Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-08-18

to gaze upon the terror they cause, once more
lit up the scene. ! trust that death will
efiace its horror from my mind. know that
can never forget it on this side Of the grave
The Shrek OF my companion. which was still
ringing in my ears. no longer surprised me
no longer wondered ut his mad leap from
the engine. 1t was the excess of my terror
alone which prevented my following his ex-
ample no longer cared for the murdcrous
speed Of the locomotive | no longer thought
of my own danger. All misgivngs. all fears
for myself, were swallowed up and merged in
one vast, shuddcring, indcscribable horror
For there, just before me on the boiler, with
its lips parted into lcndsh grin, with its
eyes wide open. and staring upon me, and
the glare imparting II liic-likc glow its stony
features; there within reach of my palsed
hand, even as | shrunk back in craven fear to
the larthcst limits Of my moving prison, sat
a pale, CORY, hidcous, and manglcd IluMAN
HEAD
S'You smile, gentlemen continued the
ugly man, with II melancholy air, and it
seems to me that if | should hear the story
told by another, you are now doing. in Il
quiet room, with firm floor beneath my feet d.
q cheerful fire before me. and friends around,
should do the same thing; but, believe me-
dropping his voice So low that could hardly
hear him, : it's different thing in n wild
night, alone, and with sudden and awful
death impending over you.
- Keep moving, stranger said the man in
the red shirt, cracking a hickory-nut, it's
AS good as u sermon. Pass on to the second
head.
- 1t could, of course pursued the ugly
man, without needing the untimely Jest, bc
but II few minutes, or perhaps seconds, hc-
fore this terrible drama must conclude but
no prisoner ever longcd for freedom as | did
for the final crash, which knew would end
my life and torment together. | made nc
further efforts to stop the locomotive. was
| hardly aware that 1t was still tearing madly
on. as though frightened, like myself, at it,
ghastly burden. The lightning still flashed
at intervals, and illuminated the claycy face
but did not need It's CLEANS to see the hor
rid thing For through the pitchy darkncs,
and binding rain it glared upon me rs has
behcld it at first Nor do | consider thi,
imagination. think that terror had $,
sharpened my vision that, though all else wa,
wrapped in impenetrable gloom, couM see
its CLASSY eye-bals, its pallid cheeks, and it,
bloody, grinning mouth.
81 have since learned-I do not think
knew it at the timc-that all this while, tn,
trewood in the tender behind me was blazing
furiOusly 1t had caught either by a sparE
from the engine or, which is more probable
from the burning stick which had SO hastil,
tossed away. But, as | said. do not know
that | was aware Of it if | had been, i
could not have added another pang of terro
to my heart: and | only mention it now II
an incidental element in the horror of III
situation, and also from the fact that. tn
unusual light alarmed the watchers at tn
station. and, putting them upon their guard
prevented any destruction Of life ON my az
rival.
g can never bring myself to believe tina
SO short time elapsed, rs know must hav
passed, before this awful vision ceased.
seems to me now, and always when recn
that dreadful night, us though must hay
spent hours braccd back against the tender
not daring to take my eyes from the spcctru
face, paralyzed and crazy with fright, IN
hair like reeds and the cold sweat burstin
from every pore During all this time,
know that never regarded the incident II
any other than supernatural. If it had .,
CURED to me that it was nothing but what
seemed, Il dead head, perhaps, possibly,
might have rallied. But there was som,
thing so terrible in that stony gaze, alon,
visible through the musky night, that cart
and earthly accidents were alike forgotten t
me. Heavens thought /, is tins to last io
Of the damned viii this torture never hu'
an end
- The end was even then at hand. ! sh,
past brilliantly-lightcd streets, whose brgh
ness made the corpse glare still more hid
ously upon me | heard shouts of fear al
warming, but they could not distract my a
tention. | caught glimpSes at the station
5 groups Of agonized and hurror-strickcn face
t what We're they to the distorted features
e the HEAD before me \ crash, IA feeling
e dead-like sickness, and when awokc, II
4 midnight ride had been the rounds OF all t
e newspapers. and been forgotten
d The ugly man arose and adjusted |
= crutch, as If to leave.
g Pray, sir, said little, silent man frc
Il the corner, in an excited manner, and spea
5 ing for the first time, was that the cngince
l. head !
II ''Oh no, answ cred the narrator, with
J. air Of relief, us though he was glad his t;
d was ended, : | learned, when got well enou
l. to talk and ask questions that the engint
IS crawled into town about dawn of the folio
W ing day, weary. torn, and bleeding but wi
n out any permanent injuries. The head
y longed to u poor maniac, who had often
id tempted the strangest forms of suicide, Il
le that evening, escaping from his confneme
h, had lowered himself down into cattle dit
Ar keeping his head some six inches above
I'd surface of the road. The cow-catchcr. as
N probably intended it should do, had cut
| head cleanly and smoothly off, and
1t thrown it so high that it lodged and str
e, where first saw it. His body was aterw
| found unmunglcd in the ditch beneath.
n that, neighhors, is the way came to be
as wreck YOU see me.
he ''Thats right smart yarn, now, strang
'r, said the man in the red shirt and | supp
likely enough to happen on some Of II
- Hio rails but on the Little-Rivcr Road
nd stop down to Little-River when IN to ho
nd they don't dilow no dedd-h,Gds." ."
5 There, if our readers do not agree witt
that the foregoing is a thrilling and adm
ed bly, narrated story, then we do not hcsit
er, TO avow it as our judgment that we have l
'od taken their perception and taste, and to
zen nounce a judgment (Which would fore
, theirs y accordingly.
~ Flea Catching in Constantinoplc.
The The British and French soldiers in Tur
of bitterly complain of the swarms and bl
4