Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-09-14
Road AGENTS VIII WINGS
a Trainload Of Passengers In Mexico ''EEeld
Up" by Angry Hornets.

Up by Angry Hornets.
We were running along smoothly
through the state of Coabuila one
wretchedly warm day 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 considerably. The idea
of train robbers seemed instantly to
strike every one, and there was a
hurried secreting of valuables. But
it wasn't to be that kind of an inva-
sion. The decayed trunk of a big
tree had fallen squarely across the
track. 1t was too big to take chances
on thrusting it aside by charging it
with the pilot, so the train hands
and some of the passengers started
with a rope to drag it out of the
way. The rope was fastened round
the stump there was a long pull all
together, and then frightened howl
and wild break by everybody for
the cars, every man thrashing his
arms in the air like windmill.
"Hornets" howled the burly
brakeman who headed the rush as
he hurled himself into the first car,
incontinently slammed the door in
the face of the others and dived un-
der seat. l happened to be on the
platform of this car and got in just
ahead. Probably half a dozen pas
sengers were in the cars, tho rest
having stepped off to investigate the
trouble. All the windows were open,
and in few seconds the train was
in possession of several hundred big
Mexican hornets, the wickedest
things on wings, with business ends
like dose Of future punishment ad.
ministered with a live wire. There
were at least three hornets nests in
the decayed tree, and the hauling of
the train hands brought out the in
habitants. There was a moment of
gaping surprise, then a chorus of
howls, and every man and woman
left in the cars tried to crawl be-
meath the seats, pulling coats, dresses,
anything, over their heads with
shocking disregard of the proprie-
ties.
Not 40 train robbers nora whole
tribe of hostile Apaches could have
inspired such demorallzed terror.
The conductor, with rare presence
of mind, who headed the crowd who
had hauled on the tree, shouted,
Break for the baggage carl" and as
only the one door of that car was
open the score or so of passengers
once bundled in were comparative
ly safe, although hopelessly prison
ers. The hornets buzzed angrily, or
maybe gleefully, outside and about
the smothered passengers in the
coaches, and all was burning blank.
But we couldn't stay there, yet
we daren't turn out and fight them
Finally, so 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 a lively jolt. The
tree was dragged almost clear, and
the rope broke. But the fireman
was having too warm 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 run
ming back a couple of miles he
stopped the train and coaxed us out,
a sore and sorry crowd.
But we couldn't go 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 a cloud Of
hornets thus dislodged from smashed
nests. But we were out of range
and sight in a few seconds and slid
past the next way station at a pace
that brought the sleepy Mexicans to
the platform in amazement An
occasional howl during yet another
hour or two told the discovery of
lingering hornet in the cars, and
when we reached the next village
we bought up the entire stock of
ointment, oils and soothing salves in
the single drug store, and the train
was a surgery for the remainder OF
the day. kansas City Journal.
women's Bond Of FrIendIinesa.