Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-07-23

oil etc, and Il was close upon 10
o'clock before orr labor was ended. 2s
The wagon 5numb had been enter
ed. the goods regis stored On tho way
bills. and every thing remained in read
mess for our long and, dreary ride. Il.
Directly I had satisfied myself that.
the coast was absolutely clear I made a
tour Of inspection, SO as to decide upon
q final line OF action. The foreman
suggested Ishould get into an empty:
sack, previously perforated for the pur-
pose Of breathing, and allow myself to
be laid, sans ceremonie, on the top Of
the packed-up wool. In this, however.
! saw much danger to my life, because
/ could not tell when or. where or in
what manner might he hurled from
my sperilous position. 7. .j 5s'..'sN. +
mo, Mr.. Cranestick," said I to that
worthy, "a much better plan will be to
secure as comfortable a hiding-place as
possible between and among the bags.
It is now quite dark, and while / am
preparing my nest in there I will be-
obliged to you, Mr.. Cranestick, if you
will be good enough to supply me with
some sandwiches for the journey. 1
viii leave the. truck-door little ajar.
Thrust the parcel between, Bring 20
light. Speak not a word. but leave me
again as quickly and quietly as you
can" ; s..
With these ,njunctions my assistant
went away. J.
Not more than ten minutes. elapsed
before / had the satisfaction of feeling
a friendly hand cropping mine, and 1
knew twas the faithful foreman re-
turned. Another instant, and l felt
was secure and alone. =
With determined perseverance I
tugged at the bag nearest the slx-foot
entrance to the truck, until I had
formed a comparatively comfortable
cavity, large enough to admit of my
lying more than half-length quite con-
cealed in one corner Of the wagon.
On, on we went the huge engine
snorting and putting laboriously along,
while the minutes, that wore away
seemed hours to me, and the hours
days.
l cannot tell how long we had been
travelling. but think it was close upon
2 in the morning when heard the rain
patttering heavily on the roof above
me, and at intervals q low rumblng
sound, as of thunder. Then, as the
advanced, the storm became
more intense, and l could not repress
feeling of ungovernable dread that came
over me. My thoughts were of the
sperm oil and the chances of it being
struck by the electric fluid. Nor were
my fears without foundation.
One great crash of thunder came and
shook the train like a leaf in the storm,
and then, great heaven! a lurid flame
shot up against the black sky. I saw
the glare through the crevices of the
carriage door, and was just scrambling
from my hiding place, with the object of
raising an alarm, when the engine slack
ened and, to my great relief, came to
dead halt
Cautiously dropped down che side of
the truck, willing, if need be, to lend
helping hand, even at the risk of expos
ing well-matured scheme.
Great was my Joy, however, the mo-
ment my feet reached the ground, and
before could run up to the fire, to find
it was confined to one small cask of oil.
This the guard and fireman, assisted by
the driver, soon dislodged from its fell
lows by means of a long pole, and l had
the satisfaction of seeing it roll its fiery
flight down the steep embankment into
what sounded like deep ravine below.
Then the darkness became darker,
and, under its cover, sought my hid
ing place again. had escaped detec-
tion--a circumstance which owed it's
existence more to good fortune than
good management.
We made another start. and rs soon
as the morning hours advanced the
fury of the storm gradually passed
away, and could hear nothing now
but the monotonous rumble of the
wheels.
I was beginning to think that after
ali mine would prove fruitless expedi-
ton, when I became sensible OF slack
ening of the engine, as if it was mount
ing a steep ascent.
Slower, still slower, until the train
stood still.
At that moment lifted my head for
ward and perceived the first faint dawn
of the day peering from the eastern
sky.
There was just enough light, indeed,
to show below a wooden hut at the en-
trance of tunnel, whose heights were
crowned by very steep and jagged rock.
Something in the way, SURELY l
muttered to myself as l resumed my
now cosy corner of the wagon. Barely
was I settled there, however, before
the doG" that was farthest from me-
was opened, and two men climbed on
the piled-up wood.
''Look, alive. Harry said one Of
them, whom recognized as the guard.
1--WE are twenty minutes behind time.
had an accident on the road. There,