The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-04-22

That may all be very WE'LL" l an
sweTed I" but suffer me to tell you tina
your excuse only makes me more reso
lutte to leave this place for of wha
value is q mans life is a distric
abOunding with spOrtsmen who cal
mistake a hat for a crow 81
y train left for Paris at 2.35. 1t was
an express, and l found it to be due a
eight o'clock. l dispatched my port.
manteau by a porter to the station, anC
having twenty minutes before me, sal
down to slight repast of cold fowl -
UilJ ord BIirC. The position of my ia
BILE enabled me. tO.get view of the
street. As the porter strobe away with
my luggage, / observed a man cross
the road aud accost him. In reply to
what was ObviOusly,,a question, the
porter, with the gesticulati0ns OF a
Frenchman, pointed with his thumb Ia
the hotel, and vigorously nodded his
the pavement, .came on until he was
opposite the hotel, caught sight of me
through the window, and abruptly
turning on his heel, walked of. in tbs
direction taken by the porter.
thought nothing of this. The man,
l conjectured, probably wanted the
JOB L had given to the porter. He was
a common looking fellow, dressed in
leather gaiters, a blouse, Il .ilOuched
cap, and belt. There was nothing
/ singular in his face. He was dark,
with a black beard and moustache. He
was familiar type of the middle aged
/ peasant of Southern France.
Having discharged my bill, walked
: TO thS railway station. On the plat
/ form rhCre was much tumuIt, train
from Paris having arrived. But upOu
/ the platform, against which stood the
/ train that was to bear me to the North,
/ / counted ,Only five people, exclusive
/ of pOTterS.
But ] had little time for observations
/ The train would leave in three minutes
! | saw my portmanteau slowed away
/ III the luggage VaE, procured myself Il
I first-class ticket, and took my seat.
/ The shTill whistle of the guard sound
/ Ell. The engine gave snort, and the
+ line of carriages clankcd to their chains
as they tightened to the train. Sud
/ denly several voices cried, Stop, stop
Now, then. quick. Which clasS-first:
Let's see your ticket. Right. Here
YOU ure-jump in!' The door of my
carriage was opened, Il form bounded
in, the door was slammed, there was
another shrill whistle, and of went tie
train.
looked at my companion. He was
the man whom | had noticed speak to
.
of JUy hotel.
\ thrill passed over me. My recent
escape had greatly shakcd my nervous
system; and the apparitiOn of the man
whom | felt l ought to suspect, sent q
chill through my blood. As a peasant,
which he WaS-nOt expressed only in
dress but in his hands, which were dir
ty, rough and hOrny-what did he do
in a first-claSs carriage? would have
given something to have exchanged
carriages. But there was II" cOmmu-
micatiOn with the guard. Moreover,
the train, as ] have told you, was an
express, and did not stop until Il run Of
sixty miles had been accomplished
We We're now bowling away with great
rapidity.
The man sat screwed up in Il corner
away from me, imm0Vable. He APP
peaTed to be looking through the win
dow at the country as it WhiTled by
but 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 haY&
been conscisu fmy scrutiny, he never
turned his ey upon me. His lips, /
saw, were tig compressed, and he
breathed slow but deeply through
his nose, the N is of which dilated
to the steady res ton.
I began after lie to regain my
composure. l strC to laugh down
my fears. What, u ught, had l to
fear from man had Never seen-who
had never seen me? The thing was
preDOsterOus. | extracted a paper
from my pocket and commenced to
read. | might have spoken to him,
only I imagined that man in his sit
uation might have been embarrassed at
I ls,1 L !,
god accent. Besides, there was
sOmethmg that repealed all approach
in his immObility.
Half an hour passed away. All at
once, over the edge of my newspaper,
/ saw him put his hand out of the win
dow, as y to open the door. ] had no
time to conjecture his intention, when,
with a screaming whistle, we We're
hurled into the night'of long tun-
mel.
The rapid disappearance of daylight
made the oil lamp suspended i'll the
carriage emit but the dullest light for
some minutes.
| laid the newspaper down with all
NV old fears revived in me- | had
scarcely done 50 when | saw the out
line of a man rise ia the carriage. He
leaned over to me where ] was seated.
| saw the gleam of knife i'm tie air.
Mad with passion and surprise, !
grasped the descending arm. y furi
Gus determination to save my life in
sDired me with the strength of Il giant.
The ferocity with which ] seized the
wrist forced the hand open. Tie
knife fell; and then COMMENCED Il 81
lent, furious struggle.
He seized me by the collar and ciunG
with the tenacity OF a tiger. - heard
him swapping his teeth as if he were
endeaVOring To bite. We sMaycd from
one end of the carriage to the other. ]
felt how weak i'll health had left me,
and prayed To pass out into the light,
that | might the better sec how to en-
counter the rutfian.
Suddenly felt myself swung around
with tremendous energy. | bounded
against a dor which opened, and we
fell on the lines in the Very centre of
the tunnel.
The fall seemed To have stunned him
for he fell under me and remained there
for time motionless. For myself /
received an indeScribable shock, such
as is experienced in collision; but |
retained my senses. | heard the roar
/ of the train dying away in the distance.
/ saw the red gleam fading in the dis
( tance. l saw the red gleam fading like
/ the eye ola dying demon.
! still clutehed him 10y the throat, nor
did dare relinquish it. My situation
was irightfui. 4 suspected that Il down
train would soon be passing, and in the
intense blackneSS OF the tunnel | could
not see on which line we had fallen.
+, [ would have stretched forth my hand
to grope for the rails; / might have
found Il place OF safety by Judging OF
the distance between them; but | felt
the form of my assailant commencing
to writhe beneath me. His struggles
grew fiercer He endeaV0Ied to rise,
but with the fury of despair l kept him
pressed down, one hand on his throat,
Ihn nl llnL ~ Lis l.ra.i.t Mnnt | do