The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-03-15


ing. He now recollected that when he
lifted the bag he heard strange rat
tie inside it, and the sound was repeated
when he was putting it under the seat.
Trifing as this circumstance was, 1t
helped to increase his uneasiness.
Whether his adventure had fiurried his
nerves, or his state of health rendered
him liable to morbid fears, it is certain
that he soon became firmly convinced
that the prize for which he had risked
his liberty was an Internal machine
which might blow him to atoms at any
moment.
The facetious fellow-passenger, re-
marking Bills perturbation, which
plainly showed itself in his pale face,
good asked If he was i'll, and
offered to put the window down. This
friendly interference caused Bill to col
lect his scattered wits and to reflect
seriously what he had better do. His
impulse was to seize the bag and hurlit
into the darkness. But he was re-
strained from doing this, partly from
fear of the consequences and partly
from lingering hope that his booty
might be really valuable after all. If
an explosion resulted from the bag be-
ing dropped into the tunnel, he would
be Immediately apprehended as the au-
thor of the outrage. On the other
hand. some fienctsh machinery might
be at work inside the bag at that very
moment, which rendered his hesita-
ton almost suicidal.
This last reflection brought on a sort
of frenzied desperation which impelled
him to take immediate action. He felt
he could not sit still another moment
and risk being blown up, even on the
chance of his booty proving valuable.
He resolved to get out at the next sta
ton, and leave the bag to its fate.
After all, he whispered to himself, it
was more than probable that, even if
the contents of the bag turned out to be
innocuous, they would not compensate
him for the risk the possession of the
bag would involve.
Bill did not stop to reflect that his
last argument was rather of the ''sour
grapes" order, nor did it occur to him
that he was, perhaps, imperiling the
lives of his fellow passengers by leaving
the bag behind him. His only anxiety
was to get away from it, and, conse-
quently, on reaching the next station,
which was Victoria, he suddenly jumped
up and got out of the train; but, before
he had time to make good his escape,
he was hailed from behind by several
voices, including the guard, who came
and touched him on the shoulder.
Hi! You've left your baggage"
said the official, CURLY.
Bill turned round involuntarily, and
beheld his facetious fellow-passenger
standing in the doorway of the carriage
he had just left, holding the fatal bag
in one hand and gesticulating violently
with the other. 1t was trying mo-
ment, for, while Bill shrank from lay
ing finger on the bag, he did not
know how to avoid doing SO. To re-
pudiate all knowledge of it would at
once arouse suspicious which would
lead to unpleasant disclosures, mas
much as several persons had seen it in
his possession. A wild idea of seeking
safety in flight crossed his mind for an
instant. but on looking round, he per-
ceived that several of the passengers in
the train and nearly all the people on
the platform, including the porters and
guards. were staring at him. This
publicity was too much for Bill Smiley's
modesty, and he fastened to put an
end to the scene by claiming his prop
erty. He walked up to the railway
carriage and received the bag from his
late fellow-passenger, who remarked:
"Young man, if it hadn't been for
me you would have had to dine at
Marlborough House in your second best
suit. which would have been a PITY"
Bill thought this was the most CHASTITY
joke he had ever heard in his life; but
he did not say so. In fact, he was too
agitated to speak at all, for directly
the bag was put into his hands he again
heard the ominous rattle inside it. He
thought he should have dropped it, so
frightened was he by the sound. But
all the while he was conscious that
good many people were looking at him,
which was new source OF danger,
for, as we know, he had the strongest
reason for not obtruding himself too
much upon the public gaze. 80
He therefore made his way as quick
ly as possible through the crowd and
up the staircase. Once in the street, he
imagined he would have no difficulty
in disposing OF the bag. Meanwhile.
however, every time he moved the rat
Ting sound inside it sent a thrill
through his nerves, and he almost gave
himself up for lost. So cruel was his
suspense that an explosion would have
been almost a relief, if it had left him
in condition to realize his sensations.
At length he reached the street, but
under the first lamp-post stood q po-
liceman, who eyed him very suspicious
~ as he approached. Perhaps he knew
Bill by sight, or guessed from some
subtle indication that the bag was not
in its proper ownership. Bill would
have handed over the bag with his most
fervent blessing. if that would have sat
isfied the official; but, of course, it
would have been sheer folly to do 90.
The very nature of the contents Of the
bag might get him into serious diff
culties. There was nothing for it but
to assume an air of bravado, and swag-
ger past as though he had q perfectly