belt, gay, flower-worked leggings, jingling spurs and fine boots
with high heels, such as cowmen and rustlers affect. He was of slight
figure, dark mustache, flashing hazel eyes, flowing hair and closely
compressed lips, and he sat his steed with perfect grace. He wore
the broad-brimmed sombrero that seemed scarcely affected by the
gale which his animal created. He did not look to the right or left, nor
notice the cheers, shouts and waving of hats and hands. He peered
grimly ahead, as if his life depended upon his reaching the ferry
without a second’s loss of time.
As the pony shot like a cannon ball out of the doors of the stable
and sped with arrowy swiftness down the street, the two men with
whom he had been in consultation within the structure stepped
forward and watched him. They smiled, though there was a serious
expression on each face, for both felt they were looking upon an
epoch-making event. And it was Alexander Carlyle, the superb
horseman, who was making it.
Neither of the couple took their eyes from him as long as he was
within sight. One was Ben Fickland, superintendent of the stage line
to Denver, known as “Pike’s Peak Express,” the uncle of the
horseman. The other was Mr. Russell of the firm of Russell, Majors &
Waddell, who had been running for years a daily coach from the
Missouri River to Salt Lake City. The two were thrilled not so much
by what they saw as by their knowledge of what it meant.
On the afternoon that I have named, the first “Pony Express” left
St. Joseph, Missouri, on the long westward trip to San Francisco.
The four small leather sacks holding the mail were each six by
twelve inches, one being fastened at the front and the other at the
rear of the saddle, so that the rider sat between them. The pouches
were impervious to rain, and for further protection, the letters were
wrapped in oiled silk and then sealed. The pouches themselves were
locked, not to be opened until they reached their destination. It was
ordered from the first that they and their contents should never weigh
more than twenty pounds. A rider might carry several hundred letters
on each trip, for all were written on the finest of tissue paper. The
postage at first was five dollars for each letter, later reduced as the
building of the telegraph line progressed, to one dollar an ounce. In
addition to this enormous postage, the merchants who were awaiting
the important missives joined in paying the carrier a liberal fee, when
he maintained the schedule or made quicker time than usual.
Mr. Russell had been persuaded by Senator Gwin of California to
start the Pony Express. He had made an arrangement with the
railways between New York and St. Joseph to run a fast train; the
Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad used a special engine, and the
boat which made the crossing of the Missouri was held so that not a
minute would be lost in transferring the mail. A piercing whistle
notified the horseman that the boat was waiting for him.
About the same time, Harry Roff, mounted on a mettled half-breed
broncho, galloped eastward from Sacramento. He, too, did his part in
opening one of the most romantic episodes in the history of our
country. Two sets of mail bags were approaching each other from
points two thousand miles apart, and there were times when this
approach was at the astounding speed of forty and even fifty miles
an hour! The average daily rate was two hundred and fifty miles a
day, but where everything was favorable, or when an express rider
was fleeing from the vengeful red men, his pony struck a gait of
twenty-five miles and maintained it, when an untrained horse would
have dropped in his tracks.
When Harry Roff dashed out from Sacramento, he made one
change and covered the first twenty miles in fifty-nine minutes. He
changed again at Folsom and headed for Placerville, at the foot of
the Sierra Nevada range, fifty-five miles away. At that point, he found
a rider awaiting him, who, quickly shifting the two packed mail
pouches, was off with the speed of the wind. Thus from point to point
and relieving one another at comparatively regular distances, the
entire run of 185 miles was made in a little more than fifteen hours.
Be it remembered that in crossing the western summit of the
mountains the horse had to wallow through thirty feet of snow. Not
only that, but most of the distance was through a hostile Indian
country, where a slight mistake on the part of the horseman was
likely to prove fatal to him. There was no saying what boulder or rock
sheltered a crouching redskin waiting exultingly with bow and arrow
or rifle for the horseman to come within range. A white man was
legitimate game for the warrior, as much as was the deer or bear,
and the sentiments of the rider were the same regarding the warrior.
One rider covered the last 130 miles of the western division, from old
Camp Floyd to Salt Lake City, where his partner from the east met
and exchanged mails with the comrade going toward the Missouri.
After the rider from St. Joseph had reached the river side, he
passed upon the waiting ferry boat, and entering a room prepared for
him, changed his fancy costume for what might be called a business
suit. Hardly had the boat touched the other shore, when the eager
pony was off again on a dead run.
It is worth remembering in these later days, that the route of the
Pony Express westward was that which was followed by the
Mormons in 1847, and by the emigrants a year or two later when on
their way to California in quest of gold. Crossing the Missouri, the
messenger veered slightly to the southwest, holding to the course
until he struck the old military road, forty-odd miles distant, where he
shifted to the northwest and crossed the Kickapoo Reservation.
Then in succession he passed through Grenada, Logchain, Seneca,
Ash Point, Guittard’s, Marysville, Hollenburg, thence following Little
Blue Valley to Rock Creek, Big Sandy, Liberty Farm, across prairies
to Thirty-Two Mile Creek, over the divide, sand hills and plains to
Platte River, and then westward and up that valley to Fort Kearny.
When the Pony Express began operations, the messengers from
St. Joe rode to the station of Guittard, 125 miles away. This was
done every week, until two months later the service was made semi-
weekly, when the first rider finished his run at Seneca, 80 miles out.
Fort Kearny was an old post in Nebraska. It is now a thriving town
and the capital of the county of the same name. The trail from this
point led westward for 200 miles along the Platte River to Julesburg,
in the northeastern corner of Colorado, then to Fort Laramie, whose
gray ruins stand to-day in southeastern Wyoming, fifty miles west of
Cheyenne. Next, over the foothills to the northwest, and through the
famous South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, by Fort Bridger to Salt
Lake City.
This completed the long ride over the eastern division. From Salt
Lake, the express rider strained every nerve to Fort Churchill, 50
miles away, thence to Rush Valley, or old Camp Floyd, Deep Creek,
Ruby Valley, Smith’s Creek, Fort Churchill, over the Sierra Nevada
Mountains, and so on through points that have been already named,
to Sacramento, whence the mail was carried by boat to San
Francisco.
A glance at the map will show that this long run—not quite two
thousand miles from St. Joe—was across and through the wildest
portion of our continent. Rugged mountains, inaccessible to the
ordinary traveler, had to be crossed, and only he who was familiar
with the route could do it. Tumultuous torrents had to be forded or
swum, where horse and rider were often hurled far down stream
before the animal could clamber up the rocky bank on the other side.
Those desolate solitudes were swept by furious storms of sleet, hail
and rain, vast valleys were turned into swirling lakes, and the driving
snow often blinded horse and rider, so he could not see twenty feet
beyond the nose of his animal.
There were stretches of plain where the panting pony and his
master could not get a drop of water for hours. When they plunged
into the mountains in the depth of winter, the temperature was often
far below zero, but the undaunted rider kicked away the snow on the
lee side of some boulder, kindled a fire of dead limbs, when he could
find such sparse fuel, but more often he had nothing of that nature.
The tough little pony was wrapped about by his blanket, the master
inclosed his iron body in another, or partly in the same one, lay down
and slept, with never a dream to disturb his rest. But he could not
forget his duty, which was so impressed on his mind that he awoke
to the minute he had set for awaking. Probably the first faint
streakings of morning were showing in the east, when he flung his
blanket aside, remounted and dashed off again.
It will be understood that when the Pony Express was organized, it
was necessary to establish relief stations at intervals of a dozen
miles or so. Now and then these were separated by greater
distances, when it was impossible to have it otherwise. Between the
stations, the rider kept his horse at the highest possible speed. The
average time scheduled was ten or twelve miles an hour, but where
the route was favorable, the ponies held a speed of twenty and
sometimes of twenty-five miles. Thus, as has been stated, the rider
from the east and he from the west thundered toward each other at
the incredible rate of fifty miles an hour—equal to the speed of an
express railway train.
There were portions of the trail where no rider dared show himself
and pony during the daytime, because of the Indians on the alert for
his scalp. The intrepid fellow and animal remained in hiding till night.
When darkness came the man stealthily re-saddled his horse, led
him out from the covert in which they had been crouching, climbed
silently into the saddle and resumed his headlong ride.
The late Major Chorpenning, remembered as one of the most
prominent of freighters across the plains, told me that more than
once he had labored through the mountains in the depth of winter
when the snow under his feet was sixty feet deep! He was in Salt
Lake City, talking with Brigham Young, when word came that the mail
rider westward had been killed by Indians. The fiery-tempered Major
bounded to his feet and swore he would follow up the rider, recover
the mail and carry it to Sacramento. When he refused to take any
companion with him, President Young forbade him to go, insisting
that it would be sure death.
“I’m serving the United States and not you,” replied the Major,
laying his hand on his revolver; “I don’t think it will be healthy for
either you or any one else to try to stop me.”
So it was the daring Major rode out of Salt Lake City alone. Being
perfectly familiar with the route, he made good progress. He had
decided in his mind where the rider had met his death, and there
sure enough he came upon the body. It was shockingly mutilated,
and it was evident the man had made a brave defense. Chorpenning
found his watch, which strangely enough had not been taken away
by his slayers, and within a rod of where he lay were the mail
pouches, unharmed. The pony, of course, was gone.
The Major strapped the pouches in place and resumed his ride
westward.
“From that hour,” said he, “until I came in sight of Carson City, it
seemed to me I was playing hide and seek with the Indians. The first
thing that caught my eye was what looked like a crow sitting on the
edge of a rock only a little way in front. A second glance showed that
it was the topknot of a redskin, who dropped down before I could
draw bead on him. He wasn’t the only one of his kind in the
neighborhood, for I caught glimpses of several, and believe I winged
one of them.
“Having found secure shelter, I waited till night before moving on
again. For the following three days and nights I did not do a mile of
traveling when the sun was shining. As it was, I pushed so hard that,
being lucky in catching the boat at Sacramento, I reached San
Francisco several hours ahead of schedule time. The people would
not believe my story at first. I remember that the famous
mountaineer Kit Carson was one of the doubters, but when
convinced of what I had done, he declared it the most remarkable
ride ever made by any man in crossing the plains.”
Since this chapter is introductory and intended merely to clear the
ground for what follows, I shall close it with an account of the most