The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-07-21

hold, don't yon see-he'a ges hold, an
a'd be up in a twinkling.n
New Thompsonss great coat was goo
| one; but the affair with him was merely
matter Of business. Was the result wort
the damage likely TO be done: Was the pith
question be put TO himself. By rapi
process Of mental arithmetic. be assesse
the probable injury, estimated the advan
tage 10 be derived per contra, and With b
usual oasiness-iiksl celebrity. decided that
was. In another minute eabby was spread
ing Thompson's great coat under the fee
Of his psossrate s.esd, and both togethe
were holding it tightly down TO the groun'
Ike q bedside carpet.
With this luxurious assistance, which CAV
the fore feet secure bearing, plunge an,
8 struggle brought the poor beast on hi
legs again; but be was SO irritased by hi
previous failures, and so startled by his sud
den success, that before cabby could SEX
the reins, he was OF, sliding and seramhlin:
over the slippery road ike an awkward lat
ecnteud;Dg with his first pair OF skates, bu
vet ct speed that soon left both driver ans
fare far behind. Cabhy darted after hi:
horse, and in an instant nothing could b,
heard or seen Of cab or driver but dul
rumble of wheels Ind voice, as if wrap'
.r bianAvt, sueulin<. " y Thv, y = s.St'
which grew fainter and fainter every mo-
ment.
Thompson's first impulse was to follow al
once, as fast as the foc and bis thirteeE
stone of solid flesh would allow, but hs
could not, in the darkness, lay his hands OF
bis great coat. lie had started back some
little distance when the horse struggled ur
and plunged forward, and he could not for
the life of him find the place again nothing
but the cold frozen snow met and benumbed
his fingers. Quick decision of purpose was
becoming necessary il he pursued his
seemingly hopeless hunt after his coat, ii
was clear that he could never oyertake the
cab. His decision was instantly made; il
would not pay TO continue the search, and
buttoning up his body coat, he started in
pursuit at a good round pace, but pulling
aud blowing as though be had not strained"
sufficiently for pedestrian feat OF that
nature.
He could still hear plainly the rumbling
of the wheels and cabby's useless s. wo-ho,
wo-ho - and if he had not walked into
the hedge so often, and not found such dif-
hculty in extricatIng himself from the thorns
and brambles, he must soon have over
taken the object of his pursuit. But one
impediment or other, always
prevented his consummating bis hopes just
as be deemed himself on the point of doing
so. Yet on and on be went and on and
on again, after conquering each fresh OBJ
stacle. Ii seemed TO him that he had thus
struggled along for miles in the thick dark
ness, with the Will-o'-the- -wisp "wo- ho'
"wo- no" just ahead of him.
In vain he shouted no could hear no
answer but the distant "wo-ho wo-ho."-
He got irritated, and as natural couse-
quence, was (exactly in the ratio of his
irritatiop) just SO much oftener
in the hedge or ditch, and each time just SO
much the longer getting out again. lie
actually began to disbelieve in many of his
most strongly rooted convictions connected
with half crowns and other matters, and his
good, solid common sense was beginning
to waver and wander. Could it be really
himsef-Thompson, the eminent indigo
merchant of Blue Lane-who was thus al
lowing himself to be lured after strange.
dull sound of "wo-ho, wo-ho % in a thick
fog, for miles and miles along dark, slip
perry road, until he was ready to drop with
fatigue? He was beginning TO doubt his
own identity, and might have decided against
it, but just then he perceived the glimmer
Of light. lie was not mistaken, and i'm
Ia sdiataIy ha saramhlad toward il. hut evi.
IDENTIFY not by the proper road, as ho passed
through a deep ditch and up steep bank,
breaking his way through some rotten gar
den pailings. At last be arrived at a lighted
candle, apparently held close TO a woman's
face, in which he recognized, indistinctly.
the features of the kenton carriers wife,
who lived at the roadside, not more than
five miles from his own residence. That
was encouraging and whatever became of
the cab, be should at all events, soon meet
bis own ssvahicle.o But that hope was
soon dspelled, for Mrs. Parcels Informed
him that bis eoacbman had been there about
two hours ago, and as the fog was so thick.
he thought it dangerous to 60 on, and SO,
feeling sure that his master would not at
tempt to come through it, had turned back
again.
Aud the cab
Mrs. Parcels had heard something rum
BILE by about ten minutes before, and heard
somebody cry "wo-ho," but had seen
nothing.
This was rather depressing, but Thomp-
son had identified himself again the con-
Tersation with Mrs. Parsels had brought his
Imagination back from the dream
Of that sea fog which had seemed peopled
with hoarse voices crying "wo-ho, wo-hoi'
to lure him On to destruction. He felt
again that he was Thompson-the ThomT
son of Blue Court and being guided by
Mrs. Parcels into the road, by way of the
garden gate instead of through the fearful
gap he had lust made in the old pailings,
be resumed the chase. He had got his
second wind, and was getting up to bis
work so away he went, ut a pace worthy Of
the barclay Match"-for he had no end
Of pluek--and after long run, he was
evidently gaining upon cabby. He heard
'swo-ho, wo-ho % more distinctly, and could
even catch the rumbling of wheels once
more.
At that moment, however, a dull. grating
sound seemed TO extinguish the sound and
then all was perfectly still, and he expert
eBced the oppressive, suifocating sensation
produced by total darkness, undisturbed by
she slightest sound. lie stepped more
cautiously, and, in spite Of himself and his
strong common sense, he felt vague and
ridiculous fears creeping orer him. 4
sound as of breathing seemed to close him,
though unseen, and in another instant,
something like an arm flung itself across
throat.
) "Garotte, garotte ~ cried the strong
minded man OF business for the moment
taken of his guard.
"Wbat, sir -
"Whas, Cabman 2"
"Well l'm glad you've come up, sir
was eginning 20 be frightened Ike"
"And where is your cab 20
sob, It's ali right now; it's 10 the ditch
one wheel locked in the ice and mud; |
heard it grind in."
(Which ditch z"
Sab, that's what wan. to come at
l'vc been groting about on t'other side,
new Era going TO try this
(Which side is this ?" asked Thompson /:
and as he spoke be heard by the breathing
that cabby was moving OF. lie endeavorei
to catch hold Of him bat be vas gone, and
there was silence and stiffness for some