The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-05-28

| can be no doubt that ne can be recap
tured; but his present escape and dis
| appearance are most mysterious. A
| reward of f100 has been offered for his
| reapprehension. Watson is about 5
/ feet 9 inches in height, strongly built
| and when he escaped was dressed in a
| gray fustian suit. with red scarf and
soft hat. He may further be distin-
guished by scar across his chin. and
| by having All arrow tattooed on the
back of his left hand"
This was about the extent of the in
formation contained in the paragraph,
and my readers will agree with me
| that the news was sufficiently exciting
to occupy my thought to the complete
| exclusion of the unpleasant experiences
/ had just passed through. As | lay
back in my seat to muse upon what
had read my thoughts began after
awhile to wander and my head TO nod,
according TO their wont at midnight,
and before long | fell asleep. How
| long | slept | can not teli-probablv
for Il few minutes only-but in those
few minutes | underwent Il most dis
comforting dream. | dreamed that
| Chippy Watson stood over me, mallet
| in hand, aud that my travelling COM
| panion was holding his hand to avert
the threatened blow. She struggled in
vain, and the mallet fell. yet with "A
strangely light touch upon my arm.
| With IA start | awoke. and then saw the
| girl of my dream bending over toward
me with scrap Of paper in her hand.
| But her face how terribly it was
changed! Instead of the dainty pink
| flush | had last seen there WAS 4 ghast-
iv whiteness in her checks. and her
eyes seemed startling from her head
IN terror. Holding up one finger, as
if to demand silence, she passed me
the paper on which were written the
following words: Someone is unier-
meath the seat and has just touched me-"
Was it the dream which filled me
with the thought that this was no idle
alarm? | can not tell; but this much
know, that in an instant there flashed
across my mind with overwhelming
force the thought of this escaped wife
murderer.
Returning my companions silence
signal with a gesture of acquicScence.
1 write upon the paper: 1T is proba-
bly, only dog. Shall look under the
scat?n
Her answer was short and to the
point: No, do not look 1t was a
hand.'
Here, then. WAS 4 sufficient dilemma;
but by comparison with what had
passed before between my fellow pass
enger and myself it was dilemma
THAI felt almost disposed to welcome.
The male sex in my person was about
to resume its rightful position of pro-
tector to its weaker if would-be indie
pendent companion. Sweet was my
revenge; and yet the revenge scarcely
promised to be wholly pleasureable.
Ny first action was 10 remove any
suspicion that there might be in the
mind of the mysterious third occupant
of cur carriage through the pre-
sumably accidental action of having
touched the lady's dress. Giving vent
to an audible yawn, although | had
Just awakened from sleep. | remarked
in Il tone of cool impertinence: You
really must excuse me for addressing
You again, madam. but will YOU per-
init me to smoke to euIiven this tedious
journey?" AS | spoke | accompanied
my words with a meaning glance and
was favored with the reply: Ger
tainiy if you wish it; | can not prevent
YOU"
Ihereupon | produced my pipe and
tobacco pouch and proceeded slowly
to fill the former rs | thought out the
plan of action. On reference to my
watch | saw that the train would stop
in another ten minutes. Clearly the
only thing to do was to wait till we
reached Blackley, and there get assist
ance to find out who our unknown
travelling companion might be.
The longer pondered over the prob
lem the more curious for its solution
did | become and then, needless of the
warning | had received, | struck
match and Intentionally dropped it.
STOPPING down with 4 muttered male
dicton to pick it up, | cast search
ing glance underneath the opposite
seat and then my blood ran cold as
the faint CLEAN of the taper revealed
the back Of the man's hand. with the
tattoed arrow upon it, Chippy Watson
then was our companlon-a doomed
aud desperate man.
By Il mighty effort | controlled my
voice sufficient 10 say: Excuse my
reaching across you, madam, but that
was my last matcl, anu L cOulu not
afford to let it 20 out
The girl. into whose white cheeks
the color showed no trace of returning,
murmured some unintelligibe reply,
and for Il few moments we sat in
silence. Again | looked at my watch
thank heaven in five minutes we should
be in Biackley. and the awful ride
would be at an end. Scarcely had the
thought formulated itself when the
girl opposite me sprang up trembling
like Il leaf, and shrieked ere | could
stop her: oh, that hand has touched
my foot again!'
The moment the words left her lips
| neard sudden movement under the
seat. and quicker than thought a figure
appeared upon the floor. In that mo-
meut | flung myself upon the rullian
and clutched his throat with the energy
OF despair, knowing that shonld he
once regain his feet it was all over
with me, the lighter and weaker man.
Can | ever forget the horror of that
five minutes ride? The whole COM
partment seemed TO be falling upon me.
Teeth, nails, feet. all were attacking
me at once, but through al kept my
CUP upOu lIC u > iiI Oii, tuu
hough l streamed with blood and al.
most lost consciousness. still held Oh,
While the girls screams rang dimly
through my ears. Suddenly the train
topped. the struggle, ceased and
tainted across the body of my captive.
When | recovered consciousness at
length | found myself lying upon
able in the Blackley station waiting
room, with sympathetic crowd around
NE, and, best of ALL saw face bend
rng tenderly over me-the face Of the
ghl of my dream and discontinue.
After making two or three efforts |
managed to ask Where is Watson"
Very nigh dead" replied Il ruiSy-
faced farmer who stood beside NJ.
You three-quarters straugled the life
out of his ugly body; he was black in
the face when they lifted you off him"
l.