Mower County transcript., 1871-07-06

coherent and meaningless. Now and ther
he would dance, aid clap his ha,ds witt
Il tiendish joy, then settle quietly dow1
again to his sulen muttcrings.
"The rate of speed at which we were
moving was absolutely frighttul-not less
| should think, than mile mnu,e-anc
I feared every instant the crash would
send me, mailman, engine, everything
whirling to perditiou.
GAS each moment my faculties grew
stronger, began to realize, in all its force,
the horror of my situation. What if he
should discover in me signs Of returning
life? He would, without doubt. throw
me from the train, or dash my brains out
Meanwhile, wh,re was the conductor:
Perhaps he had been left behind at IL
The brakesman could not some Of them
come to ryscusc me? Had not our wild
speed, our neglect of the usual stoppages,
told those ON the train that something was
certainly wrong? And why, then, did
they not come to sec what 1t was? Surely
an end must soon come of this horrible
affair, IN some way or another.
"Heavens! OF a sudden l remembered
a circumstance, the thought of which
chilled me to the very bones, and well
might make me cry out in cxpostulation
and terror to the terrible being before me.
We were rapidly approaching P
bridge, spanning the awful chasm through
which, far below, the T river leaps
and plunges, in three succt ssive falls, to
the quiet level Of the valley below. | had
in my pocket at that moment copy of a
telegraphic order from the Division Su-
prrintendent, stating that the westward
bound track on the bridge would that
morning be taken mp for repairs, and di-
recting all trains to switch of on ap-
preaching the spot, and cross on the east
ward bound track.
"In a moml Mt all the horror Of the i'm
pending disaster broke upon me. Should
this maniac persist in his mad purpose
only ten minutes longer, he and l, and all
of us, would he precipitattd headlong
downward through the air, crashing
through the timbcrs, cars and eng gine with
us, to be dashed to atoms upon the pitt
less, jagged rocks below Oh, how
prayed in chat moment for forgiveness for
all the wickedness of the past With
what unspcakable tenderness I recalled
the parting words of those dear ones
whom might never see again, and how I
inwardly asked God to watch over them
after l was gone. wond. red whether
they would ever find US, or know the real
cause of the catastrophe. Eagerly
watched the familiar landmarks fitting by,
as on, on, ON, we dashed, faster and faster,
toward the death and destruction which
now seemed all but inevitable.
81 heard a cry Of wild Joy from my
companion, rs, gliding like lightning
around a curve, the valley, and, in tho dis.
tance, the massive bridge, were first dis
closed 10 his view.
" Now! now! he shouted Here we
are come, at last! Science, and intinity
and all the unknown, are mine, mine
mine, f,rcv1r! He betrayed me, did he? :?
and he died like dog! la! h.! ha!
"a nd he 'ianced and screamed with a
horrid zcst. which mocking my anE uish
and terror, only made me more desperate.
tri"d to movr-a p'ng of agony shot
through every nerve, and muscle, and
fibre in my body. sunk lnwa again. in
for death to come and end it all!
ck-whiz-whiz-a scream
"a shOut-anO' her crack-.not!er WIIiZ!
| opened my eyes once more. The nadman
had fallen upon his knees, and with the
expression Of a demon incarnatc upon his
lttCt', Ills tWo UdTCu HflnS StrcLCncu apOVC
his head, his powerful form writhing in
horrible contortion, was gnashing his
teeth, while his eyes prorudcd from their
sockets, foam OfZtd from his lips, and
stream Of blood, ever 50 small, trickled
down his shit front.
"'Come! come come quick]y!' I called
out, as loudly as could; but my feeble
voice was drowned in the clatt.:r, and l
saw the monster, weak and wounded as
he was, turn and crawl upon his knees to-
ward me.
"'Come! for Gods sake, come!'
but by that time his clutches
were upon my throat, and I looked up
ward to the clear blue morning sky above
us, to feel my breath growing slower and
slower, as the cruel grip grew tighter and
tighter upon me.
"The coarse, talon like grip relaxed ola
sudden, the din grew less and less, and the
shrek Of the whistle for down
brakes sounded in my ears like the voice
Of a messenger from God, calling me back
to life, and loved ones, and all that was
dear. felt myself lifted up like a child
in two pairs Of stout, friendly arms. I
heard sobs, and shouts Of joy, and the
Of many feet about me, and
voice whispered lovingly in my ear:
"SAvED!