Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-01-21
UNDER THE SEAT.


Smoking car, sir ?" asked the polit,
porter, as he bore my rugs and mino
packages along the platform. 1 sait
yes, and he made me comfortable, ant
received his dime. Then the guarC
came to look after my well-being, bu
got nothing more than innocent graft
tude, which was perhaps all he desired
j have no doubt that 1 did him inius
tice in attributing his efforts to induc,
a fat old gentleman with a cough.
lean old gentleman who was snuffy, ant
a middle aged gentleman enveloped il
wraps, the lower part of whose face wa,
covered up like female Turks, al
evident window-thutter-to enter In,
car IN order to spite me.
Duty to his employers alone mad.
him endeavor to fill up but the anxiet,
4 to get as much room as possible for my
money was strong within me, and stirred
uncharitable suspicious.
You may lead horse to the water ol
an anti-nicotinian old gentleman to {
smoking-car. but you can't make hin
get in and when each in turn put his
head into my compartment, he jibbed
for some late occupants of it had beer
cigar, not pipe-smokers, and it was
rather strong. So 1 was apparently
left alOne-aione with all the comic
weeklies, and modern poem.
! The doors were banged to, the engine
whistled, the train began to move. II
would not stop again till We got to
Peterborough-so that / was safe to be
undisturbed so far. There were several
seats, and could occupy as many Of
them as limited number of members
permitted. / almost wished myself an
Octopus, to take full advantage of the
situation. Calming down, L hung ur
my hat. put on gaudy piece of needle.
work won in bazaar rattle, lit my pipe,
cut my papers, and began to enjoy my.
self.
! sat in the left-hand corner, with my
back to the engine, absorbed in a big
lawsuit. 1t is great fun to read q
cross-examination, and watch how q
clever lawyer will make an honest man
perjure himself. at reads almost like
a crime" l remarked aloud, "but then
it is an honorable, lawful, and beneficial
crime. Soldiers kill peoples bodies,
lawyers kill peoples reputations-all
for the good of society in the long run. u
While was uttering the word run, ii
my ankles were grasped suddenly and
firmly; then, before could recover
from the shock, they were jerked back
ward under the seat with such force
that I was thrown forward sprawling. ]
tried to rise, but my right wrist was
seized, and the arm twisted till l was
helpless, and presently 1 found myself
on the floor of the car, face downward,
a sharp knee being scientifically pressed
into the small of my back, both arms
fixed behind me. My elbows were tied
together, and then the knee was re.
moved, and my ankles were secured.
During the latter operation l kicked
and struggled.
"Humr' said a deliberate voice,
''that will be awkward. Let's see ali,
these will dor
These were my sticks and umbrella,
which some one proceeded to apply
as splints to the backs of my legs,
using the straps which had kept them
in bundle to fix them at the ankle and
above the knee. When he had done, l
was as helpless as trussed turkey.
Then l was turned over carefully and
tenderly, and for the first time saw my
assailant.
He was gentlemanly-looking man,
well dressed In black coat and waist
coat, gray trowsers, and neckcloth. His
hair and whiskers were just turning
grizzly, his chin and upper-lip were
clean shaved. His forehead was high,
his eyes prominent and fixed in their
expression, his nose aquiline, his mouth
slit. He was of middle height, spare
but wiry; indeed, his muscles must
have been unexceptionally elastic and
feline - for you would never have
thought, to look at him, that he could
stow himself away under the seat of a
railway car so completely.
He contemplated me with his chin in
his right hand, and his right elbow on
his left hand, and said thoughtfully ::
"Just SO. All for the good of society
in the long run-an admirable senti-
ment, my dear sir let it be a consola-
tion to you if should cause you any
little annoyance.
He took a shagreen spectacle case
from his pocket, wiped the glasses care
fully with silk handkerchief, and ad-
justed them on his nose. Then he
produced an oblong box, which he un-
locked, and placed on one of the seats.
After which he sat down quickly in the
place I had occupied a few minutes
before, a position which brought him
close over my head and chest, as L lay
supiuely and helpless at his feet.
"Do you know anything of anatomy?"
he asked. 1 was as completely in his
power as q witness in the cross-examin-
ing counsel's, and prudence dictated
that should be eqally ready to answer
the most frivolous and impertinent
questions with politeness. I said that
/ did not.
"Ah !" said he, "well, perhaps You
have heard of the spleen? Exactly.
Now, science hes never as yet been able
to find out the use of that organ, and
the man who bequeaths that knowledge
to posterity, would rank with the dis
coverer of the circulation of the blood,
and confer an inestimable benefit on
humanity for the remainder of the
worlds lease. I propose to dissect
you"
"You will not get much glory by
that" said, forcing myself to seem to
take this outrageous practical joke IN
good part. "An ungrateful generation
may or may not profit by your discov-
cries, but it will infallibly hang you.
"Not So" he bluntly replied. 81 am
a surgeon, who once had very consid-
erable practice, but l had to stand my
trial for an experiment. which proved
fatal, on one of my patients. The Jury,
unable to understand the sacrifices
which an earnest inquirer is ever ready
to offer at the shrine of science de-
clared me mad, and 1 was placed in
confinement. You see that l can act
with impunity."
And he opened the box. ] broke out
in cold sweat Was it all real? Could
the man be in earnest? but" said l,
sssurely you can get dead bodies to dis