Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-01-10
would have pinned me while I turned my


moment T was outside on the long step
cIineir,p to the or-handle, and with the
rnard leaning out ard watching me.
.eCome back |" he shouted, as we dashed
along at full speed now, rushing through
the darkness ahead, and giving wild
shrek as we passed q station, the lights
| looking like one streak. There were the
carriages shaking and the wind tearing at
me as If to beat me Oft; but | was recov.
| ering myself fast, and in few moments l
was at the end of the guards van, leaning
| towards the carriage wanted to reach.
So far my task had been easy, though,
| of course, very dangerous, with the train
| dashing along at fifty miles an hour; but
now there was gap to pass between the
| van and the carriage, for the buffers keep
| the carriages at some distance apart. For
a few moments / stopped in dread, but,
| as I got my breath more and more, cor
age and the recollection OF her Wild ap-
| pealing face came to me, and, cilnglng 10 the
| buffers, | contrived to get one foot on to
the stem of the carriage, and, still holding
on by the iron, tried to get the other there:
Just then the train gave jerk, and l
| thought 1t was all over; but the next mo-
ment / was On the step ana had hold OF
the door-handle. a.r@ :,
DAT last" muttered, as Idrew myself
no on the next step, and tried the door,
which was, as [ expected, fast. Then |
! looked back. There was the guard, with
| half his body out, and his hand screening
his ewes. irving TO follow my motions;
but. with the darkness all round, the snow
cutting by like knives and points, and the
dense fog clouds we kept entering, | telt
sure he could not see me, though could
make him out from the light IN his com
partment. Then I listened, and my heart
seemed to stand still for fancied could
hear the sound OF struggle going on In
side, though / was not sure, from The rat
Ting made by the train. l was not Wastng
time, for had tried to look in at the WIN
dow; and, after opening my knife with
my teeth, was trying to open the door.
But the interior of the carriage was uarK
as pitch, and my knife was useless, while
now | was sure there was struggle 60
ing On inside. Directly after, one or the
little side panes of glass was broken, and
heard faint cry. 5000.
/ dashed in the door window IN an IN
slant, cutting my hands with the thick
glass, and then beating out the loose pieces,
made place for entrance, and had half
my body in before felt myself seized by
some one who tried to force nae back.
Two hands held me by the throat, while
[ grasped the door with one hand, half IN
and half out of the carriage. My blood
was up. I had hold of my unseen enemy
by the collar, and / dug my knuckles into
his neck as I held on for life like bull
dog I'll * urt
I had the advantage Of him there, for,
while I had On stiff collar and buttoned
up uniform coat he had only thin dress
shirt collar and one of those black wisps OF
ties 1t was struggle for life and death
with me. but [ got further aud further In
AT last, suppose, feeling hall choked nc
started back and drew me with him, sc
, that / fell heavily on the floor. Here
though, j lost my hold, and he had me
again at disadvantage. For what seemed
? good five minutes, 1t was an up and
. down struggle, while more than once fell
myself dashed against somebody who was
4 crouching ia q corner of the carriage.
Sometimes got the better and some
times the worst OF it. After the struggle
8 had been going on some time, 1t seemed
9 that the far door was open, and that there
/ was no one else in the carriage but us two
+ hanging on to one another like pair o
i wild beasts Then came such horrible
| reaction that my strength seemed to leave
T. me, for I felt that in her fear and dread thf
t poor girl had leaped out. eaa8 "H'.
s But she had not, for she was outside
+ clinging for life to the handles, as In on'
y brief glance saw by the end light Of the
train flashing upon her. In last herc
!; struggle my foot tripped, and l and tn
| man was struggling with fell headloEI
}. out of the door. There was a flash o
/, light, the sound of rushing wind, ant
then seemed to be dashed with teartu
[ violence upon the ground.
it The next thing / recollect is the SCUM
e of voices, and the Kissing OF the steam
a an engine close by me, while some two o
II three people were moving about VIII
e lanterns. 1 found some one supportin
n my head and then gave shudder, TO
q there were horrible red patches and mark
"A on the white ground. As the men spok
10 in whispers, l could sec they were collec
t. ing together something horrible, ths
o steamed in the cold air. A mist came owe
10 me, and tainted dead away.
Is When could think again, | found tbs
t. | had been some time in a London hosptta
n and was lying there III ward, looking 9
3e g. pair of soft white hands that didn't seei
Id to belong to me, while my head felt coz
he through my hair being cut off.
~ But got stronger every day, and 500
q T had visitors to see me; and one face tbs
lie came, and used to lean over my poor bal
III pallet, was, as 1t were, the face OF
angel--so sweet, so lovirg, and so tend
rv in It's com passionate looG and once, Will
70 the old lady stood back, two tiny soft han'
I smoothed my pillow, and tear fell on m
in cheek, as voice Whispered t"t@''.
he "God bless you, my brave preserver =.
ed 7 shut my eyes then, AMI trembled, f
there was bitter feeling of sorrow can
nt over me, and, in spite of those tend
~ words, | seemed to be standing on Il
od brink of great gulf, far away from her.
he AS grew stronger, learned from h
in | mother how they had been deceived.
cd was through answering an advertiseme
If for q governess that the poor girl h
Ie met with insult. She had been delud
into accompanying the gentleman, und
ns pretence of his taking her to his home
fn few miles down the line He had paid
NV penalty of the crime he had meditat
.ds with his life. An up train tore him
au pieces-an up train which must ha
nv passed within few inches of my head
at The train from which we fell had be
stopped by the guard few miles furtf
49, down, when the poor girl vas found Gilt
- ing on 81 lie the carriage. An engine q
ne tender were sent back in search of US,
az find us as have already told.
nd only saw her once again, when s
inc gave me this-this little purse, just as y
or see. She spoke to me kindly and tend
nd ly, and they were words of praise, thin
~ but I saw her only through mist, q
the thought that it was for the last I'll
bor seemed to fill my mind so that l col
~. ~ onlv snaak huskily. | kissed one of