The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-08-08
A RAILROAD ADVENTURE.

s'pose I want with your old rags?"
sRags! Look here. there's not .
break in this coat. Good as new"
sOf with you, quick!"
SFor heavens sake"
@Shall I kick you OFF,"
Sim q thousand miles from home"
3Dang your home! OFF with you, or
VII sling you off,"
Whopi thudl bif! bif! lick-to.
whackI spat! scuffie-a-banglei crask,
thrash! whollop! and out we went
together into o pile of cross-ties. As
he clinched me I struck him o heavy
blow in the face with my right fist.
while with my left hand / pulled the
bell-rope. Tootl toot! said the signal
whistle and off went the train.
Do you quite understand what I had
done? It's all very plain to me. 1 had
stolen q conductor. Let me he 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 I was
eighteen / had to go m. / was assigned
to duty in Florida, and when the wal
ended I found myself suffering from q
wound and q Thousand miles from home.
/ 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, I set out afoot Not till 1 had
walked q hundred miles or more did I
fully realize the difficulty Of my under
taking. In consequence of my wound 1
had for q long time been indoors,
scarcely taking any exercise OF all, and
now, although 1 was we'll, 1 was as
tender as q woman. My feet swelled
SO that I had to split my boots all to
pieces, and my legs got stiff and sore.
I suffered from lack of food, too, at
times, for the country through which 1
passed was thinly settled, with people
SO poor that they had nothing for me.
Finally I reached the railroad, and as
it was my direct route to Savannah,
where I hoped to find some friends. l
followed it. This railroad passes
through the outlying marshes and
cypress wastes of the great Oakefenokee
swamp, and it was in tie most dismal
part Of that wild barren that a 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 o pas
senger train would follow. My plan
was to stand near the track aud leap
upon the platform of the hindermost
car. I did this without accident, and
found myself, a moment after, wllirling
along very comfortably, seated on the
platform steps. ALI! it was delicious
to feel the cool night breeze tanning
my feverish face: Night air? Yes. i
was near midnight. and the full moon
was shining gloriously. How sweetly I
rested. How much pleasanter than
walkingl
But luck did not favor me. My ride
was q short one I had not been seated
more than two minutes when something
tapped me on the shoulder, 1 looked up.
sTickets!" said the man who leant over
me.
sGot none," said L
sMoney, then" said he.
SCOT none," I 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. 1
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 I have
said, I struck him with one hand and.
pulled the bell-rope with the other.
We had o short, furious fight on the
platform, then rolled off into q 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 me. I was
too much for him, though I had not
tasted food for three days past. sup
pose that fever and fury of despair lent
me strength, for I got him under me,
there on the cross.ties, and thumped
him TIL he bawled for help. By this
time the train was roaring but family
in the distance. let him up and he
gazed around.
@Wh-where's my train ?" said he.
sDon't you hear it?" I asked, seating
myself on q cross-tie. in an almost
bfeathless state.
what in thunder! Ding that engi-
neeri What on earth made him leave
mo? I'll report him to-"
sOhl don't get too blustery," said I,
interrupting him. sIgave the engineer
the signal just IS you clenched me-"
Did you pull the bell.rope3'
SHE nation you didl What fora.
sOh! just for fun" Ireplied, scowling
Is him ont Of the corners Of my eyes.
sFor funi and how much is it?" he
aSked.
Between 5 quart and h.lf-.-g.llon."
Ireplisd.
.ha!e e walk q least ten miles
through this informal old swamp" be
muttored.
sBstser two Of NJ than onsr
eRut ding 4, my traints
Just sofs saidI