The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-02-07

forehead. In q half asleep, half foolish
manner, glance at the deadly instru-
ment, and wonder what it cost, and
whether it will shoot straight aud into
my brain should it be fired The effects
of some drug are still working upon me,
and as | come more to life, as it were, |
recognize the fumes of chloroform.
Two other black-visaged men are busily
sorting out my valuabes, and are throw
ing all dangerous bonds and papers into
one corner of the car, while they are
placing in bags the currency and notes.
The man watching me speaks, and says:
"No. /, he is coming to-" So. l comes
close and looks at me; he also is black
visaged, made so, I now see, by Grape
veil or mask Without speaking, he re-
turns to his work of sorting the money.
Having nothing else to do, look more
closely at myself. Small, thin, cords,
which cut deeply into my flesh, are tied
around my wrists and ankles, while others
tie me tightly to the hammock. l must,
indeed, have been far gone in sleep, and
deeply drugged, to have allowed this.
The robbers evidently mean me no harm,
but how can face the company after this
robbery? How account for the absence
of Joe, without his immediate dismissal ?
As for myself, it will be the old story.
The papers will say, was willing con-
federate, and submitted to being tied and
robbed shall be imprisoned, perhaps
for life. My poor wife and children will
be worse than fatherless.
No. |, who is hard at work yet with
his companion, opening the bundles and
sorting out their contents here for the
first time speaks. "We're nearing the
hog tunnel, No. g" he says, in light,
lisping voice. Even in my half stupor |
know that voice If it is whom l think
it is, his left arm is slightly crooked, the
palm of the hand turning nearly out
wards. As he moves into the light Of the
solitary lamp, to glance at some bonds, |
plainly see the turned hand; "Bill Lane"
| call, "won't you free my hands this
cord hurts me" With horrible oath he
springs forward: " You've sealed your
DOOM" he says you must die now" |
plead for life, for he has cast aside the
Grape and | see the devil in his eye. Bill
used to be on our run as messenger, but a
robbery occurred of which he was sus-
pected of assisting in, or at least Of al
lowing himself to be robbed, and was dis
charged.
But plead in vain The conspirators
confer among themselves for few mo-
ments, and then my hammock is un-
hooked and thrown upon the floor, and l
am rolled up in it, and into an incredibly
small place. The bundle is then tied up
tightly, and one of the robbers tries its
weight. l am slight of form, and he can
easily lift the bundle up, and throw it Eon
his shoulder. How can they get me from
the car? How they got in is as yet a
mystery to me. The doors are locked on
the outside, and could not be broken opeu
with the train at full speed from without
AS / lie upon the floor nearly suffocated
and in fearful pain from my cramped
position and the tightness Of the ropes,
Bill Kisses in my ear, We are going to
throw you over the Rocky Run"
Even death in the form of being cast
a living bundle from the cars into the
waters of the run, which we cross in a
short time at an immense height is pre-
ferable to the agony | am enduring. |
think prayed with my soul then. |
have prayed before going into battle,
when expecting to be wrecked at sea, and
at other times when my life was in danger,
but never prayed before | think with
all my soul Then there was chance Of
escape, here was none My senses quick
ened with the agony of the moments,
were wonderfully acute, or else | was al
ready in deirium. | thought l heard
voices at the forward ventilator. | thought
| heard him say Watch close and shoot
if there is danger" OF course it was
fancy, for the train was going at full
speed, and Ned must be at his post on
the engine.
Next ! heard cautious footsteps on the
roof of my car-probably, if anybody, it
was brakesman going over the car to
the engine for his lunch can, which was
there keeping hot. | lay still a few mo-
ments longer, then more footsteps are
plainly heard on the roof This time |
was sure there were two or three persons.
All, forgot, no doubt, they were confed-
crates watching outside, while the three
within did the plundering. All of sud
den the bell-pull overheard ratified as if
energetically pulled the engine whistled
brakes, and ! felt every brake on the
train was put down to purpose.
The robbers consulted for moment,
aud then one said, 1T is nothing, they