The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-04-29

18IDuCKet OLatlOn, IepIleu my COM
panion.
"But Tarbucket is five miles from
Slingwheel."
eyes, and We have been nearly three
minutes on the road"
"Pretty COED speed"
eyes, but I am going to try it little
faster"
This conversation was held at the
very top of our voices, for no ordinary
sound could have been heard at the
rate At which we were going. The wind
seemed blowing q gale, although had
remarked, before we started, how very
unusually still the night was. My COM
panion now turned q small crank, with
a ratchet upon it, that was attached to
the machine just in front of him, and
sheet-lron cover rose toward us in q
slanting direction, so as to break the
force of the wind, already about as
strong as we could stand.
':Hold on your hair" he said, land
look out not to move about. l am go
ing to let her do her prettiest now"
With this he suddenly drew out some
thing like an organ stop and I realized,
for the first time in my life, how the in
habitants of q comet must feel when
under full Roadway. I had been able
to see occasional objects before at no
great distance from the road, and could
make out the horizon very well. But
now all was blank. Sky earth, woods,
| waterfall were u plain mass of gray in
distinctness. Directly my companion
looked at his watch, and putting his
n RI
effort to speak.
"We have probably passed Spearmint
Bridget" he shouted-''twenty miles in
eight minutesV
TIE words came very family to my
ear, and began to wish that I could
see something, if it was only to know
where we were; and how fast we had
really come. Ibegan to feel just little
nnGQmfortable-it seemed something
to be sitting there in that silence,
nothing and knowing nothing.
pt that we were liable to 60 out Of
7orld at any moment, at the rate of
ly two and q half miles minute!
lie these thJughts were passing
ugh my brain, I heard faint sound
asteam whistle, and almost 1T the
moment saw q flash of light,
arently under our wheels, and felt
yht jar.
am afraid we have run over some
;!"yelled my companion.
That do you think it ik?" shouted.
Probably a locomotives" he re-
lsked no more questions.
Jain saw him pulling out the lit
7ory knob had before noticed, and
lediately after I found my seat
ng out from under me. knew
our speed was increased, and
ped the handle with all my
myth. A strange humming noise &C.
caslona1ly attracted my attention and
puzzled me much, until I found that it
only came when l had my mouth open.
It was the wind playing into my mouth
AZ in the aperture Of q humming.to top,
and as it became louder and louder,
Judged that our rate was gradually aug
menting in swiftness. AS we progressed
it grew darker also, until I could but
lust make out the form of my Jehu
dimly looming up beside me. 1t was
Iquite impossible to make our voices
}. heard now, and Notwithstanding my
my situation was hardly pleasant one.
did not mind the gong much, but
thought that had good reason to fear
, the conse quences of sudden stop
page.
Once more the machinist's hand
sought the knob, and he raised himself
up little as if to look over the iron
cover or apron, where his hat, I IRE.
!, sumo, must have caught the wind and
I gone off, for saw him throw up his
! arm toward his head, and as the en-.
\ CINE darted forward everything became
, dark as pitch. I was terrified now in
3 good earnest. could stand the dark.
ness and the silence 80 long as I could
make out the form of my companion
but now I could see nothing, and my
: terror got the better of me. I put GU,
t my hand to press tho machinist's arm
l as signal for him to slacken, when
Q Judge Of my, feelings, he was not there
:: My hand slid along the seat to the
t further end without meeting anything
t and I comprehended that'he had failer
: overboord when he raised his arm t
e catch his hat!
This would have been q very shock
; ing occurrence, and Ishould have beer
z Mortified by the probability of the awfu
t nature of his death, had I not been &c
: much occupied with thoughts of my
, own-as now judged, no very remote
q event. Totally alone then, in thicl
darkness and utter silence, I sat anl
awaited my doom. I knew absolute
a 10 ,,ofh3ro If tho v,oo1,,o onororI; -