Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-02-27

wore off as we argued out the respective
claims of Federals and Confederates. I
need not tell you that both my COM
panions had travelled great deal. I
never met an American who had not.
They had gone to the very extreme of
the line of rail which was then being
laid down from Moscow to the East.
They had slept with the workmen in the
open air, and snored away quite calmly
among a horde of semi-barbarians. OF
course one of them had been to Jerusa-
lem to see how they were getting along
with the excavations there We got on
well together, and were ON sufficiently
intimate terms at the end of the day to
agree to sleep in the same carriage.
The windows were doubles and only half
of the double window would open the
seats were thickly cushioned. The sun
had been shining in through the double
glass upon our unfortunate heads, so
that we were only too glad to solace our
selves with iced beer and execrable
claret at the few houses we saw. For
miles and miles we went on through for
ests, and without seeing a single house.
And then the evening came, and after
o14C ott11 IlttSI oCb bI1O oil SoOIu0u
as sultry as before. We dined together,
and adjourned to an end compartment
of another carriage. A lamp had been
lighted in it, and there was a curtain
which, when drawn over the lamp, rem
dered it almost dark. Soon after we
had left the station where we had dined,
sudden glare of light burst upon us,
we felt the train quickening its speed,
and IN q moment or two we were over
powered by suffocating smoke. We
closed the windows, and found the forest
on each side of us was in flames. Long
tongues of fire darted out here and there
and scorched the carriages. If I were
an adept at word painting I would at
tempt to describe the scene, but it was
far beyond anything I could make you
feel or understand A quarter of mile
or so of this, and we left the fire behind
us, only too thankful to have escaped
so easily.
And now we began to make our prep
arations for going to sleep. My two
fellow travellers were evidently old hands
at this sort of thing. They took off
their coats and folded them into pillows !;
their collars and ties were neatly pinned
to the wall of the carriage; slippers re-
placed their boots and after spreading
large handkerchief over their coats by
way of pillow case, and getting out
their travelling rugs, were ready for bed
In the netting over my head was small
carpet-bag belonging to the latter man
of the two, whom will call Douglas.
He and Brokes, his companion, lay
down on the seat opposite to me, thus
leaving me the other seat all to myself
Brokes with his head toward the win
dow and his face toward me I with nv
face turned toward him, so close that I
could almost have touched him. Doug
las lay on the opposite seat, with his
head next the window, and also facing
me. This prolix statement is necessary
to make you understand my story. I'm
der my head was an overcoat, in the
pocket of which reposed a six-barreled
revolver, an old travelling companion,
so that by merely putting my hand under
my head [ could place my finger ON the
trigger. However, scarcely feeling of
suspicion crossed my mind. Douglas
asked me if l objected to have the cur
tain drawn across the lamp. "Of
course not" This done, we could Just
see one another, but very indistinctly.
Then he lay down agnin, and there was
dead silence.
The train went on and on, not house
to be seen through the thick forests.
Suddenly a thought flashed upon me
+" What would be easier than to rob
man and throw him out of the window ?''
He would be in the forest, and soon the
wolves would find him out and disperse
all traces of him, eating his sealskin
waistcoat with as much relish as his
carcass" laughed to myself. Chow
absurd this is, said I. 81 have no
reason to suspect these men. True,
they have been whispering together,
and their rings are rather numerous.
But what a fool am [. I will 90 to
sleep at any rate / am tired enough"
l had hardly closed my eyes when, in
the stiffness, I heard sharp, quick
sound click. I held my breath and
listened, every nerve strained to the ut
most. "That sounds to me very like
the sound of a pistol being cooked. Alb
surd; n" one carries pistols now.
Americans, especially, always carry re-
volvers." Again, click. 'fThis is the
second time, thought. Still not
trace of any movement. The rug under
which Douglas was sleeping at the other
end of the carriage, and from which the
sound came, did not move. I felt noise
lessly for my six-shooter. Thank God
it was there. I grasped it, and laid my
finger on the trigger; and thinking of
the favorite plan of shooting man
through ones pocket t Turned the m1z
zle OF my trusty friend toward Douglas.
All this without speaking word.
He will have the first shot, at any
rate, thought I; but shall be able to
return it before he has fred a second
But alone with two men, who are doubt
less armed, shall have poor chance"
| cannot tell you the rapidity with which
the thoughts fitted through my mind
thoughts of sin unabsolved, strangely
intermingled with others of calm, I'M
plying hate toward my enemy. But I
remained silent. Once more a sharp
click T pcor1v frad Tbopt God r 111