The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-02-24

levers which stood by my side, aud forth
with commenced q series Of experiments
with them. But my unskillfulnoS Or agi
tation prevented my employing the proper
means, and fancied l had only increased
the speed Another resource flashed upon
mo. l might pull out the blazing wood and
Goals, and reduce the FIRE. II was mad
idea, for my upglOved hands were my only
tools for the enterprise; but | chuckled
wildly to myself ~ l thought how feasible
II was, aud how sure Of success. Eagerly
stopped down aud pulled flaming stick
from beneath the boiler. The secthing pitch
scalded my hands, aud the live embers burnt
them cruelty but hardly ielt tho pain a
| hurled il irantically into tho darkness.
But did not stOop again. For. as !
turned to continue my vain labor, another
fash--one Of those lingering, wavy, dancing
flashes, which seem TO tarry ~ II delighting
10 gaze upon the terror they causo--o once
more lii up tho scene. trust that death
will efiace its horror from my mind. |
know that can never forget Il on this side
Of tho grave. The shrek Of my companion.
which was still ringing in my ears, no longer
surprised me- no longer wondered at his
mad leap from the engine. II was tho ex
cess Of my terror alone which prevented me
from following bis example. no longer
cared for the murlerous speed Of the loco.
motive no longer thought Of my own
danger. All the misgivings, all tears for
myself. were swallowed up and merged In
one vast, shuddcring indcscribable horror.
For there, just before me upon the boiler,
with its lips parted into fendsh grin, with
its eyes wide open, and staring at me. and
The glare imparting lie like glow TO It's
stony features there, within reach Of my
palsied band, even as shrunk back In era.
ven fear to the farthest limits Of my moving
prison, sat . pale. CORY. hidcous, and man
glej human head
You smile, gentlemen continued the
ugly man, with Il melancholy air. and il
seems 20 me that II should hear the story
told by another, a. you are now doing, In
quiet room, with firm floor beneath my feet,
cheerful fire before me, aud friends around,
] should do the same thing but, believe
me-" dropping his voice no low that could
hardly bear him. II Is different thing 10
wild night. alone, and with u sudden and
awful death impending over you
Keep moving. stranger said the man
in the red shirt, cracking hickory nut, "it's
as good as sermon. Pass on TO the sec.
oud head"
:" II could, OF course pursued the ugly
man, without needing the untimcy jcst, "bc
bat lew minutes. or perhaps seconds, be.
fore this terrible drama must conclude but
no prisoner ever longed for freedom ~ did
fW the final crash. which knew would end
my life aud torment together. made no
farther efforts TO stop the locomotive. l was
hardly aware that il was still tearing msdly
on, as though frightened. like myself, at il
gbsstly burden. The lightning still flashed
at intervals and illuminated the esyey face
but did not need its CLEANS 10 sec the hor-
rid thing. For through the pi,chy darkness
aod the binding rain il glared as I hal be-
held il at first. Nor do consider this ina.
giDation. think that terror had 40 sharp
eoed my vision that, though oil else Was
wrapped in impene'rabIe gloom. eouid sce
in glsasy eyeballs, its palIid cheeks aud its
bloody, griDning mouth.
have since learned do not think that
knew il at the time that oil this while,
the frewooi in the tender behind mc WIS
blazing furioasIy. II had caught either by
q spark from the engine, or which is more
probable, from the burning stick which ]
bad 30 hastily tossed away BIT, "a ! said,
do not know that ! was aware Of it IL /
had been, it could not have added another
paug 10 the terror Of my heart and only
mention II now "A an incidental eie-
mest in the horror Of my situation, and also
from the fact that the unusual light alarmed
the watchers nj tbe station, and, putting
them upon their guard, prevented my de-
s'ruction Of life On my arrival
can never bring myself TO believe that
20 short time elapsed ~ know must have
passed, before the awful vision ceased. II
seems ~ me now, and always when recall
that dreadful night. as though ! must have
spent hours brsced back sgainst the tender,
no, daring TO take my eyes from the spectral
lace, paraiyzed and crazy with fright, my
hair ike reeds. and the cold sweat bursting
from every pore. During oil this time, ]
know that regarded the incident "A any
other than supernatural Ifit had occurred
TO me that |, was nothing bu, what il seern.
I'd. dead bssli. perhaps, possibly. might
have rallied. But there was something 20
heIlisb in that stony gaze. alooe visible
through the murky night tina, earth and
earthly socitlenu were alike forgotten by
me. Heavens thought I. s this to last Tor.
ever An dead, sDd are tbsse the tor
mentS d the dsmnei' VIII the torture
never have sD end
The esd wss even tbao at hand. shot
pas, brilliantly lighted streets. whose bright.
Dess made the corJss glare still more hide
oa.Iy upon me. Tkssrd shouts u lear and
warning bat they couid sot distract my sL
tent.Oo. ! caught giim~ss at tbs station Of
rrosps u agonissi sod horror stricken is-
O. shat we're they 70 tho distorted kstares
of the HsAD before ma A crash, . feeling