River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-12-23

trace his arm down towards nv head,
and see that it is a revolver, which is
touching my forehead. In halt leepy,
half-foolish manner, | glance at the lead.
ly instrument, and wonder what it cost,
and wonder if it will shoot straight into
my brain should it be fired. The effects
of some drug are still working on me, and
as come more to life, as it were, Irecog.
nlze the fumes Of chloroform.
Two other black.visaged men are busy
sorting out my valuabes, and throwing
dangerous bonds AMI papers into one
corner of the ear, while they are placing
in bags the currency and notes. The
man watching me speaks, and says mo.
l., he is come to-" No. comes close
and looks at me he also is back.visaged,
made so, | now see, by a Grape veil or
mask. Without speaking, he returns to
his work of sorting the money. Having
nothing else to do, look more closely to
myself. Small thin cords, which cut
deeply Into my flesh, and tied around my
wrists and ankles, while others tie me
more tightly to the hammock. must,
indeed been far gone in sleep and deeply
drugged to have allowed this. The rob.
bers evidently mean me no harm, but
how can face the company after this
robbery! How account for the absence
Of Joe, without bringing about his imme-
date dismissal As for myself, il will
be the old story. The papers will say |
was willing confederate, and submitted
to be tied and robbed. | shall be i'm.
prisoned, perhaps for life. Nv poor wife
and children will be worse than father
less.
No. /, who is hard at work with his
companion, opening the bundles and sort
ing out their contents, here for the first
time speaks: eve are nearing the hog
tunnel, No. 2, he says, in light lsping
voice. Even in my half stupor knew
that voice. fit is whom think it is,
his left arm is slightly crooked, the
palm Of the hand turning nearly out
wards. As he moves into the light of
the solitary lamp to glance at some
bonds | plainly see the turned hand.
"Bill Lane" | call, ''won't you free my
handsi this cord hurts me-" With
horrible oath he springs forward:
You've sealed your DOOM" he SAYS:
''you must die now" pleaded for life,
for he had cast ash lie the Grape and | see
the devil in his eye. Bill used TO be on our
run as messenger, but robbery occurred
of which he was suspected of assisting in,
or at least of allowing himself to be rob.
bed, and was discharged.
But plead in vain. The conspirators
confer among themselves for few mo-
ments, and then my hammock is I'M
hooked and thrown upon the
floor and am.rolled upon it, and into an
incredibly small space. The bundle is
then tied up tightly, and one Of the rob-
bers 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 cars
How they got in is as yet mystery to
me. The doors are locked on the out.
side, and could not be broken open with
the train at full speed from without. As
lie upon the floor, nearly suffocated and
in fearful pain from my cramped position
and the tightness of the ropes, Bill Kisses
in my ear, "We ale going to throw you
over the Rocky Run"
Even death in the form Of being cast
living bundle from the cars into the
run, which we cross in q 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 chance of escape. here
there was none. My senses quickened
with the agony of the moments, were
wonderfully acute, or else / was already
in delirinrn i Thought | heard unicnS 81