The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-02-24

four of the worst characters in the town,
led by John Martin, entered the room.
Before l could speak two threw NE back
III my chair, one held revolver to my
head, and John Martin spoke:
Mr.. Hill was here to tell you to stop
the up-train. You will not aend tina!
message. Listen. The rock is there to
stop the train-put there for that pur-
pose, There is fifty thousand in gold in
the train. Dou you underestimate"
''You would risk all the lives in the
train to rob it 2" I cried, horror struck.
"Exactlyl' was the cool reply. 'One
fifth is yours if you keep back the mes
sage. The money has been watched all
the way along
I saw the whole diabolical scheme at
once. II the train came, It would be
| thrown off at the embankment aad easily
| plundered by the villains who would lie
in wait there.
sCome," Martin said, 'swill you join
| us?''
"Then we must force you. Tie him
fast 20
I trembled for Alice. Ii only my life
were at stake, could have borne it bet
| ter.
But even if we were both murdered, I
could not take the blood of the passen-
gers in the train on my head. Not a
sound came from the little room as I
was tied hand and foot to my chair,
bound so securely that could not move
1t was proposed to gag me, but finally
concluded that my cries, if made any,
could not be heard, and a handkerchief
was bound over my mouth.
The door of the wash-room was closed
and locked, Alice still undiscovered
then the light was blown out, and the
ruffians left me, locking the door after
them.
There was long silence. Outside I
could hear the step of one of the men
| pacing up and down, watching rubbed
my head against the wall behind me,
and succeeded in getting the handher-
chief off my mouth, to fall around my
neck.
I had scarcely succeeded in this when
there was tap on the inner door.
Robert !" Alice said.
eyes, love speak low there is man
under my window"
care you alone in the room ?''
eyes, dear"
81 am going to Postville. There is no
man under my window, and I can get
ont there. I have six long roller-towels
here, knotted together, and have cut
/ NY white skirts into wide strips to join
| them. The rope made so reaches near
| ly to the ground. shall fasten it to the
doorknob and let myself down. It will
not take long to reach home, saddle Sc
| linn and reach Postville in time. Don't
fear for me. When you hear hen cack-
ling under my window, you'll know I'm
safely on the ground"
| Little Alice Ny heart throbbed
heavily as I heard her heroic proposal,
| but dared not stop her.
tHeaven bless and protect you," L
said, and listened for her signal. Soon
| the cackling noise told me the first step
of her perilous undertaking was taken.
It was dark, cloudy and threatening
storm, and, as nearly as I could guess,
close upon nine O'Clock She had to go
six miles, and [ could only wait and
pray. [ was too much stunned even yet
to realize the heroism of this timid wo-
| man, starting alone upon the dark ride,
through wild country with storm
threatening.
Nine o'clock AS the bell of the
church-clock ceased to strike, rumble,
flash told me thunderstorm was COM
ing rapidly. Oh, the long, long minutes
of the next hour
Ten o'clock. The rain falling in tor
rents, the thunder peaing, lightning
flashing! Alice was so afraid of light
ming Often I had held Ter, white as
death, trembling, almost fainting, in such
storm as this. Had she feared to start,
with the storm in prospect, or was she
lying somewhere on the wild road, over
come by terror, or perhaps stricken by
lightning.
Eleven o'clock. The storm was over
though still the night was inky black
no sound to cheer me, none to make the
hideous suspense more endurable. A
host of possibilities, like frightful night
mares, chased one another through my
tortured mind.
Would the next hour never pass.
Once the clock told midnight, all was
safe.
I was drenched with perspiration
wrung from me one hour, chilled with
horror the next. No words can describe
the misery of waiting as the minutes
| dragged slowly along. Iu the dead 81
| lence far-off sound struck thrill of
| horror to my heart, far exceeding even
the previous agony. Far, far away,
faint whistle came through the night
air. Nearer and nearer, then the dis
tant rumble of the train growing more
and more distinct.
The midnight up train was coming
swiftly, surely, to certain destruction
Where was my wife Had the villains
intercepted her at the cottage? ? Was she
lying dead somewhere UPON the wild
road Her heroism was OF no avail, but
! xaS ber life cavad . Tn tb., aoopv of thet