The record-union., 1893-07-11
E[TNIBALL & L
WICKEDBST THINGS ON WINGS.
i Cloud of Hornets Takes Possession
of a Railroad Train in Mexico.

" $1,000 1'14iN0-
4 Cloud of Hornets Takes Possession
of a Railroad Train in Mexico.
have had just one experience of being
held up by train robbers, says writer in
the Globe Democrat. 1t was at the hands
of some Texas gentlemen, and in COM
pany with a good sized train-load of fiery
Southrons and mild Eastern folk, and 1
well remember how the sand sitted out of
the boot heels Of the whole crowd, and
we sat or stood or crOuched and coWed
like helpless, scared infants, under cover
of two medium-sized Wholesalers. But
[ was aboard a train in Mexico that was
held up and gone through under clrcum-
stances of horror and terror that were be-
yond anything l have heard OF or imag-
med. We were running along smoothly
through the State of Coahuila one wretch
edly warm day last fall, when, just as we
entered patch OF woods, the brakes were
clapped tight on and the train stopped
with a jerk that shook us up consider
ABLY. The idea of train robbers seemed
instantly TO strike everyone and there
was a hurried secretiug OF Va!uables.
But it wasn't TO be that kind OF an inva-
sion. The decayed trunk OF big tree
had fallen squarely across the track. 1t
was too big to take chances of thruSung
it aside by charging 1t with the pilot, so
the train hands and some of the passen-
gers started with rope to drag it out of
the way. The rope was fastened round
the stump, there was pun all together.
and then a frightened howl and u wild
break by every body for the cars, every
man thrashing his arms IN the air like
windmill.
"Hornets!" howled the burly brake
man who headed the rush, as he hurled
himself into the first car. incOntinently
slammed the door in the face OF the others
and dived under seat. happened to
be on the platform OF this car and got i'll
lust ahead of him. Probably half dozen
passengers were in the cars, the rest hay-
ing stepped of to investigate the trouble.
All the windows were open, and in a few
seconds the train was in possession of
several hundred big Mexican hornets,
the wickedest things on wings, with bust
ness ends like dose OF future punish
ment administered with live wire.
There were at least three hornets nests
in the decayed tree, and the hauling of
the train hands brought out the inhabi-
tants. There was moment of gaping
surprise, then chorus OF bowls, and
every man and woman left in the car
tried to crawl beneath the seats, pulling
coats, dresses, anything, over their heads
with shocking disregard of the proprie-
ties. Not forty train robbers nor whole
tribe of hostile Apaches could have in
spired such demoralized terror. The con-
ductor, with rare presence of mind, who
headed the crowd who had hauled on the
tree shouted: Break for the baggage
carr' and, as only the one door OF that
car was open. the score or 50 Of passen-
gers, once bundled in, were comparative
~ safe, although hopelessly prisoners.
The hornets bUzzed angrily, or maybe
gleefully, outside and about the smoth-
cred passengers in the coaches, and ali
was 4 burning blank.
We couldn't stay there, vet we daren't
turn out and fight them. Finally. so I
heard later, the fireman volunteered to-
face the horror for US. Tying his blouse
around his head he ran forward, tied the
rope, still fast to the tree, to the pilot
jumped on the engine, and started her
back with lively jolt. The tree was
dragged almost clear and the rope broke
But the fireman was having too warm a
time to try further experiments, so he
kept her running back at a mighty gait
The hornets either flew out or blew out OF
the windows, and, after running back a
couple of miles, he stopped the train and
coaXed us out, sore and sorry crowd.
But we couldn't 90 back, and we couldn't
stay there, and we were loath to take
further chances with the hornets, which
we imagined to be lying in wait for US
up the track. Finally all the windows
and doors were closed tight, the engineer
shut himself in his cab and we went
plunging ahead. He said the pilot struck
the old tree and sent it flying skyward.
enveloped in cloud of hornets thus dis
lodged from smashed nests. But we
were out OF range and sight in a few sec
onds, and slid past the next way station
at pace that brought the sleepy Mexi-
cans to the platform in amazement An
occasional howl during yet another hour