The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-01-20

telegraphy, unaware as yet that had OBJ
served them. So far as could make out
> the foreigner was urging the other to SOM
course which the latter was reluctant t;
) pursue.
At the moment when my thought had
travelled thus far, / made some Sigh
} movement; the Russian looked up, ant
} our eyes met, and the villain saw that hi
by-play had been observed, and instantl,
threw off the mask. Grinding out al
oath between his set teeth, he rose from
his seat. rose, too and as the Russian
noticed the action he sprang like tigel
at my throat, graphing with me so close
ly that the blow dealt him took but par
tial effect, Linked together, we wrestled
furiously for few seconds, rising and fall
ing; but l was the younger and more
agil of the two, and had nearly overpower
ed my enemy, when his confederate cam.
to his aid and dealt me succession O
crushing blows upon the head with some
heavy weapon, beneath which fell, stun
ed and helpless, with my face covered with
blood, and my strength and senses left me
When | came to myself again, the ruffian:
were riaing my pockets as 1 lay on thu
floor of the carriage. The Russian had
opened one of the morocco cases that held
the ornaments, and he was examining the
gems by the light of the lamp overhead
The other villain was searching for fresl
plunder. He was livid with agitation,
noticed, and his face was blotched with
crimson, and damp with heat-drops, while
his hands trembled very much. He ii
was who first spoke, in husky whisper
what shall we do with him!'
La belle atfaire! Toss him out! The
fall won't hurt him = sneered the Russian.
1t was plain that they believed me tc
be dead. | lay still, resolved that no cry,
no twitching of an eyelid, should betray
that life was still not extinct. Too well
| knew that mercy was hopeless, and that
my chance would be far better if flung out,
at the risk Of being mangled and crushed
beneath the whirling iron wheels, than il
remained in that luxurious tirst-class
carriage, with those two wild beasts in hui
man guise, ready TO finish their work at
the first sign that l yet lived. The Rus
sian leaned out of the window, and eau
tiously opened the door l felt the chill
of the fresh night wind upon my check II,
lay. Then l had to summon all nv
resolution to my help, to repress a shudlel
as the murdercrs stopped and lifted me up
one taking ME by the head, and the Other
by the feet, as butchers carry a slaughter.
ed cali. The Englishman breathed hard
and trembled preceptibly as he dragged
me towards the gaping doorway
4 don't half like the job, he growlet
out.
The Russian gave scornful laugh.
pitch the carrion out, bLance bee thai
you are. One, two, three, and over Will
him
l remember one agonized moment O
suspense as was violently thrust forward
one hurried frenzied prayer that rose from
my heart to my lips, but was drowned by
the roar and rush of the long train o
massive carriages as they tore along the
iron way. was launched out, and felt
myself falling, and then dropped with /:
crash, and my brain reeled, and sensation
seemed again to desert me.
On coming gradually to myself. my first
vague PERCEPTION was, that l formed :
part of some vast moving body speeding
swiftly along, swinging and swaying. bu
rushing fast through the cool night air
Then, as memory returned, l began to re-
allze my position In falling when the
assassins had thrown me out of the car
riage where the robbery had taken place
l had dropped upon the wooden plank
that runs like an elongated step below tn,
carriages, and my hand had closed me,
chanically, in clutch like that of :
drowning man, on some projecting portion
of the iron work above, which / presently
conjectured to be the prop of one of the
iron steps.by which passengers assembled
And there l clung instinctively, like &
limpet to a rock, while the swervins
swinging train flew madly on through tn.
black night. 1t was position of fearful
peril. True, l had escaped immediate
death; but to all appearance my fate wa:
only deferred. The train was not to hal
till it reached G despaired of be-
ing able to hold on till then, for already
my crlmped slnews seemed to be stifen.
ing, and my attitude was painful ant
uneasy one. And by night there was NJ
hope that my danger would be observed
and an alarm given, as l was hurled, help
less and despairing, through the darkness
The wounds 1 had received in the heat
caused me dull, aching pain, and l wa
weak with loss of blood; but my thoughts
were coherent and clear. knew my risl
well. fl fell now 1 must certainly b.
left behind, a mutilated corpse, torn t.
fragments by the cruel wheels that whirre,
and spun close by me. My only chanc
) was to hold on till 1 reached C if m,
strength lasted so long. Once or twice
essayed cry for help, but my feeble voic
? was lost in the noise of the train. An
presently l felt thankful that it had no
been heard, for, from the window of tn
carriage to the left Of where lay crouch
| ing, was protruded the head of man VIII
= peered out into the night; and 1 shrun
5 still closer to the woodwork as recoc
7 nised in the faint lamp-light the whit
face, the red-brown beard, the tigerish grii