Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-02-23

of form, and he can easily lift the
living bundle up and throw it on
his shoulder. How can they get
me trom the car? How they got
in is as yet mystery to me-
The doors are locked on the out.
side, and could not be broken
open with the train at full speed
from without. AS l lie upon the
floor, nearly sufocated and in fear.
full pain from my cramped posi-
tion and the tightness of the ropes,
Bill hissed in my ear. awe are
going to throw you over the
Rocky Run"
Even death in the form of be-
ing 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 preferable to
the agony | am enduring. L
think prayed with all my soul
then. l have prayed before 60
ing into battle, when expecting to
be wrecked at sea, and at other
times when my life is in danger,
but | never prayed before, l think
with all my soul. Then there
was chance of escape, here there
was none. Ny senses, quiekened |
with agony of the moment, were
wonderfully acute, or else l was
already in delirium. / thought l i
head voices at the forward venti-
lator. l thought l heard him say,
"Watch-close and shoot if there
is danger" OF course it was fam
cy, for the train was going at full
speed, and Ned must be at his
post on the engine.
Next l heard cautious footsteps
on the roof of the car-probably, if !
anybody, it was brakesman 60
ing over the car to the engine for
his lunch. can,- which was there
keeping hot. l lay still, praying
few moments longer, then more
footsteps are plainly heard on the
roof. This time | was sure there
were two or three persons. Ah,
| forgot, no doubt, they were con-
federates watching outside, while
the three within did the plunder-
ing. All. of sudden the bell
pull overhead ratified as if ener-
getically pulled F.; the engine whis-
tied brakes, brakes, and l felt eve
ry brake on the train was being
put down to.a purpose.
E The robbers consulted for a
moment, and thon one said, cit
is nothing, they are stopping for
hotjonrnal perhaps" Bill sprung
to me and pressing his revolver
hard against my body, Kissed, eff
they call for you, say all right.
Before l could reply, rasping
noise was heard, followed by the
the report of pistol and the fall
of a heavy body across my already
overtaxed frame. / tainted.
When I came to, Ned was
chatting my hands, and half a
dozen men were rubbing my swol-
len and chafed limbs, while brandy
was being placed on my lips
Ned was almost hysterical when
l came to, but the craziest of all
was little Jack, the wood passer
of the, engine, who kept shouting
II shot him, | shot him. till
some one knocked him down to
make him quit.
' Then it all came out. The
robbers had been concealed on
the rear of the car, and had
watched me going to sleep, slen-
der stick, with sponge soaked in
ehloroform at one end, had been
placed under my nose. rouslng me
for moment, but to send me into
a deeper sleep. Then with fine
saw portion of the end of the
car had been removed, through |
which they crept. Ned after a
while thought he would have a
look at me, so crawling over his
engine he essayed to open the
ventilated shutter and peep
through. Finding it fast, he
looked through the bell-rope hole,
which happened to be a large one,
and taking in matters at a glance,
he had called little Jack to him,
and handing his revolver had CIV!
en- him the message | had heard.
Then closing the car he had OBJ
tained the services of the conduc-
tor, brakesman and some willing
passengers, and having surrounded
as far as they could a fast moving
car, be had pulled the bell and SO
signaled the fireman to stop
When Jack saw Bill point his re-
volver at me, he thought he was
| going to shoot me, SO forcing the
ventilatiDg shutter open, he
brought him down with well
o;p,od huIIot Lillipo him instant.