The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-06-18

knew my name well enough, and it an.
gered me to have him cali me in this way
so / said sharply:
"My name is not Mike y
"'llow should I know" he asked.
looking angrly into my face, as If he
wished TO make quarrel with me.
I" You have heard it more than once,
| said. You know very well what it is,
Joe, and there is no sense in giving q
man I, name as does MT belong TO him.
"'Then don't call me Joe That amt
my name. rs a counterleit.-Im Tom,
which is better nane.'
:" lie had piece Of chalk in his hand
and began TO print with it on the big
beam where we were sitting. + m.
he scratched in large scragsly letters,
all the while looking at me from under
his heavy eye. brows. Then he made Il
B, and rubbed his hand across it as soon
as it was made.
Bob, its long way down there,
pointing into the half filed bin.
''rwcnty feet, perhaps
"'Twouldn't kill man, the fall, eli /!
moving closer to me.
"Nu!"
I" But it's as good as water TO drown
him il the grain lie moving, and tie dust
and ch If flying ,
lie wouldn't live long, that's sure
"Thcn 90 down there !! he yelled.
giving me Il blow AMI push that hurled
me hcadlong from my seat go down
there stay thcrcl die there rot there !
Bob Campbell; and don't forget, when
you are dying, that Tom Brinton sent
you lhere!
The fall did not hurt me bit, and
began to crawl toward the rope ladder
hanging against the side of the bin,
thanking Go that the grain had not be-
gun to move, for then I'd be dead man
in no time. But as soon as the ruian
saw what | was after, he went round and
pulled up the ladder.
"Lct that alone, shouted feeling
how little hope of escape | had with the
ladder out OF my reach
lie laughed and flung the ropes over
a beam.
DO you mean to murder me p
cried
"No, I'm going TO leave you there,
Bob. You have fallen in you sec. Thatll
he the verdict when they find your body
You'll want your shovel, man, TO make
the thing look natural. I'll show it TO
you in inmate
i felt quite sure that it was so dark
in the bin that he could not see plainly, il
ut all, AMI that lie would try to hit me
with the shovel. crawlcl cose 10 the
side with one check against the wood ::
looking up, | could sac him directly above
me, pcering down into the gloom, and
with the shovel in lis ou;slrctchcd arm,
ready to spear at me, as if | were fish
Then followed Il stiffness that continued
for lire minutes, during which he stoo |
on his guard Su llenly heard Il muf
fed rattle Of machinery and felt strange
power pulling at my teet, while my whole
boly seemed to he Siding down bottom
less PIT. In an instant | knew what was
happening.
he grain was running
. madly flung out my arms. and my
fingers cluchel one Of the upright beams
As drew myself up against the rcccdlng
torrent, | heard Il laugh above me and
the words
Remember Bessie 1'ilott. Bob Camp
bell, and that | loved her. and the words
spoke To you by the big elm Good by
when | looked up, the man was gone
from my sight. | don't exactly know
how managed TO climb that huge beam.
| think there were nails here and there
that helped my feet and hands; for after
l was rescued, my body WAS found to be
covered from head to foot with great
gashcs or scratches. Anyhow, slowly
and painfully managed to reach the top,
and threw my left arm over tie edge of
the hin, and gasped for breath. Then,
when ! was 50 near 10 safety, to life, to
hope, felt horrible sickrning blow
from something Reilher dull nor sharp.
| seemed TO feel the cutting of the Il h,sh
and hear the breaking of the bone. The
arm, battered and broken, lost its grasp,
and ! fell back into the horror of the bin.
Hardly had touched the yielding wheat
when my SHOVEL was thrown from above
an! struck within few inches of my
head. Though my arm panied me ter
rbly, | Didn't faint. | was helpless. The
dust was sitting. The grain WAS wh;r
ling and Kissing as il slid toward the
vortex, few feet distant. | heard the
murmurlng of the machinery in motion
and the rushing sound of the wheat as it
rushed into the spout Where lay the
grain had not yet began TO move INTO the
whirlpool; but | knew it would be only
a minute or two before | should be tossing
and struggling in the treacherous quick
sands, and then stihed mulilated ami
dead, at the spout. The dust seemed TO
circle about me and leave me Il little air
to gasp.
Lying thus, hopeless and helpless, u
carelesSness of death came upon me.
My ltc came to Inc again in all its de
tails, its joys and sorrows. had visions
of green fields, and heard the soft gurgle
OF brooks, and the songs of birds, and the
rustling Of leaves.
Then Bessie's sweet tace, las it was when
we were married, smiling and pretty with
dlmples, seemed TO be above and close to
mine, as if WAITING for n k,ss IA IN the