National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-05-10
Captain Tom s Fright.

1 y =
ened in my life,' said Captain Tom
kestle, filling his briar- wood pipe
and ramming home the tobacco with
IA bit of stick, excepting once he
added, rehectively.
"How was that, captain p said |,
detecting indications of yarn,
lets have it, if it's worth telling
The captain lit a cedar splint at the
fire and proceeded to ignite his pipe,
the flame of the dry stick bringing
out his strong, quiet features and
greyish hair and beard, in relief
against the black woods behind
( him.
The captain had the coolest way
of talking about his personal frights,
a way which we all understood per
tectly, for most of us had too often
seen him in action to believe his as
founding accounts of his own COW.
ardice. | actually believe to this
day many casual hearer of his
yarns believes Capt. Tom the COW
ard he painted himself, for often
would stranger ask after hearing
him narrate some of his exploits,
how such a shameless sneak could
remain in the service with honor.
We'll, fellows began he, Il feel
ort of confidential to-night-a
strange ceiling for me by the way,
and l think some glrcat piece OF lnck
must be awaiting me as conse
quence. However, | think | will
tell you the story, although | never
told it to living soul before, and
the very thought of telling it now
sends a chill up the small of my
back So you must not be aStonish
cd if turn childish before | get
through. You must know that III
the summer and fail OF 1850 | was,
in my profession Of engineer, re
building Il long bridge on the sun
set and Great Western Railroad.
My station was ten or fifteen miles
from any town, and l had a gang Of
thirty or forty OF the widest Irish
men you ever saw caught, besides
the sober mechanics who did the
homework on the bridge. \ pret.
t. lonely life | led, for there was
hardly any one with whom it was a
pleasure to associate for any length
of time, though, perhaps that was to
some extent, my fault, for was al
ways rather distant and reserved
with the men, more from a fear of
seeming to intrude, or from the op.
poSite horror of seeming % court
popularity, than trCm any other
reason. My station was at the end
of a long md perfectly straight
stretch of Dad. | suppose there
must have been fifteen miles of
track without curve of any sort,
save that which belongs to the sur
face 0fthe earth. As the line near
ed the river an easy grade raised it
few feet, 50 as to carry the road.
way of the bridge clear of floods.
Rather more than halfway up the
bridge was a cutoff, or side track.
crossing the river on a temporary
trcstle.work. and intended only to
remain while the main bridge was
undergoing its repairs. The cutoff
was set at very acute angle so
that the speed OF passing trains was
scarcely checked while crossing the
river. One could stand on this lit
tie grade and see the approaching
trains ut least half a dozen miles off,
when the air was clear, as they
came tearing across the prairie and
up the grade and over the bridge,
whirling past us n momentary
glimpse of the world and its life.
| Perhaps the conductor if he was Il
clever fellow, would throw lis of a
package of papers. That was all he
knew of outside life, for none but
gravel trains condeSccuded TO stop
at our little station. Our quarters
consisted of cluster of board shan
ties, with one of more luxurious
build for me, all located for conve-
niencc Of getting water, quarter OF
a mile above the bridge, where the
banks of the river were accessible.
Those of you who have lrishmen
in your companies well know that
whiskey naturally gravitates i'll theil
vicinity, and almost always of {
Saturday night supply was Oh
hand in our little community, OF
which the weeks wages were pretty
ceitlinly expended. Saturday nigh
was always distinguished by IL tear
ing spree, which invariably termin
ated in free fight, but as the com
batants were usually 100 drunk tt
do much harm to one another whel
the time came around, no materia
damage was ever done. There wa
one among these fellows with whom
from the iirst,I had foreseen trouble
A thick set surly dog he was, Pet
McGec by name, and sFardOwnei
by birth. lie had always som
i. fault to find about his pay, was a
4 ways grumbling, was contnuall
= Sinking his work, and was, withaI
Il mighty drinker, and when drum
!. a mighty man to lead the Grove
Our antipatby to one another seen
ed to be led TO II climax by fortun,
and / had good reason to believ
that twice already had Pete instigt
!, ted an attack upon Inc in my hous,
y said attacks having been Instant
t repelled by sundry discharges Of m
revolver at a high elevation.
One day was watching the II
u bors of O gang who were shovelin
dirt out of drain which had bee
d filed by a recent storm. had N