Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-02-24

j when he found that he had no powe
{ whatever TO determine either wher
: where or how his leg was TO move
, As long as bis own wishes happene
4 to concide with The manner in whic
} the machinery seemed destined (
: operate, all had gone on smoothly
and he had mistaken bis tacit com
/ pliance with its independent and SCI
acting powers for command over j
which he now found he did no
possess. 1t had been his most anx
, ious desire TO stop TO speak will
Mynheer Vanoutern, but his leg
moved on, and he felt himself under
the necessity Of following it. Many
an attempt did he make 10 Stacker
his pace, but every attempt was vain
He caught hold Of the rails, wall:
and houses, but his leg tugged SC
violently, that he was afraid Of dis.
locating his arms, and was obliged
to 60 on. He began 10 get seriously
uneasy as TO the consequences Of
this most unexpected turn which
matters had taken; and his only
hope was, that the amazing and un-
known powers which the compli-
Gated construction of his leg seemed
TO possess, would speedily exhaust
themselves. Or this, however, he
could discover no symptoms. He
happened to be going in the direction
oi the Leyden Canal, and when he
arrived in sight Of Mynheer Tur.
ningvort's house, he called loudly
npon the artificer 10 come TO his
assistance. The arti6cer looked out
OF his window with a face OF won
der. "Villain," cried Wodenblock,
"come out 10 me this instanu You
have made me a leg with a ven-
geancel 1t will not stand still for
moment; | have been walking
straight forward ever since | left
my own house, and unless you stop
me yourself, Heaven only knows
how much farther | may walk
Don't stand gaping there, but come
out and relieve me, or shall be out
Of sight, and you will no: be able 10
overtake me-"
The mechanician grew very pale,
he was evidently not prepared for
this new difficulty. He lost not a
moment, however, in following the
merchant TO do what he could to-
ward extracting him from so awk-
ward a predicameni. The merchant,
OF rather the merchants leg, walking
very quick, and Turningvort, being
an elderly man, found it no easy
matter to make up to him. He did
so at last, nevertheless, and catching
him in his arms lifted him entirely
from the ground. But the strata.
gem Gf so it may be called) did not
succeed, for. the innate propelling
motion Of the leg was so great that
it hurried the artist along with his
burden at the same rate as before.
He set them, therefore, down again,
and STOPPING. pressed violently on
one Of the springs that protruGed a
little behind. In an instant the un-
happy Mynheer Won Wodenblock
was off like an arrow, calling cut in
the most piteous accents--"I am
lost | am lostl am possessed OF
devil in the shape of a cork legl stop
me! for heavens sake stop mel !
am breathless,-Iam faintingl Will
nobody shatter my leg 10 pieces?
Turningvortl Turningvort! you have
murdered mel" The artist. per-
picked and confounded, was hardly
in a situation more TO be cnvied.-I
knowing what he did, he
fell upon his knees, cIasped bis hands,
and with strained and staring eye
balls looked after the richest mer-
chant in. Rotterdam, running with
the speed oil an enraged buffalo,
away along the canal towards
Leyden and believing for help as
oudly as his exhaustion would per-
nit.
Leyden is more than twenty miles
rom Rotterdam, but the sun had not
yet set, when the Misses Back
'neider, who were setting at their
oarIor window, Immediately opposite
he "Golden Lion," drinking lea,
and nodding to their friends as they
passed, saw some one, coming at
urious speed along the street. His
ace was pale as ashes, and be
,asped learfully for brea:h; but
turning either to the right
u, left, he hurried by at the same
-apid rate, and was out Of sight
Utmost before they had time to ex-
claim, "Good gracious, was not that
Mynheer Wodenblock, The rich mer-
:hapt OF Rotterdam?n !
Next day was Sunday. The in !
labitants Of Harlem were all going :
o church in their best attire, 10 say :
heir prayers and hear their organ
when . figure rushes across the mar
.et place, like an animated corpse }
White, blue, cold, and speechless, its /
--sGt &