Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-01

only the maudlin cries of some drunken
Irishman. The signal man at the bridge
could not leave his station for any ordinary
cause, and certainly the cries of a drunken
man on Saturday hi ght was not extraordi-
nary. All this passed through my mind as
| shouted, until my strength was gone.
Then | lay and silently thought. My SER
want must have removed the caps from my
pistol. Why should she? What cause
for such treason had | ever given her =?
Why had | located the cabins so far from
the track ? Think as | would, the stern
fact of my situation remained, and | could
only hope that one O'Clock, and the train
too, had passed
But now low down, on the very edge of
the black horizon, my eye caught a faint
red gleam Too often had | watched the
trains to doubt for a moment [ knew the
very spot at which that dreaded light would
appear. SO then twenty minutes, at the
very longest, providing no accident happen
ed, was the lifetime remaining for me.
strained every fiber to break my bonds or
twist my neck clear Of the track, but the
rope was too strong, and a couple Of stakes
driven, one on each side of my neck, for
babe any motion except slight lateral one
In the intensity of my muscular strain
had shut my eyes. As | opened them
saw before me, nearer, brighter, steadier
the shining reflection of the advancing
train. Again | shouted again | strained
but TO no purpose. Then | lay and watched
the light, a. | had often done in happier
times, until it seemed to me that my brain
must give way. | closed my eyes and
tried to pray, but that fearful light shone
through my eyelidS and banished every
other thought And now faint, vet
terribly distinct rumble began to fill the
air; il seemed a. though my inmost soul
felt that sounds Yet | remember no.
ticine the most trivial things-a cricket
that sung near by, a toad that climbed on
the rail, a prowling eat that came suddenly
upon me and ran frightened away-for even
in that fearful moment a sense of the ludi-
crous was alive. and was conscious Of a
feeling Of amusement a. the creature sour
ried off. But. meanwhile the faint rumble
had grown louder, and | even tancied that
| could perceive Slight vibration Of the
rail ON which my head rested and of the
ground ON which lay think that about
this time | must have become insane. for
only remember hearing my voice in impo,
tent shrieks and feeling my limbs, a il
were. those Of another man. straining them
selves to hc free All the dreadful partc
'lar~ of my approaching death whirlcc
through my brain during those few mo-
meut-. Once | 1ancied | could hear foot
steps coming toward me from the bridge
and hoped wildly that they would reach m,
Ia time But now / could see the red re
tection of the lamp on the long, >traigh
track. and the thunder Of the train Wa,
drowning. all other sounds Once more
strained ovcrv muscle till the very fe>I
seemed 10 tear. one final cry rave for hell
from God or man Then l opened my eve
-e-o~ed in my aeony-and looked silently
at INV destruction. For one dreadful in
~taut saw the silver mirror of the refec
tor, and felt the earth tremhe under tn,
roaring train, and then. a. the mighty en-
zine rushed upon me, nature gave out, anC
amid crash of sound. and red glare o
lamp and fire -wooucd
The wheels of the night express ha,
passed within foot OF my head. | ha,
been bound on the straight track over tn,
bridge and the train passed me on th'
.ci,-ofT
Capt. Tom ceased Hardly any com
mcut~ ON the story were made by the GROUP
IF oi1irer~ for. after moment Of breath
les stiffness, the sharp crack Of two o.
three rifles which seemed to have beer
waiting for the end of the story. rang on
over the ridge In moment the officer
wore running toward their respective com
mani- With quiet, though eager haste
the infantry We're manning the rife-pit
and the 4mers stood with lanyards pullc,
taut, ready to fire AT the word.
Fifteen minutes later. | was tearing down
the stony road my horses hooiS >trikin.
fire to the accompaniment of a rattling o
rifles from the mountan-sile behind me
Before left, had looked an instant OF
the dead face Of Capt. Tom, who fell a
his post Ike hero as he was.
had barely time to mount and run 70
It, as the gray-clad Johmnes ,warmed Owe
the parapet and captured our little band
We had been overpowered by the advance
Of "a division Of Stonewall's army, and
thought myself lucky to be able, by dint o
hard riding, to reach the grand guard o
our division half an hour before Stonewall'
cavalry drove in our pickets on the Shenan
doah.