The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-04-17

DOOM he SAYS; "you must die now" i
pleaded for life, for he has cast aside the
crane and see the devil in his eye. BIN
used TO be on our run as messenger, put
robbery occurred of which he was sus-
pected OF assisting in, or At least oil allow
ing himself TO be robbed, and was ais
charged.
But plead in vain. The conspirato~s
confer among themselves for few mo-
ments, and then my hammock is un-
hooked and thrown upon the door and
am rolled upon IL, and into an Incredibly
small space. The bundle is then tied up
tightly, and one of the robbers tries its
weight am slight of form, and he can
easily lift the living bundle up, and
throw it on his shoulder. How can they
get me from the carsp How they got in
is as yet a mystery to me- The doors arc
locked on:the outside, and could not be
broken open with the train at full speed
from without. AS i lie upon the floor,
nearly suffocated and in fearful pain
from my cramped position and the tight.
ness of the ropes, Bill Kisses in my ear,
I" We are going to throw you over the
Rocky Run"
Even death in the form of Ibeing cast
living bundle from the cars into the wa.
tiers Of the run, which we cross in short
time at an immense height. is preferable
to the agony ! am enduring. / think ]
prayed with all my soul then. have
prayed before going into battle, when
expecting to be wrecked at Sea, 'and at
other times when my life was in danger,
but never prayed before, ] think, with
all my soul. Then there was q chance of
escape, here there was none. My senses
quickened with the agony of the mo.
ments, were wonderfully acute, or else
was already in delirium. l thought /
heard voices at the forward ventilator. ]
thought heard him say, Watch close
and fire if there is any danger" OF course
1t was fancy, for the train was going at
full speed, and Ned must be at his post
on the engine.
Next | heard cautious footsteps on the
roof OF my car; probably, if anybody, it
was brakeman going over the car TO
the engine for his lunch-can, which was
there keeping hot. / lay still praying a
few moments longer, then more foot
steps are plainly heard on the roof. This
time | was sure there were two or three
persons. All, l forgot, no doubt, they
were confederates watching outside,
while the three within did the plumber
ing All of q sudden the bell pull over
head ratified as if energetically pulled !;
the engine whistled brakes, and l felt
every brake on the train was beng put
down TO purpose.
The robbers consulted for moment,
and then one said, 1t is nothing; they
are stopping for a hot journal, perhaps"
Bill sprung to me and pressing the re-
volver hard against my body, Kissed, ''if
they call for you say all right" Before
could reply, rasping noise was heard,
followed by the report OF pistol, and
the fall of some heavy body across my
already overtaxed frame. tainted.
When l came to Ned was chatting my
hands, and half dozen men were rub.
bling my swollen and chafed limbs, while
brandy was being placed to my lips.
Ned was almost hysterical when / came
to, but the craziest of all was little Jack,
the wood-passer of the engine, who kept
shouting, ~ shot him, i shot him {"
till some one knocked him down TO
make him quiet.
Then it all came out. The robbers had
been concealed on the rear of my car,
and had watched me through the grating.
On my going to sleep slender stick,
with sponge soaked In chloroform at
one end, had been placed under my nose,
rousing me for a 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,
and then closed it behind them. Ned af-
ter while thought he would have
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 large one, and taking
in matters at a glance, he. had called lit
tie Jack to him, and handing his revolver,
had given him the message i had heard.
Then crossing the car he had obtained
the services of the conductor, brakemen
and some willing passengers, and having
surrounded as far as they could fast
moving car, he had pulled the bell and
so signalled to the fireman TO stop. Wien
Jack saw Bill point his revolver at me,
he thought he was going to shoot me, so
forcing the ventilating shutter open he
brought him down with a well-aimed
bullet, killing him instantly. We took
the other two TO town on our route,
where justice was done them. They got
thirty years free board. AS for Ned, the
express folks were veXed at first, but as
l had suffered so much and pleaded hard
for both him and myself, we kept our
old places and still do. Christmas day
/ spent in bed and also few days after
wards getting well, but they brought
my wife and family to me, and We didn't
fare so badly after all