The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-08-20

81 did get a good many puffs that
way. III admit" said the conductor
"They were about the only thing Sandy
ever gave that could get any light out
Of"
Are you telling this story" asked
McTougal. "If so, tell it,"
SANDY was lonely and miserable"
continued his friend. Nobody talked
to him or gave him quarter for not
smashing their baggage, SO he took to
brown studies and maps between stations.
The night of his voice business
Devil, | tell YOU" cries Sandy
abruptly.
"Was a crowded one, continues Pope
without noticing the interruption. "EIis
car was jam full of luggage"
"And the more trunks Sandy has on
board the crosser he gets. There was a
camp meeting ON switch-off track, and
at the junction picked up lot Of mob
by passengers who were leaving for
other places of amusement, and there
was no end of trunks"
'McTougal got things into shape
about II o'clock, reckon, and as there's
part of the run where it's a good hour
between stations he got ready for a
snooze. He picked out the softest trunk
in the pile on which to pillow his head,
tilted back his chair with his feet on the
rounds, pulled his hat over his face and
went to sleep. How's that, MacY'
Quite keerect," responds the bag
gage master
VERY well; then you tell it for awhile.
wasn't there, you know"
''lt didn't seem s if I'd been asleep
more'n minute" begins Sandy, when
there was a lively jump of the car an
sort of come to life with jerk. At the
same time heerd as if way off, noise
like some one a-talkin. But thought
twas brakeman outside, an was jes'
a-dozin off again when right at my ear,
in thin, sharp voice, su'thin said, oh,
Lordr
II amt no fool, l amt, i" Sandy asserts,
throwing back his head defiantly, "an
when that tin whisper comes into my
ear jes' half opened my eyes 'spectin
to see some of the boys around. But not
livin thing was visible. So | said to
myself, 4 snored; that's what's the mat
ter, an off goes a-noddin an dreamin.
"Then agin hears that voice. Itsays
quite distinctly, 4 want to get outr
Nov, l want bit mistaken this
time. heerd it. But fore l could get
my wits together there was a yell sound
in way Off
That's my death call, says / to my
self, instantly calling to mind fellows
who had heard like sounds an were dead
in less'n week. Then / says to myself,
Sandy, don't be foolp an jumps to my
feet as wide awake as am now.
ut was a woman's squawk, and !
could have sworn to it. Then it sung
out in tin trumpet style;
"'Helpl helpr
II hauled over the tool chest, an the
water barrel, and the cupboard in the
corner, an looked out ON the platforms
an did everythin a man could do under
the circumstances, to find out what was
a-makin of that fuss. l went to the
side door to cool myself, an was a a-fannin
my face when, blame mel if didn't
hear a cornet start off with the 'Rogues'
March, and a gruff voice foller it with:
"1n the midst of life we are in
death
Il yanked my head round, an didn't
see nuthin that wasn't there before.
That threw me off my pins. Then a
rooster crowed, an feller with cold
in his nose counted ten forward and
then backward, an another cuss, with
bullfrog voice, ordered me: Wake up! |
the devil wants your You needn't |
laugh, gentlemen, when tell you l rum
an sod you if you'd been thar. was
certain the devil had come for me-late
but sure-an didn't wait for him to
ask for my ticket"
Tom Pope at this point broke into
steutorian laugh.
"f, gentlemen, you'd seen Sandy |
come flying into the car where was |
sitting, you would never stop laughing. |
You may not believe it, but his brown |
face was as white as your shirt fronts. |
and his eyes were as big as billiard |
balls. He dashed down the aisle and /
whispers in my ear:
"'Tom! Toni Come with meT"
"'What's the matter, Mac? ! said.
A" What ails your
"'Tom, the DEVILS in my car. He's |
been a-cuttin up for half an hour, an
Pm most crazy. If you're my friend |
come with mep
He wasn't drunk, because he doesn't |
drink. It wasn't religious enthusiasm, |
because Sandy had no religion. / al |
most believed he meant what he said. |
and that he had been called for got |
mp in hurry and followed him.
Il hadn't more than got inside the /
baggage car when from among the |
trunks something sung out, Shut that |
door and pull down your vestr
SANDY wanted 10 fight, then" con |
tinued Tom. He danced around that |
car like prize fighter in the ring, until /
the voice cried out quite loud: 'Damna-
tionF PshawP l said to Sandy, That's /
a boxed up parrot
"An then the parrot told you you
lied, asserted McTougal.
eyes, says Tom, cheerfully.
"And then you said-do You remem- |
Der what you saidy'
mo, Mack but wasn't / at your side /
when we got into the next coach a sec
ond later
1--WE came back with two brakemen," l
McTougal remarks, continuing. Zone I
OF them brakemen looked on top OF the |
car an under it an in IT, He stuck to it /
that there was a yentriloquist about |
but gave that idee up when he couldn't |
find nobody
1--WE flung those trunks right and left |
IN a lively style observed Pope, ''but |
not thing did we discsyer-no human /
living or dead thing-not place from
which the noise came We were puz-
zledi you may believe; and if the search |
had stopped there the road might have 1
warehoused that coach, for no railroad /
man would have travelled in a car that |
was haunted, But the end came. While [
We were looking In each others faces. I
and frightened in being bloc5sl in that |
sort of way, the voice spoke again. Ii !
said very distinctly; Let me QUIT am
dying-dyingr
1T was under my arm, the voice was"
sandy exclaims, "in a big trunk that
had come from camp meeting. ] sung
out for Jake 10 run for "a doctor, If there l
was one on the train, an Tom an me put /
that trunk on tbs floor as gently as II
twas glass. Twas light enough. We
thought the poor thing must y almost
a skeleton. ] got hold Of the sledge-