Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-04-23

| to hold on Dy--tne macnlnlst puileu
string, and off we dashed, beginning
with jump OF some twenty feet, and II
slide of ten more, before the wheels got
to revolving. The lights Of the village
gradually Enlightened out into long rib.
Dons OF Il .mes, as we flew through the
suburbs, and by the time could catch
my breath, some similar ones appeared
gliding swiftly past.
"What lights are thost2" j asked.
"Taibucket Station" replied my COM
panion.
"But Tarbucket is five miles from
Slingwheel."
"Yes, and We have been nearly three
minutes on the road"
"Pretty COED speedl'
"Yes, but am going to tryit little
faster"
This conversation was held at the
very top OF our voices, for no ordinary
sound could have been heard at the
rate mt which we were going. The wind
seemed blowing gale, although ! had
remarked, before we started, how very
unusually still the night was. My com.
panion now turned small crank, with
a ratchet upon it, that was attached to
the machine just in front Of him, and
q sheetlron cover rose toward us IN
slantipg direction, 30 NJ to break the
force OF the wind, already about as
strong NJ we could stand.
"Hold on your hair" he said, "and
look out not To move about. | am go
ing to let her do her prettiest now"
With this he suddenly drew out some
thing like M organ stop and realized,
for the first time in my life, how the in.
habitants of u comet must feel when
under full Roadway. | had been able
to zee occasional objects before Mt no
great distance from the road, and could
make ont the horizon very well. But
now all was blank. Sky earth, woods,
waterfall were u plain mass OF gray In
dstinctncss Directly my companion
looked AT his watch, and putting his
mouth to my ear, made an immense
effort to speak.
1--WE have probably passed Spearmint
Bridget he shouted-"twenty miles in
eight mlnutesl
Tne words came very family to my
ear, and began to wish that could
see something, il IL was only to know
where wo were; and how fast we had
really come. began to feel just q little
uncomfortable-it seemed something
awful to be sitting there in that silence,
seeing nothing and knowing nothing,
except that we were liable to go out OF
the world Mt any moment, ut the rate of
nearly two and half miles minutel
While these tn lights were passing
through my brain, heard u faint sound
like steam whistle, and almost at the
same moment saw flash OF light,
apparently under our wheels, and felt
II slight jar.
81 am afraid we have run over some
thingw yelled my companion.
what do you think IL lsf' shouted.
"Probably locomoivel" he re-
piled.
| asked no more questions.
Again saw him pulling out tho lit
tie ivory knob had before noticed, and
Immediately after | found my seat
sliding out from under me. knew
that our speed was increased, and
grasped the handle with all my
strength. A strange humming noise oo.
casionally attracted my attention and
puzzled mo much, until found that it
only came when had my mouth open.
IL was tho wind playing into my mouth
~ in tho aperture of II humming.top,
and as IL became louder and louder, |
Judged that our rate WINS gradually aug
menting IN swiftness. AS we progressed
it grew darker also, until l could but
Just make out the form of my Jehu
dimly looming up beside mo. 1t was
quite impossible to make our voices
heard now, and Notwithstanding my
monomania for travelling, confess that
my situation was hardly II pleasant one.
| did not mind the gong much, but l
thought that had good reason To fear
the consequences Of sudden stop
page.
Once more the maohinists hand
sought the knob, and he raised himself
up Il littlo Ms If to look over the iron
cover or apron, where his hat, pre-.
sumo, must have caught the wind and
gone oil, for saw him throw up his
arm toward his head, and rs the en-.
CINE darted forward everything became
dark M pitch. was terrified now in
good earnest. | could stand the dark
1
ness and the silence 80 long as ! could
make out the form Of my companion,
but now could SEQ nothing, and my
terror got the better OF me, put out
my hand to press tho machinists arm,
IA a signal for him to slacken, when,
Judge of my feelings, ho was not therel
My hand slid along the seat to the
further end without meeting anything,
and comprehtnded that he Ind fallen
overboord when no raised his arm to
catch his hat
This would have been very shock.
ing occurrence. and lshould have been
Mortified by the probability Of the awful
nature of his death, had not been NO
much occupied with thoughts of my
own -as | now Judged, no very remote
event. Totally alone then, in thick
darkness and utter silence. i sat and
awaited my doom. knew absolute
~ nothing Of the modus operandi, Of
governing or regulating the engine, ex.
cept that to pull out the little knob in
creased the speed, and had no desire
to 20 faster. The wind, too, was be
coming insupportable, in spite Of the