The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-06-17

peared 10 be looking through the win
dow at the country as it whirled by;
but there was an abstract expression in
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 1
saw were tightly compressed, and he
breathed slowly bnt deeply through
his nose, the nostris of which dilated
to the steady respiration.
1 began after a time to regain my
composure. l struggled to laugh down
my fears. What, / thought, had to
fear from man 1 had never seen
who had never seen me? The thing
was preposterous. l extracted paper
from my pocket and commenced to
read, L might have spoken to him, on.
ly imagined that man in his situa-
ton might have been embarrassed by
my French, which did not speak with
a good accent. Besides, there was
something in his immobility that re-
PEELED all approach.
Half an hour passed away. All at
once, over the top of my newspaper, /
saw him put his hand out of the win
dow as if to open the door. / had no
time TO conjecture his intentions, when,
with wild whistle, we were hurled
into the night of long tunnel
The rapid disappearance of the day
light made the oil lamp suspended in
the carriage emit but the dullest light
for some minutes.
L laid the newspaper down, with all
my old fears revived in me. 1 had
scarcely done so when / saw the figure
of man rise in thecarriage. He leaped
over to where / was seated | saw the
CLEAN Of knife in the air.
Mad with passion and surprise,
grasped the descending arm, A furious
determination to save my life inspired
me with the strength of giant. The
ferocity with which seized his wrist
forced the hand open. The knife fell;
and then commenced a silent furious
struggle.
He seized me by the collar and clung
with the tenacity Of a tiger. 1 heard
his swapping teeth, as if he We're endea-
voring to bite. We swayed from one
end of the carriage to the other. 1 felt
how weak ill-health had left me, and
prayed to pass out into light, that 1
might the better see how to encounter
the ruffian.
Suddenly found myself swung round
with tremendous energy. 1 bounded
against door which opened, and we
both fell out on to the line in the very
centre of the tunnel.
The fall seemed to have stunned him,
for he fell under me and remained for q
long time motionless. For myself, /
received an indescribable shock, such
as is experienced in collision; but L
retained my senses. L heard the roar
of the train dying away in the distance;
/ saw the red CLEAN fading like the eye
of a dying demon.
1 still clutched him by the throat nor
did dare relinquish it. My situation
was frightful. ! suspected that down
train would soon be passing, and in the
intense blackness of the tunnel, / could
not see on which line he had fallen. /
would have stretc he'd forth my hand to
erope for the rails; L might have found
a place in safety by judging of the dis
tance between them; but felt the form
of my assailant commence to writhe be.
meath me. His struggles grew tiercer
He endeavored to rise, but with the fu-
ry Of despair, / kept him pressed down
one hand on his throat and the other on
his breast What / desired was to rem
der him insensible. / would then leave
him in the darkne ess, and grope my
way as / could. ~
1t never occurred TO me at the time
that there was no need to make him in
sensible in order to elude him. The
darkness would have rendered my
presence invisible. But my mind was
hopelessly confused. l was breathing
sulphurous air, made thick and difficult
by its blackness. My only thought was
TO keep the ruflian down. l was only
capable, indeed, of the thought.
A few minutes had elapsed when /
heard a distant rumbling like ap.
preaching thunder. 1t increased. /
seemed to feel wind blowing against
my face. tasted, too, continual
draught of smoke and steam.
l knew that train was approaching,
and my hair lifted on my head. What
rails were we on? This suspense was
frightful.
My assailant increased his struggles.
He became furious. He was evidently
fighting to throw me down, and over in
the direction of that side of the tunnel
along which came the roar of the train.
/ saw his object and madly pressed him.
His body wreathed frantically. He
twisted under me as if he revolved on
pivot. He endeavored to shrek some
words to me, but my throttling grasp
made his voice no more than horrible
hoarseness.
i saw the red and green lights of the
engine approaching. They grew in size
and lustre with hideous rapidity.
There was a roar, a shower of dust, a
wind that struck me down like blow
from a strong mans fist. Then followed
the dying rattle, ending in dull and
sullen moan.
/ rose to my feet. l crossed over to
the wall, and feeling along it, took to
walking with all the speed my sinking
frame would allow me to put forth
How long walked know not. My
passage seemed interminable. The
damp of the wall, against which my
left hand pressed froze my blood. Now
and then stumbled over piles of rub
bish lying grouped against the side, and
sometimes my grouping was bewildered
by coming across recesseS into which
my hands guided me.
Al lpnOth | SAW "A Star. trpmulOua