The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-02-28

starting indeed, especially II you have
reason to suspect him of bad inten-
tons.
And now, with my finger pressed
firmly upon the trigger, but without any
attempt TO leap 10 my feet, ms 1 had first
thought of doing, | watched him. He
looked hard nj me. | did not move, and
then | saw him take out something
which glittered in the moonlight. 1t was
key. And then he leaned over me.
Then said l. with n feeling of rage at
my heart ''What on earth are you do
ing %
He was so startled that he almost fell
backward. The sudden movement near
ly made me fire and then he answered /:
:" | am only going to take something out
of my bag.
This bag, as l told you, was in the
netting over my head hence he was
obliged TO lean over me To reach 1t. |
said very bad-temperedly: "Take it
down, then. He muttered TO himself,
and got the bag down. He little thought
that there was only hairs breadth be-
tween him and death. If he could have
looked through my rug, he would have
seen the muzzle of my revolver pointed
ut his heart.
He turned aside, keeping nm eye on
me all the while, and took something
from his bag. What it was l could not
see. Then he went back and lay down,
and all was still. What was it he had
taken from his bag? l could not sleep /;
| dared not turn my back to them both.
They lay so quietly, without n sound of
breathing, that / was sure they were not
asleep. At length, by way of Fastening
matters, pretended to sleep L breathed
heavily | do not know whether | did
not give snore. However, nothing
happened. l grew more and more
sleepy: | was worn out, i'll rs | was,
with the fatigues of my long journey.
Soon, however, the train stopped. This
was the only station mt which we should
pause for the next six or seven hours. /
got strong cup of coffee and returned.
| was determined not to change into an
other carriage | was determined to
conquer these foolish feelings, no
doubt created by the wretched state of
my nerves.
L opened the door of my compartment
and paused for moment near to the
seat where Douglas was lying. That
moment, as / afterwards found, nearly
cost me my life. With voice like
thunder, Douglas leaped to his feet and
asked me what l was doing.
With inexpressible politeness, / an
swered that | had been into the station
/ wondered if he wished to pick quar-
rel with me.
He did not reply, except by Il sllrly
grumble. / went and lay down as be-
fore /; | could not keep awake. At last,
giving myself up to my fate, / turned my
face to the wall of the carriage, and with
my revolver in my hand, went off into
IA sound sleep. The next morning came.
Went into the station and performed
our additions together. And then, all
looking very tired, and very thankful
that day had come, we gradually began
to talk with civility to one another.
Douglas asked me what kind of n
night | had passed.
1 laughed and said Z" Not a very
good one.
For my part, said he, q did not
sleep wink the whole night.
At last, the whole reason of these
alarms came out. The night before,
when we were getting ready for bed, he
had noticed the butt of my revolver
sticking out of my pocket This aroused
his suspicious. He began, as | had
done, TO think over what might happen.
He thought of me mt Baden-Baden with
his bank notes, and of himself lying ont
in the woods, and of the affection those
wolves wodld have for a full-sized Amer
lean and SO his nerves were shaky,
Just as mine had been. His suspicious
had asked what the noise was when he
was winding up his watch.
AZ last he could not rest, and going
very gently and with great caution, lest
he should arouse the slumbering hon
with his revolver, ne unlocked his bag,
and drew ont formidable siX-shooter
also. He knew of the plan of shooting
without exposing ones weapon to sight,
and expected, he said, to feel my bullet
every moment as he stood exposed, with
his arms raised to the netting over my
head. Then, when | came in from the
station he was suddenly aroused from Il
doze, and it was with the greatest diff
Guilty for moment that he refrained
from firing. Had either of us given way
to our first impulse we should probably
have gone on firing our six barrels ut
one another until one of us could fire no
longer. and then the other would have
had to pop the body through the win
dow, and say no more about 1t, and
whether confessing the fact or not, have
run good chance of being sent OFF to
the mines of Siberia without any ques-
tons being asked. After a mutual eX-
plosion of laughter we became excellent
friends, and travelled together in much
harmony to Berlin.
The moral draw from this adventure
is, word and blow, but the word first
| Chambers Journal.