The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-07-01
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.

Nv was III the latter part OF NOYcinhcr,
in the year 1874, that ! found myself nj
sunset, on n Of the drcarlCst days ]
ever saw, waiting my cIrncca at Il little
Arkansas station for u scat in a coach,
which the telegraph OPP rntOr assured
me would start IN n couple OF hours Tor
the town Of G., my next destination.
sat in the operators little cagr,
beating n tattoo with my feet, and for
the first time in n week feeling utterly
faded and worn out.
The door, facing the dense and gloomy
forest outside, looked like ZONE yawn.
ing aperture 10 IL cavern, the oil lamp
inside seeming naturally to intensity
the inky blacknegs outside,
The operator, II weary, pale faced
man, gccIned glad Of my company, ~
he no doubt wns, poor old chap, and
delayed me with questions about the
busy world 10 which he wis attached
only through his instrument and an
occasional newspaper.
| n%Hccrtnincd TINT the concb generally
mado lta trip in an hour and Il half or
two hours.
| suggested the probability that,
,,n un a,oo ,n,,,II L, o,n,
" 10 ,,t%n" "' ~ n,,,
oht ua ",l'' ] ~"
hate the idea Of being whirIcd through
that dark woods with II fierce wind
twisting the branches together overhead,
and smashing the dry limbs and twiRs
with great noise, 1boOpcrntOr declared
y'",' ~ ~ "'p .T' m ~ "'"op 49,
~ "o"u "~"''"''"'"J ~, ".'"N,' W"
'nP'' no ~ "o"P'ny, ."'"bn' ~
'"l''''" ! """'" i"'1 ~ P'"'J mum ny
own way, h7 1HtIo ,''' NOV seem 10 US
any P'HSuoRcTH boHiue myself
ne walked d"wh inc pIntiorhl 10 tnc
btatlon room, ma came 5"ck WIN the
lnteIlIgchci uHit u was empty,
Just AT lhnC moment II man pushed
the door open and looked ~ the
glimpse hai 0l ma WnH noL rnIlvcn.
ing. lie was heavily wrapped, and his
NICE very nearly covered ny II thlck,
black beard.
The operator, busy at his table, had
not observed the intruder, AID ! made
no c1mmoht except IL yawn Of general
dissatisfaction.
There's IA house down the rond n
quarter OF II mile where You might stay
nll night wnlured the operator, list
lessly turning the pages Of the last
years almanac, not raising his eyes AT
all.
Mine wns not n suspicious nature,
ana YET o 40 heart IN hIe suggcs-
M"n' ana began to think all manner OF
th'ngS nbou, the man with the almanac,
a house down the rond
went TO the duor and looked out.
inc man b had looked IN on ~
ma nr'h hilllhB 0l the step formed by
Ihc threshold. ! was ruro IT wnB the
same.
lilo got up hastily md walked down
the platform not glrncIup bpck. oh
served thrn That h" wore II honyy cnput,
OAK lnd low hat.
TIE wInd lew " hurrIcon" mud tIIcr'
was not II star visible; ~ 10 Iond
could zee none, nor IN Gnct anything
but hbo"t twoIv" inches of the frosty
r",'b on "hIch mo operators lump hight
i'IL
oI"hc" tno h""f Hldd'hly ns II !
n"' ''''o" NI'n'n' ! G'linm' say 'hnt
II ""1 ny purpose '" %a'ch 'ho ma IN
Wv 'a""N, "u' ! cI"7'" inc door
oon ~ '',f ""'h on quo P'"'Ior''' OK
c'bn nndrr tho gfimy window.
ni"n came p'cN E"i'IS' ana !
n TI" a. w"A ''p,' '" IBn' a cigar
80" 'n"o" nt.'o "'u a P'lr OF Gl''''rInR
GG, y, m,,p,, '"' 'o'' VI me- was
u'''"hr'l,'" (
,latror wa'Hoa "n i" INC o''Aer S''e oil 'he
M rn;n h"nS ,,u
dropp, cb,ll,nr me- ,hn,ona6iy in t"66
minutes. won't h,cL ;nt"r H. n,nra'
tors room II" atm idien over tbc aIm".
Soon after there was the distant rum.
bling Of wheels, the irample Of horses
mournfnIly in tGo wind
"Tncrc's the ronrh " ,,iL .,, o,,rn
ior Sand U,II VII, h., ill.,"