Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-08
A RAILROAD ADVENTURE.
A Railroad Adventure.

mo money! What in thunder'd you
get on for? How'd you expect 10 travel
on this road 'thout the stamps? Of
with you, and no whining around mel
I know my business aud you know
yours maybe. Any baggage?'
No baggage | muttered, dolefully;
'but you can take my overcoat. l can
get the money at Savannah"
"Dang your old overcoat! What you
s'pose want with your old rags?"
Rags! Look here, there's not a
break in this coat. Good as new"
"Off with you, quick T.
"For heavens sake"
"Shall l kick you otf?"
"Im thousand miles from home"
"Dang your home! Off with you. OF
I'll sling you off.
Try it, if you dare"
Whop! thud! biff! biff! jick-to-
whack! spat! scutlle-a- banglei crasll,
thrash! whollop! and out we went
together into pile of cross-ties. AS
he clinched me | struck him heavy
blow in the face with my right fist,
while with my left hand l pulled the
bell-rope. loot! foot! said the signal
whistle and off won't the train.
DO you quite understand what had
done? It's all very plain to me. had
stolen conductor. Let me be ex-
plicit. TO tell you the truth I had
just served through the war in the
Confederate army, and only twenty-one
years old at that. You know there was
CONSUMPTION law, and when was
eighteen L had to go in. l was assigned
to duty in Florida, and when the war
ended found myself suffering from a
wound and thousand miles from home.
1 staid in Florida till the winter of '6S,
when, finding myself we'll again, and
seeing no earthly chance of finding
employment in that distracted State
which would enable me to lay UP money
enough to pay my way home on the
cars, l set out afoot. Not till [ had
walked hundred miles or more did L
fully realize the difficulty Of my under
taking. In consequence of my wound I
had for a long time been indoors,
scarcely taking any exercise at all, and
now, although 1 was we'll, I was as
tender as woman. My feet swelled
SO that I had to split my boots all to
pieces, and my legs got stiff and sore.
suffered from lack of food, too, at
times, for the country through which I
passed was thinly settled, with people
so poor that they had nothing for me.
Finally reached the railroad, and as
it was my direct route to Savannah,
where I hoped to find some friends, I
followed it. This railroad passes
through the outlying marshes and
cypress wastes OF the great Oakefenokee
swamp, and it was in the most dismal
part of that wild barren that e. happy
idea entered my brain. 1t was that Of
stealing a ride. A freight-train had
just passed me going north, and I
knew that in less than an hour pas
senger train would follow. My plan
was to stand near the track and leap
upon the platform Of the lindermost
car. I did this without accident, and
found myself, moment after, whirling
along very comfortably, seated on the
platform steps. All! it was delicious
to feel the cool night breeze tanning
my feverish face. Night air? Yes, it
was near midnight. and the full moon
was shining gloriously. How sweetly |
rested. How much pleasanter than
walking!
But luck did not favor ne. My ride
was short one. l had not been seated
more than two minutes when something
tapped me on the shoulder, | looked rp.
"Tickets!" said the man who leant over
me.
"Got none," said I.
Money, then" said he.
SCOT none" / replied.
Then followed what is chronicled at
the beginning of this sketch. He had
reached up and pulled the bell-rope,
bringing the train to o stand-still
did not think OF stealing him till the
very moment he clenched me to throw
me from the platform. Then, all at
once the resolve came. AS l have
said, struck him with one hand and
pulled the bell-rope with the other.
We had short, furious fight on the
platform, then rolled off into pile of
cross-ties just as the train in obedience
to my signal, rolled away I do not
think the conductor heard the engine
whistle or knew the cars had gone, SO
busy was he trying to lick he. | was
too much for him, though had not
tasted food for three days past. I sup
pose that fever and fury Of despair lent
me strength, for / got him under me,
there on the cross-ties, and thumped
him till lie bawled for help. BY this
time the train was roaring but faintlv
in the distance. I let him up and he
gaZed around.
"Wh-where's my train?" said he.
"Don't you hear it? asked, seating
myself on cross-tie, in all almost
breathless state.
"What in thunder! Ding that engi
neer! What on earth made him leave
me? I'll report him To-"