The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-11-05
A BAGGAGE SMASHER

~
adventure with a voice. Or, as Sauds
terms II. with the devil IN a box
Tom Pope is conductor and McTougal
Is baggage master On the All line.
which runz from the Atlantic c-ean e
the middle of next week
-MNt Astonishing thing. that hunt G;
SarGc - avo5ce.- sid the conductor.
the o.zer -@at.
~TmIl -7uted Sandy, int "a.
II yer . e Io9kin al i. but eli !;
digln fer t1e deviL ana f-ljn him.
A.e VIZ 2oi1e 70 relI this sto-v IL
eui-al LIE conductor.
nor by q long chalk" McTosgal an
sweveI.
Then Tom narrates. ard very uecril-
too, how he and Sandy were transferred
~ night -gus IN August last. and how
lonely the baggage man bcarne u-carsc
he was CIR If from fellows T. listen ta
MS stories and oEer him cigars.
Ton a.Iez smoked ien. Tom inter
rupted Sandy. Il don't smoke. ye
know.
Il did get 4 rood many V1@s that
wav- III aL1ait. said the conductor.
Thu were about th- Only thing Sandy
ever gave ia. I could ct any light ont
Of
Are you .a'ing this a.orv:~ asked
McTougaL If %. tell IT,.
aady vas lonely and miserable
continued hi friend. -EoLsr talked
70 hina IT -re him q g11-ter far ~:
smashing fhe.r tacgaca. 20 b took 70
b-o~2 st eaI uap9 be~aen stations.
TIE night Il HIS voice bu-;ues-
Devil. l tel you,~ cries Sandv
abruT.lr.
IVA acr19ded one, continues Pore.
without ae-.c.Eg the interruption "Bis
car was Jam full Of luggage
And tie more tru11s Sandy has On
board the easer he gets, There wa a
camp rnee- n a switca-of track. and
Al the junc..oa | picked up a 1T d mob
By paszeE.~s who we've learn. fl
Other place5 e amusement, AID i.are
wa no end " trunks
'NcTougal got things into shape
about II O'Clock, | reckon, and a. there's
a part IF the rrn where it's a good hour
between stations he got ready for a
. lie picked ont the softcst trunk
il the pile on which 70 pillow his head.
tilted back his caair with his feet ou the
rounds, pulled his hat over his face ard
E to sleep. How's that, Mac:
"Quite ~keerect," responds the bag
gage master.
Very well; then you tellitfor awhile.
wasn't there, You know
at didn't seem s if Id been asleep
more'n a minute" begins Sandy. wien
there was a lively jump Of the car an l
sort Of come to life with a jerk. At the
same time I heerd, as if way of. a noise
like some 4 a-talkin. But | thou-ht
twas a brakeman outside, an was ie.'
a-dOzin off again when right II my ear,
In a thin, sharp voice, su'thin said, oh,
Lordr
Il amt TO fool, Iain't," Sandy asserts,
throwing back his head d~efiantly. IAN
whent that tin whisper comes into my
ear | jes' half opened my eyes 'spectin
to see some Of the boys around. But os
Twin thing was visible. 50 | said 10
myself, i sEored; that's what's the mat
ter an Off l goes a-noddin an dreamin.
"Then agin hears that voice. Iteays
quite distinctly, 4 want to get outr
Now. | want a bit mistaken this
time. heerd it. But fore | could get
my wits together there was a ycll sound
in way Off.
"'Thats my death call, says / to my
self, instantly calling to mind fellows
who had heard like sounds an were dead
in less'n a week. Then | saysto myself,
Sandy, don't be a foolr an jumps to my
feet as wide awake as | an now.
at was a woman's squawk, and |
could have sworn to it. Then it sung
out in tin trumpet style:
"tHelp! help
81 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-fannin
my face when, blame me, if / didn't
hear a cornet start off with the 'Rogues'
March, and a gruff voice foller it with:
"'In 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 crovTed, an a Teller with a cold
in his nose counted ten forward and
then backward, an another cT1ss. with q
bullfrog voice, ordered me: Wake up.
the devil wants your You needn't
laugh, gentlemen, when tell you l run;
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