The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-04-22

tuS A1OxS9, uliU fSSBOAouSiy uouu<u HE
| the pavement, came on untli -AeWxl
| opposite the hetel, caught sightsof me
through the window, and abruptly
4 fufning on his heel, walked off in the
iifection taken by the porter.
1 thought nothing of dis Tie man,
lconjectured, probably wanted the
job had given to the porter. He was
q common looking fellow, dressed in
leather CATERS, blouse, silouched
4 cap, and a belt: There was nothing
\ siiguIart inf hid : hee. | He wat das1E
! whkA bfack beafd and mouStael1e. He
was familiar type of the middle aged
peasant of Southern France.
Having discharged my bill, walked
1 tOsthe railway station. On the plat
form there WIS much hlnautfa train
from Paris having arrived. But upou
1.-The platform, against which stood the
ftrain that was to bear me to the North,
I counted :oply five people, exclusive
ofporters.
But had little time for observation.
The train would leave in three minutes.
II saw my portmanteau slowed away
1.-THE luggage vaE, procured myself a
,first-class ticket, and took my seat.
The shrill whistle of the guard sound
ed The engine gave a snort, and the
lile of carriages clanked to their chains
as they tightened to the train. Sud-
denly several voices cried, Stop, stop /!
Nbw, then, quick! Which class-first?
Let's see your ticket. Right. Here
YOU are-jump in ~ The door of my
carriage was opened, form bounded
\ i'm. the door was slammed, there was
another shrill whistle, and off went the
train.
Hooked at my companion. He was
the man whom / had noticed speak to
| the porter, and stare i'm at the window
ofuIy hotel.
"A thrill passed over me: My recent
escape had greatly shaked my nervous
system and the apparitiOn of the man
whom / felt ought to suspect, sent a
chill through my blood. AS a peasant,
which he was-not expressed only in
dress but in his hands, which were dir
| tN rough and horny-what did he do
| ina first-class carriage: Iwould have
given something to have exchanged
carriages. But there was no cOmmu-
nicatiOn with the guard. Moreover,
the train, as have told yOu,S was an
| express, and did not stop until run of
sixty miles had been accomplished
We were now bowling away with great
rabidity.
The man sat screwed up in corner
aVay from me, immovable. He APP
peared to be looking through the VIM
dow at the country as 1t whirled by
butt there was an distracted expression
I'M his gaze, which Indicated that he
saw nothing. His arms were folded
upon his breast. Though he must have
been conscious of my scrutiny, he never
turned his eyes upon me. His lips, /
SAW, were tightly compressed, and he
breathed slowly, but deeply through
his nose, the nostrils of which dilated
tolthe steady respiration. ~ ~ =. -
began after a little to regain my
coinposure. I struggled to laugh down
my fears. What, thought, had to
fear from q man had never seen-wh0
had never seen me? Thcsthing was
preposterous. I extracted n paper
from my pocket and commenced to
read. I might have spoken to him,
only imagined that man in his sit
uation might have been embarrassed at
mix French, which did not speak with
lgood accent. Besides, there was
something that repelled all approach
inihis immobility. ..., ..ia..-
Half an hour passed away. All at
once, over the edge of my newspaper,
L law him put his hand out Of the win
dow, as if to open the door. had no
time to conjecture his intention, when,
with q screaming whistle, we were
hurled into the night-of long tun-
nd. arisa ~i4f- au ,a.e.
The rapid disappearance of daylight
made the oil lamp suspended in the
some minutes.
laid the newspaper down with all
my old fears revived in me. / had
scarcely done SO when l saw the out
lihe of a man rise in the carriage. He
leaped over to me where / was seated.
saw the gleam of knife in the air.
Mad with passion and surprise, l
grasped the descending arm. A furi-
Ous determination to save my life in
spired me with the'strengtlr OF giant.
The ferocity with which seized the
wrist forced the hand open. The
knife fell; and then commenced 81.
lent, furious struggle.
He seized me by the collar aud clung
with the tenacity of q. tiger. l heard
mn snapp,ng & LIE h;ta .ee'N We o. sx1aved from
eifeasUltuS S ae !. " ar.;. o ~. 20 the 3thar r
ciE emu Vi uie S m hasith ~ hoJ IafS mo
zen noM ."S mS@n to ,,as. 40 c',t int" the iioht
alti eiaSeH tV az pAihS h.ttar g sae ~ how En- on,
counter the ruffian.
suouenly l. nty . I'll :" ~ a.,,,da,i
Wild tfemenuous sneiSy Sy,., o,I ne
sgslhst uuor wnIh a.. t.sr,, ,.antra NJ
!eii On .nI iil1e' ~ 'io y ee.
TIC faii saan,ad IN have stunned him
! g.. ho faII nndor me and Remained there
to. fo. nV t;,na ; mott n,ot;onless For myseIf ]
IL roAo;,,aJ = ~, ;,,ds..cr;bable ,shecE., suci
a;. o~rar;anoad " In . colTision hut I
81 - i,,sa :, :, an, 90. heard the roar
nfthafro n tv;n q awav in the distance.
T,v y tha rod GIN, Elinw i'm the dis
- co. fbs rod oIeam fading like
- ~. as = Hs;ng dar1on
si;n JntcIad Rim, hv the threat. nor
,r5 dars rsi;n1,,;sh e Nv situation
u,y u et.stf,,I II sns.,acis.d fiat = down
80, %s6,l,i saon Ia ressino. and i'm the
;.'tn,,.o lilo nocs of the tnnnel 7 cOuld
s nao ~, ,uhicS Iinef 1,e' had fallen.
T%onid have stretched ,forth INV hand
- oo,o,,e for the rails. 4 mi0hf have
so,SSd 20 SddC nioce M If safety bv Judging d
N,a d;st.!eca I hotwecn them. lint I fell
i,s ny ~ ~, asSo;,anf enmmencis,u
- ~ Irr;tha .bensath me His struggle
',, SHr,sc Ta ordeavored to ri.e
XIV s NTH the Aneesof desnair. / kent him
W. nJ WIZ da,vn ~ os,Snd IN h;s throat
hhs hssos oshor o on his breast. What ] de.
1ne yVusa as ~ ~ ranIar him. tnsensible
Mu,,kt Sn Ya fs,an N ieave him in the darkness