Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-05-21

We knew that it would be useless to offer
any resistance, and more than useless to APP
peal to the mercy of these lawless men, and
we resolved to trust our lives to God, and
make a bold attempt at escape. We had
not breath-space to lose. for the ku-klux
were already advancing down the sides of
the train, keenly peering on every side, lest
some of their human booty should manage to
evade the vigilance of their designs.
Clair, follow me-" whispered; and led
| the way into close growth Of bushes that
| skrted Tie railway. We crept along rs
silently as possible through this may COW
ert; and it almost seemed, however unlike
| ly, that we should escape unnoticed. But
suddenly st. Clair tripped over u long stick
that had locked itself between his legs, and
fell breaking the dry branch, and swaying
the tops of the bushes violently. A pistol
bullet grazed my hand, and cut off the twig
by which was supporting myself At the
same time shout told us that we were dis
covered. lhurriedly assisted my companion
to rise, and we plunged desperately into the
swamp that lay beyond our covert, with u
faint hope that our pursuers might become
discouraged by the labyrinth of trees, and
return to assist their confederates in ri1ing
the other passengers and their baggage.
But the cunning outlaws knew better than to
let any persons capable of informing the au-
thorities escape, if it was in their power to
recapture them.
So close our fierce pursuers followed on
our track, that we could even hear, now and
| then, a stick crack beneath their feet, or
strong branch fly back against some one in
the rear. Every muscle was strung to its
farthest tension by the excitement of the
chase, and each sensitive nerve seemed
thrilling it's little strength into our quivering
limbs. Over hump and tree-trunk, bog and
brook, we tore our painting way, and yet the
deadly foe in the rear kept gaining and gain
ing upon us. ST. Clair was longer. winded
than 1, and gradually forged ahead. could
see the great drops of sweat on his brow, rs
he turned for n moment to urge me on faster
while my own body fairly reeked with the
mingled perspiration of fear and exertlon
And all this while the Ku-Klux kept almost
entirely silent. Not shout nor shot broke
the stiffness of the chase; and we could
|
pursuers were. and on what threads of fate
our lives hung. If we were captured-what
thenP We must expect immediate death for
our temerity; immediate and dreadful; and
this thought spurred us on and on long after
our strength was on the ebb.
| have no distinct recollection of the inn
pressions / received while running that race
for lite, only that dull dread, ghosty de-
preston, filled my confused thoughts with
painfully slow apparitions OF death. did
not think; l seemed to dream waking
dream, in which the figures OF fancy brushed
against me with lingering and cold forms,
and passed on to dethrone reason. Never
have experienced such an ordeal Of mental
and physical agony us during the one long
hour while the chase lasted l do not know
how many of the Ku-Klux continued to pur-
sue us after our entrance into the swamp
but their silent perseverance struck such deep
terror into our hearts, that had there been bu
one believe we should have pressed or
MS desperately as we did.
The bullet wound which had received in
the hand panied me exceedingly. SO that I
even began to tell upon my strength. Blu
st. Clair kept urging my failing steps, though
his own powers of endurance were well-nigh
spent. We might have been compelled t.
surrender ourselves to our pursuers. had moi
most unlocked for occurrence interposeC
to save our lives. We came suddenly upor
n deep, almost black stream of water, across
which single decayed log was thrown, evi
IDENTIFY untrodden for years. st. Clair ven
tured upon it first, lie was the heavier, ant
tho rotten bridge crumbled and sagget
alarmingy beneath his feet. However, h
crossed safely, and it now came my turn t
attempt the dangerous feat. | say danger
Gus, because we well knew that to fall int
that deadly stream was never to touch dry
land again, for the soft banks gave warning
evidence that its bed was nothing moro thar
the thinnest of quicksand, and that foo
caught in its terrible grasp would sink 81
quickly that it could never be Withdrawn
You can imagine, therefore, how carefully
stepped across the decayed log, and how
nerved for spring were all my powers l
the treacherous footing should begin to give
way. Just as l neared the opposite bank
felt the rotten fbers of the log parting. ST
Clair saw my danger, and, reaching forward
stretched out his hand to me. l made 1
desperate leap, and just caught it as thu
broken fragm ents Of my bridge splashed int
the dark stream. As it was, st. Clair onl.
kept me from sinking in the soft bank by {
strong effort. We foundered out of tho mud
rs best we could, and continued our flight
more hopefully now, for we conjectured tina
there was no crossing within considerable
distance other than that We had destroyed
We had scarcely gone dozen rods into
the forest again before we heard the CURSE
of our bailled pursuers, rs they saw thu
wreck of the old log half immersed IN th'
black water, and knew that their victim
had escaped. Several pistol shots were fired
at random into the labyrinth Of trees through
which we had begun to continue our flight
but none OF them took any effect, for WI
were protected by great, bare tree-trunk
> that had been dead, probably, for century
As soon as the voices of the Ku-Klul
ceased to be heard we resumed our way, an,
entered just at sunset a grass-grown by-way
fastening along this for about mile. W
struck travelled road, down which W
could dmly see, in the deepening twilight
the outlines of farm buildings. A few rod
further on we came to the owners house
, and there craved a nights lodging, ofierin
1 money in return. The kind-hearted iamil
| toolr a.. 4. ,nd iistanad vida mOuihad IN th