St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-13

doing. l could not get the thought OF it,
even now, out of my mind. till certain
growing apprehension overpowered it.
1t was here that, for the first time, | be-
gan somehow or other to have some vague
apprehension of the sanity or honesty OF
my driver. Then came thr0nging into my
| brain stories had heard years ago in Paris
of celebrated and dangerous gang of
thieves who had for their accOmplices many
of the drivers of the night fiacres. These
| fellows drove whatever passengers they
could procure into obscure streets, and
there robbed and sometimes murdered
| them. Was to be the victim of such a
! scheme?-and if | was what hope had L,
alone and unarmed. To escape at such an
! hour, too. and on such night?
Now was the time to resist, however be
! fore it was too late. Ny resolution was
! prompt l struck at the window as loudly
! as could without breaking the glass;
kicked at the panels of the door; shouted.
! Suddenly. with a tremendous jolt on the
| curb, the cab stopped. AS the door opened
! | cried: Let me out. you rascal; I'll not
| be robbed" | stepped forward to get out,
! but was met by fierce blow on the chest
from the ca0man, whose eyes now literally
glared with rage.
That's enough of your mad tricks Bed
lam Billy" he said, as he thrust me back
violently into the cab, you want a straight
yeStcut. you do. and you shall have One;"
then. slamming the door with wrench that
showed extraordinary strength, he leaped
on the box and drove away again with a
fury that send me Keeling into corner of
the seat.
Hitherto had dreamed only of robbery;
now l was sure that the man who drove ME
was mad-Stark, staring mad. He was
going to drive HE into some river, or down
some pit, or in some way or other to hurry
himself and me to a horrible death. There
he was now. standing up to drive leaning
forward to lash on the eager horse that,
frOthing with pain. leaped up at every blow
of the mans whip. L do not know why l
did not instantly break both front windows
and pull the man off the box. or force open
the door and throw myself out, or, breaking
all the glass, shout to every one through the
openings that the man who was driving me
had gone mad.
On we flew, on-the horse leaping and
plunging as if it would have broken from
the harness. We dashed down streets
whose random lamps seemed to race past
Us; we tore down lanes where houses were
yet but few. except at the beginning. Now
the wheels graZed against post. and now
against a garden wall; but still the mad
man who drove me seemed somehow or
other to struggle through all dangers and
drive on more frantically than before.
Once we dashed through a turnpike.
Some voices screamed after us, and my
driver screamed to them in return, but what
they said or what he said, could not dis
tingulsh.
What could l do? What use was it to
threaten a maniac with violence. with blows
of the fist man who perhaps imagined
himself hunted with devils or escaping
from his wOuld-be murdererS? His crazy
suspicious had already, doubtless, associated
me with some Old prosecutor or Supernatu-
raj enemy of his. How could reason
with him-hOw could | soothe such fears?
Would he not leap at once at my throat
like a wildcat and tear my very life out?
We were now racing up long side street.
where. in the distance, to my horror |
could just discern through the pale light of
the first daybreak ayawning pit dug for the
foundations of new houses. There was no
railing on the one side, and the road was
mere deep-rutted lane, without limit or
boundary.
saw at once that our fate was newt
able; it came ere could in any manner eX-
horse near the deepest place gave a plunge
and reel, then dropped, spite of the re-
doubled flashing of the frantic driver-yes,
fell, dragging the carriage with it into
what seemed to me in that imperfect light,
and in that whirl of my senses chasm OF
darkness, at the bottom of which crOuched
hideOus Death waiting for his prey. There
was crash, cry. and l fell stunned.
l know not how long | lay insensible;
but when l recovered it was daybreak.
faint red light was stripping the Eastern
sky. and | could see surrounding objects,
though in a dim, uncertain way. l was
lying beside the fallen coach and
its dead horse; the driver l could no
where see. My first impulse was to
rouse myself. totter on my legs and dis
cover where was hurt. or if any bone was
broken. TO my great delight l found my
self whole and SOUND with the exception of
a slight sprain in my right foot at least. so
| thought at first; but as L put down my
hand to touch my injured foot heavy red
cIotted drop of blood fell upon it. | lifted
my hand to my forehead. ana found there
a deep cut. from which the blood was ooz-
ing thickly. l instantly took ont my
handkerchief and bound it tightly round the
wound, so as, if possible, to Staunch the
DlOOu III SONllu SNb ASSISTANCE Oue
where was |. and where was the driver?
Thank God" | cried aloud, THAT am at
last rid of that madmanI' l looked round
to see what sort of place the wretch had
enSnared me intO.
1t was an unfinished suburban street, with
raw brick skeletons of houses, stretching
their fTail dreary walls up into the misty
morning air. Some were Gagged in with
scaffOld poles, others had great heaps of
mortar still piled up in front of them. I'm
finished iron ratings, doors daubed like
clowns faces, with patches Of red; windows
with white circles in their paneS. gatewayS
with gaping pits where steps were to be.
everywhere met my eye. In front of ME on
a dead wall Alpha Terrace" the name OF
this future paradise, was written in staring
whitewash letters. The only sound could
hear far or near was the restless twitter of
the Weakening Sparrows. L touched the
horse; he was dead. cold, and already stiffen-
ing. The coach lay on its side, rising like a
wall before me at the bottom of a new-dug
foundation. some twelve feet from the road
way. 1t was wonderful how | had escaped.
But the wretched maniac who would
have taken my life, was he lying crushed
beneath the cab? l must rouse myself and
see if could find any trace of him. though
QOuOlleSS he UclleNeu HE ucdu. IL uilHuTG
he had fled. bowling and exnlting, to meet
with that certain detection he had not cum
ming enough to escape; if injured, he had
crawled away to obtain help.
As these thoughts passed through my
mind l stepped painfully over the dead
horse and again eXclaiming: THANK God.
he is gone!" walked round to the other
side of the cab, which hitherto had been
hidden from me.
Good heavens! what did 1 see? My
enemy the madman, sitting down betwee Ell
the upturned wheels, with his back against