The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-05-25

81 on this road 'thout thestampa 7 on
with you, and no whining round me !!
I know my business and you know
yours. maybe. T Amy paggage9" I r
mo baggage," !" Tmuttered dolefully !;
but You can take my overcoat. I can
get money at Savannah" -,
Dang your old overcoat!" What
do you s'poss ! want with syour old
rags?" A s@ 80
Rags! Look here, there's not break
in this coat. Good as new" $ M
"Of with you, quickp'r ~ u
For beaven's 8 sake ~ i5E B
"shall kick you OFF,"
"I'm a athousand miles from home"s
Dang Sour home! OF with you, or
I'll sling you Off" 7.~a.. G
TRY 1t if you dare!"
Whop! thud! biff! diff! lick-to-
whack! spat! scuffle bangle! ko-
whim! thrash whoiiop! and out We
went together onto pile of Scrossties.
AS he clinched me struck him : heavy
blow in the face with, my-right fist,
while with my left hand ! pulled the
bell rope. Toot! tsot said the signal
whistle and off went the train.
Do you quite understand what I had
done? It's all very plain to me. I had
stolen a conductor. Let me be explicit.
To tell you the truth had just served
through the war In the Con federate ar.
my, and only twenty. y.one years old at
that. You know there was . conscrip.
tion law, and when | was eighteen I
had to go in. was assigned to duty in
Florida, and when the war ended ]
found myself suffering from a wound
and a thousand miles from home. l
staidin Florida till the winter '68, 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 mon
ey enough to pay my way home on the
cars, set out afoot. Not till had
walked hundred miles or more did
fully realize the difficulty OF my under.
taking. In consequence Of my wound
I had for q long time been In doors,
scarcely taking any exercise at all, and
now, although was well was tender
as woman. My feet swelled SO that
had to split my boots all to pieces, and
my legs got stiff aud sore. suffered
from lack of food, at times, for the coun.
try through which passed was thinly
settled, with people SO poor that the,
had nothing for me. Finally l reached
the railroad, and as 1t was my most di
rect route to Savannah, where hoped
to find some friends, followed it. Thi,
railroad passes through the. outlying
marshes aud cypress wastes of the grea
Oakefenokee swamp, and it was in thu
most dismal part Of that wild barrer
that happy idea entered my brain. 1
was that Of stealing ride. A freigh
train had just passed me going north
and / knew :hat in less than an hour
passenger train would follow. My plar
was 20 stand near the track and lea,
upon the rear platform Of the hinder
most car. did this without accident
and found myself, a moment after, whir
ling along very comfortably, seated o,
the platform steps. All! it was delic
ious to feel the cold night breeze FAN
ming my feverish face. Night air? Yes
it was near midnight, and the full moo,
was shining gloriously. How sweet,
I rested. How much pleasanter tba,
walking.
But luck did not favor me. My rid
was short one. / had not been seate,
more than two minutes when some
thing tapped me on the shoulder, look
ed up. "Tickets ?" said the man VIII
leant over me. ..
Got noEe." said I.
money them" said he.
"Got none." replied.
Then followed what Is chronicled a
the beginning Of this sketch. He ha
reached up and pulled the bell rope
bringing the train to stand.still.
did not think of stealing aim till tn
the very moment he clinched ME I
throw me from the platform. Then, al
ut once the resolve came. As hav
said. struck with one hand and pulle
the bell rope with the other. We had
short furious fight onthe platform. the
, rolled off onto pile Of cross-ties just a
) the train, in obedience to my sigma
rolled away. do not think the con
! ductor heard the engine whistle &
knew the cars had gone, so busy was u
trying to lick me. was too much fc
him, though had not tasted food ft
E three days past. suppose fever All
6 the fury of despair lent me strength, Il
5 / got him under me, there on the cross
ties. and thumped him till he bawle
for help. BY this time the train W,
| roaring but family in the distance.
!. let him up aud he gazed around.
= "Wh-where's my train ?" said he.
!. "Don't you hear it?" Iasked seatin
!: myself on a cross tie, In an almo
breathless state"
"What in thunder! Ding that engii
Ger! What on earth made him lea,
me? I'll redort him to-"
"Oh! don't get too tlustery," said
interrupting him, II gave the engine
the signal just rs you clinched me-"
Ibid you pull the rope bsll?''
Eyes, SIR"
Z 1.-THE nation you did What tor9''
- "Oh Just for fun IrerIiSi, acov