The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-04-07

meetings and meets distinguished for
eignerS at Dover, and is fed with the
finest coke and supplied with per.
| filmed waters! This, at all events, is
ole Of tile lower orders and yet it is
not q good train that it is drawing; it il
n train Of empty trucks crowded with
men. All, yes, it is the ballast train,
bearing gaug OF men to clear the line,
and that is signal to me to make my
way through tlle wood once more, or
else may be Lett behind.
And yet somehow l didn't like plung-
ing into the wood; it seemed so dark and
lonely. 1t was far safer, however, than
walking along the line, where I might
be knocked down unawarcs By strange
engine. At that moment remembered
the face Ind seen in tho window Of the
carriage outside. For the first time it
struck mc that the two points where tho
foot path impinged on the line were the
places ut which the phantom face had mp
peared. 1t almost seemed rs If it were
some ghostly creature that haunted the
wood. I felt momentIry tremor nt the
thought. Ny nerves were little
shaken, and this harmless pine wood was
to mo rs some baneful enclosure from
which I could not escapc. That WIS
folly, Of course; few minutes would
bring mo safely to the spot where the
train stood. 1 did run, rs my blood be-
gan to chill. But midway in tho wood l
was stopped.
Right in my path. staring Mt mo with
tlistended eyes, was tho specter face.
The moonlight broke through m open.
ing i'll the forest, and there it waited for
me.
perceived nothing but the face at the
moment, but it belonged to iigurc-a
pale, gray figure. / was not exactly
frightened, but little awe struck. At
moments such rs these it isn't the rea-
soning faculties that are occupied, but
the inherited fantasies, the influence OF
traditional superstition. I remembered
that spirit must be spoken to before he
would speak.
"Who are you, and what do you de-
sirc?" cried.
"Keep your distance" muttered n
voice, "or I'll drive my knife Into you" :"
AL in moment tue explanation Of the
affair flashed into my mind. This wus
10 phantom, but m escaped convict.
"My friend, said. I auI no police
man; 1 nm harmless traveller. Let me
pass; I'll not betray you."
"How Gull bc sure Of that y sud the
figure, in II deep, husky voice.
The situation, l feared, was one OF i'm
minent peril. For was not far from the
laud slip. l could hear tie mems spades
at work, could hear their vOiccs. Should
I shout for help? No, not TINT. l
thought of the man standing on watch
with his loaded carbine, and the figure
looked so haggard and miserable TINT I
felt sorry for him aud felt inclined to
help him. And yet he might attemptto
cut my tllroNt.
"I'll give you my word I won't betray
you," l sail. "Put your knife away; l
don't like the look Of it.
! swell, I'll trust you, said the man,
looking at mo keCnIy for moment.
after nll, it doesn't much matter. I'm
tired Of this work. God knows, and You
can get the reward il yG please"
"rhank you, I'm not thief taker," "
I [ said. for I didn't like the mau's tone,
"Who was it said The word Of thief to
me? ?" lie cried fiercely.
az beg your pardon" | replied
quietly. ~ ought to have said 'mur-
derer,' I suppose?'
= "Bv iapers, there's some one that will
say that of me before long ii ye rouse
, moto desperation, said the man. "Conr,
pass on, whoever ye are"
"NCw, look here" l said, "if you're
not either thief or murderer, I'll
help You. I Isupposc 1 oughtn't to have
offered this. I daro say my duty, strict.
! " defined, is to assist the officers Of the
law to recapturc convicts; but my sym.
pRtllies are always for the mice against
tho cats. possibly because I'm something
in tho w,ly of n mouse myself, and know
the fierce touch OF Grimalkin's claws"
! "You'li help me!' cried the man,
scizing mo by tho hand-it wasn't Gelo-
uious kind Of grasp either. "You'ro Il
good fellow; but how? Look you here, y
he said, taking mo by the arm; "Ivo
been out OF yondcr pandcmonium for
I Lhrcc days, and MI that timc I have not
tasted food or drink except the acorns
I've picked up from the ground under
| tue oak yonder, and the rlindrops that
I've Sucked from tho leaves. / hal II
burrow. mark you- one TINT Ind been
made for NC befOrchlnd-and that l
crept into when the huo and cry was first
raised; but it's all in ruins now; the
earth hns slipped md buried it up cn-
tirely. And they know I'm in the wood,
and ut every fifty yards round it there's
man with tirclock; but I'd not mind
them il Id the strength to run when I
got out, but I haven't. l cnn hardly
crawl. thought 10 get away last night,
and risked my liio by jumping on the
train rs it passed; but there wNs no
empty carriage I could creep into, and
the train was running into the station,
md I jumped of. And then tried
again at the other end OF the footpNth by
my hole in the ground, but missed my
footing and fell backwards Just rs I Ind
reached q carriage, and but that tho train
was going slow, I'd have been killed.
The night was dark, by good luck, autl
nobody detected Inc, anIl l crnwlel back
to my hole and lay there all this day,
and when night came on again | thought
I'd try once more. You SEQ tho mems
eyes arc off the wood for q minute when
the train comes past. Well, I did II to.
night; I jumped Fnfc and clean on the
footboartl, and found mn empty carriage,
crept in aud hid myself under sent.
could hear tho pcclcrs iubbering to one
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