The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-04-05

tnere nad been nyunlnS DuI mere ner-
vous fancy in the apparition that had
before seen. saw the face again, peer
ing through the window of the carriage
outside Then 1 began to think that
my friend who sat on the other side of
the panel was perhaps not envinbly situ-
ated after all. There are shades attend
ant on shadows, it appears, and ghosts
have other spirits to haunt them. This
face that was glaring in upon the man
outside, had it any representative in the
world of sense Il could not tell; but as
soon as we had passed the lighted juno
tion I seated myself on the opposite side
of the carriage and put the window
down. At that moment there was vio-
lent concussion. 1 was thrown forward
against the opposite side Of the carriage,
and for some moments, although not I'M
conscious, did not know much of what
was going on about me.
When L came thoroughly to myself L
found that there had been an accident
on the line. The cutting through which
we were passing had given way, block
ing up the track, and the engine had
been thrown off. No one was seriously
hurt, fortunately; but it would be some
hours before the line was cleared su1fi-
| CiSullN IOI lIC lIulu W DIOCSSll. lut
passengers could walk back to the juno
ton and wait till the line was clear, or
they might sit still in the carriages that
had not left the line. For myself pre-
ferred to remain by the side of the rail
way and watch the operations for clear-
ing it.
By-and-bye the moon rose upon the
scene. We were in cutting of loose,
n @,, &c +ha ho, lie
was a fringe of trees, which, l found,
formed portion of wood of consider
able size. Several small trees had fallen
down with the sand that had slipped
from above. The land-slip had made a
gap in the bank, and there was a sloping
mass of debris between the top of it and
the level of the line. Three or four
plate layers were already busy at work
officials had telegraphed for lot of bal
lastmen, who would be down in half an
hour. The night was fine, and the moon,
as 1 have said, had already risen. The
dark firwood above looked mysteriously
inviting. L made my way up the slope
t of the bank, and found myself in the
= gloom of the wood. There was a foot
o path, ] saw, that led into the darkness.
g The pleasant calm below, the fresh fra
e GRANGE of the frs, the whisper of the
winds among their tops like the murmul
I of an agitated sea, the dim vistas on
: either side like the aisles of some dark
s ened minster-t these things led me along,
: and 1 followed the path into the recesses
, of the wood. 1t did not lead me far. In
e about half mile 1 suddenly came to an
D opening in the wood, and found that
S had reached the railroad at another
t point in fact, this was the main line
and the path formed q diagonal to the
t right angle produced by it and the
e branch along which the train had rur
S from the junction.
a AS l stood peering out from between
2 the stems of two young fir trees, looking
: up and down the line, became conscious
e that somebody WIS watching me from
] below. There was small signal box by
a the side of the line, which was not, as
, far as / could see, connected with the
S signal and from this box was pretty
: certain that L had seen a human head
: protruded and rapidly withdrawn
k Curiously enough, too, the glass window
, at the side of the box, which ought
e thought to look up or down the line
: looked sideways, so that anybody in tho
i box could watch the wood without being
o himself perceived. Now L felt con
vinced that somebody was watching IN,
n from this window. l determined to make
t certain. There was kind of track side
|, ways down the cutting, which was not ,
: deep one, and L lightly descended this tt
Il the level of the rails. 1t was darker her,
Y than in the wood even, for the moon haC
II not yet cleared the tree tops. l proceed
ed cautiously along, crossing the line 81
!, as to get on the blind side of the sigma
l box, and l had almost reached it wheI
I suddenly q figure sprang from the bo!
IS and 1 saw steel barrel gGsten in som,
IS stray ray of light.
: ".Who goes there ?" shouted a soldier
e voice right in my ear.
/! "a FRIEND" said calmly, although
If was little startled.
o My challenger had polieeman's laml
$ hung to his belt, the light Of which h,
J. turned full upon me.
G ~ beg your pardon, SIR" he said
g 81 didn't startle you, I hope?"
h "You did little" 1 said. 81 didn'
know that our railways were SO vel
It guarded. What's urregiment, sentry !?
It "Oh, I'm not exactly sentry" saiC
}; the man with a sort of laugh. And We
d he looked like soldier he had car
e bine in his hand, and wore militar,
b cap.
"What are you, then ?" asked
Il "Im warder of the convict prison.
n "Ah," said 1, "then you are looking
It out for somebody"
perhaps 1 am, sir" said the man
n reservedly.
# Gan right good night" said, ant
1 thought to myself: If you are, 1 hop
+ you won't catch him."
y For my own part l know of no NOR
e wretched fate than to be entombed il
one of our English convict prisons
G Their order, their science, scrupulou
e cleanliness, their inexorable system
: appal the soul far more than clankin
e chains and noisome dungeons L don
i know whether, after all, hadn't as 500
d be prisoner as warder. The prisone
must stay there; it is wonderful how
S mind that is at all healthy reconciles il
e self to the inevitable /; but to be wardel
s and know that you can get out at tn
e sacrifice of your bread and butter -
:, Indeed, gracious powers, should thin
that the temptation to dance jig dow
: the corridors and snap your fingers a
# the governors beard would after tim
+ become irresistible
!, Well, all this time I'm standing o
the line and a train is coming along.
G don't care to stand too close to one {
1 those lum bering avalanches, with
II ] ,vhiH nf tho e,,l,N hraoth nf tb