The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-07-26
timber, and was thrown heavily to

Ter that could be accomplished by q
simple turn of the foot To my con-
sternation found It absolutely impos-
possible to draw my foot away, so Sc
curely was 1t wedged between the rail
and plank.
| began to grow excited, and twisted
and pulled my foot recklessly and vio-
lently until nearly exhausted. There
was no result, except that my ankle be-
gan to pain me from the rough treat
ment, and felt that 1t was beginning
| to swell.
To escape from this trap, / found I
must take the matter more coolly. BY
strong effort at self-command / be-
came calm again, and began to consid
er the best way out of the fix. Consult
ing my watch, which had an illumin-
| ated dial, I found it was twenty min
utes past eleven. No train would pass
till after one, and this was the one l
| wanted to catch at the Junction. There
fore l need not worry lest should be
run over; l had plenty of time. Yet
from the pain in my ankle ] feared
could not reach home as early as had
intended.
went Systematically to work, and
tried to pull my foot out of the shoe.
Failure. Again and again endeavored.
Dead failure. My foot was badly swol-
len.
A happy thought flashed through my
mind, and 1 almost shouted with Joy.
Jubilant at the prospect of deliverance
1 felt for my pocket-knife. Horrors it
was gone. But no. Almost miraculously,
it seemed to me, my hand at that in
slant touched it lying on the ground,
where it had slipped when fell. With
a thankful heart / opened its only
blade.
then cut deeply into the plank whore
it held my heel. But in my eagerness I
overestimated the strength Of the
knife, and before I had taken off
shaving, to my infinite dismay and
alarm, the blade snapped off short,
leaving the useless handle clutched in
my grasp.
now became thoroughly desperate.
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 II could
have used that was away down in a
crevice where my fingers could not
reach it.
called wildly for help.
"Youcan't getout youcan't getout!"
said commiserating 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, / 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 a sort of stupor when
'Bo-loom!'
/ reused up again. "Bo-loom!' 1t
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 MANNED |
and bleeding, to die, no doubt alone
before the dawn.
Despair gave me mightier strength
than hope, but unguided by reason.
Again l put forth almost superhuman
efforts to escape. My foot was badly |
sprained, but l felt no pain. / was
frantic with fear, and writhed in the
dust like a 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 i burst into
paroxysm of uncomfortable, mirthless
laughter.
was going mad.
lay PROSTATE and closed my eyes. A
mild and pleasant intoxlcation seemed
to take possession of me, much like
that produced by morphine. Pleasing
fancies fitted before me, and / thought
them real. In the midst of all was
present to my disordered brain an inde-
scribable feeling of relief. What an aw-
full nightmare had had, but it was all
over now; fearfully realistic dream,
but only an illusion. And l slept there
as sweetly as l ever did on my own bed
at home.
I slept thus it seemed, long time.
when was awakened by clear, long
drawn sound.
l sat up, hardly realizing whore was.
and listened. 1t was the shrill warning
Of locomotive.
Then it all came back to me. was
not safe in bed at home, butw crouch
ing OH 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.
was convinced that further effort was
useless. So, having laid my body as far
as possible from the rails, / abandoned
myself to dogged despair.
Again the shrill whistle sounded out
upon the midnight air, this time nearer