The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-07-24
I LAY PHOSPHATE,

alarm, the blade snapped OIL short,
leaving the useless handle clutched in
my grasp
I now became thoroughly desperate.
I reproached myself again and, again
for not having been wise enough to cut
off the shoe. But it was too late now,
for the broken blade, even if could
have used that, was away down in a
reach it.
l called wildly for help
''Youcan't getout youcan't getout!"
said a commissioning voice.
started up. Bah! it was only frog.
"Youcan't getout, youcan't youcan't,
youcan't!" croaked the sympathetic
creature.
This was depressing. ''Fool, fool,
fool, fool!" hooted an owl from the
wooded hill behind. And the frog SUBJ
sided.
Again and again my agonized voice
rent the dark with screams for help.
No one came or answered, and at last.
hoarse and exhausted, I sank down in
despair.
All became still again, save for the
drumming of the telegraph wires over
head, which to my startled imagination
seemed like the sound of spirit voices
warning ME of doom. For, some time
lay there in sort of stupor when
'Bo-loomvs
reused up again. ''Bo-loomv' It
was striking twelve from the clock in
the tower. Then for the first time the
full terror of my situation impressed
itself fully upon me, and chilled with
fear. Each stroke sounding out with
relentless precision seemed to even
hasten the time when the fast express
would sweep round that curve, rush past
and away, and leave me there mail med
and bleeding, to die, no doubt, alone
before the dawn.
Despair gave me mightier strength
than hope, but unguided by reason.
Again put forth almost superhuman
efforts to escape. My foot was badly
sprained, but I felt no pain. I was
frantic with fear, and writhed in the
dust like demented creature.
o! it was dreadful to be held there
without any hope of rescue, fancying !
heard the horrible crunching of the iron
wheels passing over my ankle!
My brain was on fire. uttered shrek
after shrek. Would no one come?
Only the echoes ans wered. A terrible
calm came over me, and l burst into a
paroxysm of uncomfortable, mirthless
laughter.
was going mad.
0ox IN ~ ~
mild and pleasant intoxlcatlon seemed
to take possession of me, much like
that produced by morphine. Pleasing
fancies fitted before me, and thought
them real. lin the midst of all was
present to my disordered brain an indie
scribable feeling of relief. What an aw-
full nightmare l had had, but it was all
over now; fearfully realistic dream,
but only an illusion. And 1 slept there
as sweetly as ever did on my own bed
at home. 80
slept thus, At seemed, a long time,
when was awakened by a clear, long
drawn sound. = -.
sat up, hardly realizing where was,
and listened. It was the shrill warning
of a locomotive.
Then it all came back to me. was
not safe in bed at home, but was crouch
ing on a railway track, my foot held as
in wise, waiting TO be crushed by the
train whose whistle now heard echo
ing and re-echoing far away among the
hills
tried once more to release myself,
but my foot was held fast as ever. I
was convinced that further effort was
useless. So, having laid my body as far
as possible from the rails, l abandoned
myself to logged despair.
Again the shrill whistle sounded out
upon the midnight air, this time nearer
and more distinct. They were whistling
| fer the station, and in hundred Sec
onds would be upon me.
Nearer and nearer few the train. I
heard the singing of the rails, and shud-
dered. The sound of the monsters ap-
proach was swelling from growl to a
mad roar. Had been on straight line
of track, the powerful headlight might
heve revealed me to the engineer, and
been the instrument of my rescue. But
l was pinned to the track just around q
0AoA SuAV0S - AAAA OOO"00N AAA0 0AAA UA4O
train, and, If seen at all, it would be too
| late to stop. '1*- "a 90
The ground began to tremble. Then
deafening, soul-piercing shrek
seemed to freeze my very blood in its
veins l became as one paralyzed.
tried to raise my hand to my brow, but
could not move it. The strain was ter
rible. It was agony. It seemed that I
must die evcn before the express
dashed upon me. Z.
just then, amid the changing of the
bell and the thunder of the train, the
great Cyolopean eye Of the engine shot
full upon me. binding me with the
glare. Ny head swan and my senses
loft me. Butt was dimly conscious in
the awful din Of hoarse shout, . sue
cession Of brilliantly-lighted windows,
passing so rapidly as to seem to blend
! into one sheet Of lame, then-oblivion.
When came TO my senses found
myself in an express car, recovering my