Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-07-07
Tie Leisure Hour.
STE.ELI.VG - CO.vDTCTOR.

"No money What in thunder did you
get on for? How'd you expect to travel on
this road 'thout the stamps? on with you,
and no whining round me! / know my
business and you know yours, maybe.
| Any baggage ?"
"No baggage" | muttcred dolefully /;
"but you can take my ovcrcoat, can get
the money at Savannah"
"Dang your old overcoat! What YOU
s'pose l want with your old rags?"
| rags! Look here, there's not break
in this coat. Good as new"
"oG with you, quiclr r.
''For heavens saker
"Shall kick you OFF,"
"I'm thousand miles from home"
"Dang your home OF with you, or I'll
| sling you off,
CRY ii If you dare!'
Whop! thud binl din! lick to- -whack (!
| spat! scuflle-a- bangle! kowhm thrash (!
whollop! and out we went together onto a
pile of cross-ties As he clnched me
struck him heavy blow in the face with
my right fist, while with my left hand
pulled the bell-rope. loot! tootl said the
signal whistle and or went the train.
Do you quite understand what | had
done? It's all very plain to me. had
stolen conductor. Let me be explicit.
To tell you the truth | had Just served
through the war iu the Confederate army,
and only twenty-onc years old at that.
You know there was Il conscription Jaw,
and when | was eighteen had to 20 in. |
was assigned to duty in Florida, and when
the war ended | found myself suffering
from wound and thousand miles from
home. | staid in Florida till the winter of
'6s, when, finding myself well again, and
seeing no earthly chance of ever finding
any employment in that distracted State
which would enable me to lay up money
enough to pay my way home on the cars,
set out afoot. Not till had walked a hun
dred miles or more, did fully realize the
difficulty of my undertaking. In conse-
quence of my wound / had for a long time
been in doors, scarcely taking any exer-
else a; all, and now, although was well, |
was tender as a woman. NY feet swelled
so that l had to split my boots all to pieces,
and my legs got stiff and sore. / suffered
from lack of food, too, at times, for the
| country through which | passed was thin
ly settled, with people so poor that they
had nothing for me. Finally | reached the
railroad, and as it was my most direct
route to Savannah, where | hoped to meet
some friends, | followed it. This railroad
passes through the outlying marshes and
| cypress wastes of the great Oakefenokee
| swamp, and il was in the most dismal part
that wild barren that happy idea entered
| my brain. 1t was that of stealing a ride
| A freight train had just passed me going
north, and | knew that in less than an hour
n passenger train would follow. My plan
was to stand near the track and leap upon
| the platform of the hindcrmost car. did
| this without accident and found myself, a
moment after whirling along very COM
fortably, seated ON the platform steps. All!
| ii was delicious to feel the cool night breeze
tanning my leverish lacc Night air? Yes,
ii was near midnight, and he full moon
was shining gloriously. How sweety
rested. How much pleasanter than walk
| ing.
But luck did not favor me. My ride was
a short one | had not been seated mora
me on the shoulder ! looked up. Click
cts T. said the man who leaned over me.
"Got none" said l.
"Money them said he.
"Got nome" ! replied.
Then followed what is chronicled at the
beginning of this sketch. He had reached
up and pulled the bell-rope bringing the
| train TO q stand still. | did not think of
| stealing him I'LL the very moment he
clinched me to throw me from the plat
form. Then, all at once, the resolve came.
| As ! have said, struck with one hand and
pulled the rope with the other. We had a
short, furious fight ON the platform. then
| rolled oil on to a pile of croSs-ties lust as
the train, in obedience to my signal rolled
away, do not think the conductor heard
the engine whistle or knew the cars had
gone, so busy was he trying to lick me-
was too much for him, though | had not
tasted food for three days past. | suppose
fever and the fury Of despair lent mt
strength, for | got him under me, there OF
the cross-tes, and thumped him till h,
bawlod for help. by this time the trar
was roaring but family in the distance.
let him up and he gazed around.
"Wh-wheros my train9" said he.
"Don't you hear it?' | asked, seating
myself on cross-tie, in an almost breath
less state.
"What in thundori Ding bat engineer
What on earth made him leave me? II
report him to-
"Oh don't get too bustery," said in
terruptng him, 81 gave the engineer TIN
signal just as you clinched me-"
"Did you pull the bel-rope2'
"Yes, sir.'
"Tho nation you did What lor?"
ooh Just for fun" replied, scowling a