Middletown transcript., 1881-08-05

Gagged bird against the bars of its prison,
her nostrils dilated with the labored
respiration, her eyes assumed the bril-
hancy and fire SO common to her race,
and her beautiful form stood proudly
erect, whilst her bosom heaved with
emotions SO painful and acute that she
flew like lightning from their futher
contemplation. But Jockson was pre-
pairing for the contest. If he failed, he
would be more than ever the despised
and rejected vagabond. If victory
crowned his struggle-alas there was
the apprehension I: like whitening
blast it fell upon her heart, and sick
ening phantom to her bewildered senses.
Gathering up the long, dark tresses of
her luXuriant hair, she disappeared from
the scene of this heroic trial and was
never seen afterward.
The hour for the decision of the fa-
nous contest had arrived. Everything
was in complete preparation the COM
mittees had placed their runners in po-
sition upon the stone with their flaming
torches in their hands. Two members
of the q" Mound" committee had reached
the C Corners, . for the purpose of wit
Messing, in behalf Of the "Mound''
party, the conclusion of the contest,
one member remaining at the starting
stone, whilst similar disposal of the
" Corners" committee was in progress.
Every man, woman and child in both
settlements was b1eathlessly, painfully,
almost, awaiting the laundering of the
voice which would proclaim the vic
tory. But few moments more of
acute suspense, when the signal to
start was given by the two committee
men at the stone, by the firing of gun.
Swift as grey-hounds, each runner
dashed from his post, and with the
celebrity Of the wind, approached the
train he sought to fire. Jockson seemed
rather to fly than run, and shouts of
the widest enthusiasm greeted him in
deafening outbursts from the whole as
semblage at the "Corners, F" as he leaped
along the course.
< Hurrah for Jockson ! the victory's
ours hip, hip, hurrah ~ beloved the
people. "She's yours, Jock, my boy,
the gals yours, sure as my name is
Dominic Friester, if you only'll do it, y
fairly yelled the excited landlord, in the
hearing of the whole assemblage. Only
once did Jockson cast his eye from the
object of his reaching, and that was,
rs, like an arrow he flew past the house
50 long barred against his ingress. A
single glance revealed to his keen pen
stration a well-known form perched |
upon the ridge-pole Of the dwelling, |
md waving in her hands silver VOLTS
skin he had once given her for coun-
erpane, the capture of which, in a reg
liar hand-to-hand fight, had cost him
luart Of his best blood and a pound or
70 Of pectoral and popliteal muscle.
Ills flight now became almost invisible.
The cries and shouts s." Hurrah for
Tockson ! Hurrah for Middletown ~
low became frantic, as he sprang to
lpply his blazing torch to the train and
hen flung it, wrapped and roaring in
lame, hundred yards beyond him.
The powdery train spurted out its starry
Of fire as the burning
tream hurried toward the magazine,
mid the wilder shouts of the settlers,
ntil when, within a few feet of its
destination, it suddenly disappeared,
the whole scene in worse than
Egyptian darkness. For a second of
ime only was heard the deafening, de-
pairing cry for fire, torches, and
Heaven knows what not 4; when, from
he very pinnacle of the grand old
primitive giant of the centuries, with
he speed of the lightning, shot a bolt
# fire like shooting star or meteor,
lown to the very throat of the wooden
Immediately there belched
orth from its yawning mouth volume
# flame that illumined the heavens for
niles around, accompanied by an explo-
'ion which shook, as with an earth
quake, the solid earth from the Della
ware to the Chesapeake. For one
moment the noisy crowd was staggered
md awed into profound silence by this
interpOsition, until similar
little subdued by the inter
7ening distance, reminded the dwellers
vt the I" Corners, " that theirs was the
yictory, and that Middletown was
;hristened in baptism of fire.
Old Dominic proved equal to his
word, for, said he, although an angel
II devil may have exploded the can
lOll3 COShoOh hOl1 1dOC |
ired the train, and will never go back
m my plighted promise. y The lovers
we're speedily spliced, and, as his old
in wandering had disap-
eared-no one knew whither-and
ONE new responsibilities and duties
egan to crowd upon him, Jockson
wisely abandoned his vagaries and
uietly settled down into the Benedic-
inc obligations and pursuits necessary
Or the support and maintenace of
amily.
Many years afterward, and when a
lrge bevy of younger Finks crowded
he paternal fireside, old Jockson set
bout clearing off the huge timber which
overed district now known as the
Levels. - Some of the trees were of
prodigious size. their SUBMITS hav- !.
lg been blown off by whirlwinds and
smpests leaving trunks hollow almost ,
} the earth, with wide-gaping openings
t the top. In taking down one of !
lese of an unusual magnitude, he dis