The Bossier banner., 1892-02-18

my ears Shrieks, groans and plead |
ings for help were mingled with cries
of children for parents and parents for
children.
Il made struggle to get on my feet.
Though at first the pain racked me
from head to foot, | found | could
stand, and was soon walking tlowly
and carefully about. Naturally my
first thought was concerning my friends
in the game of whist, they being the
only acquaintances | had on the train
Almost at the moment | thought of
them two of them came to me. They
were urinjured, and it had been their
hands that had carried me from the car
while | was unconscious,
''It took but minute for my friends
| to give me some idea of the extent of
the catastrophe. Our smolling-car had
been derailed and had rolled down a
steep embankment, dragging the en-
gine and one other coach with it. AS
near as they could tell at that moment
there had been at least dozen killed
and twice that number wounded.
II inquired: Where is my partner?
Is he alive"
"'Yes, he is alive was the reply,
but he is in bad fix. We are working
our best to get him out of the wreck,
but without help he cannGU oe saved.
He lies there with his lower limbs
pinned in between two great iron rods,
and with all the strength we have been
able to apply we can't release him. He
! no in 10 Oh hn
is still conscious
1T was but step or two from where
we stood to where the man lay, and we
turned to see if there might not be some
possibility of helping him. A terrible
cry came from the sufferer. Just then
some one called: The car is on fire.
The coach is burning
THE fame from some lamp had
caught the dry upholstery. The wind
had suddenly increased and was blow
. ing the flame toward the spot where
our poor friend was helplessly PIN
ioned. While some ran for water 9th
ers with ok and lever made an effort to
pry the heavy rods and timbers from
the sufferer 1t was no use; there was
no appliance at hand with which it
could be done, and those who went for
water came back empty-handed. The
engine lay upon its side and every drop
} of water had leaked out and had been
drunk up by the greedy earth
For the love of God, men, do some
thing cried the imprisoned wretch
Must I slowly roast to death?
with an awful effort he raised him
self upon an elbow and looked around
upon the faces near him. These were
> rapidly diminishing in number, for the
heat had now grown too fierce to bt
borne. and the crowd which had neve
: ceased their efforts to get him out were
driven away. Suddenly his eyes fel
on my face and recognized me.
"'You,' he cried in an awful voice
you are the man to do it. Take tha
: ak and kill me-
: 1.-The thought paralyzed me. IL
O saw me shrink and shudder, and witt
e a supreme effort he pointed his finge
Il straight at me and cried again witt
q more intensity than before; You! you
do it, l tell you.
o The heat was making his garment
. smoke. Don't let me roast he one
q more cried. l forgot my pain and IN
wild delirium l snatched up an ak an
q drove the blade crashing into his skull
" then all the world became again
" blank.
n 1t was many weeks before l wa
- restored to consciousness and man
- more before was alle to move. NJ
"a bodily injuries, though severe, did no
h cripple me, and | am now strong an
:, physically well. But my mind is some
=, times upset. I believe l did the bes
thing that could be done for the poe
g man, though the act was performed
:, frenzy that made me irrespons ole
l believe to-day it was an act OF hi
q. manity. 1t has wrecked my life hov
:. ever, for until memory fails l shall
" compelled to live that scene over an
- over again in all its horror. ."-Chlcag
- Times.