Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-05-20

measuring me from head TO 1oOb Win
his little deep-set eyes as he spoke,
you've got to change clothes with me,
dye see? I must have them toys of
yourn.
''You will do nothing of the kind, !"
I answered, resolutely, though with my
heart starting to beat trife quicker.
'Come, now," said he, "don't make
no fuss. Ye'd best chop quietly"
At that instant the locomotive gave
a long screaming whistle, and the train
plunged with roar into tunnel.
Look here, now," exclaimed the
fellow, putting on a most menaclng
air, and leaning toward me with his
fists clenched, ''if you don't do what l
want then out you go through that
door"
Without answering again sat down
in the middle seat of the carriage. On
this the man stood looking at me for a
moment as though undecided how to
act. Then, perceiving my silk hat
resting on the rack overhead, he took
it down and put it on. This impudent
act of the dirty villain SO incensed me
that, scarcely thinking what was
about, jumped up and snatched it off
his head. In second he whipped
round and struck me blow full in the
chest with his heavy fist; grappied
with him, and then began fierce and
desperate conflict.
As soon as / closed with the ruffian |
felt that his whole effort was to get me
close to the door and thrust me through
it. He was an immensely strong fell
low, but as clumsy as bear. l, on
the other hand, was light and nimble,
with some small knowledge of boxing.
For all that felt myself greatly out
matched in that hand to hand fight.
No sooner had / grappled with the vii
lain than he gave me blow in the face
savage enough to have broken my nose
had he delivered with as much judg-
ment as he did violence. But I had
taken him by the throat with both
hands, and / continued clutching his
windpipe with the tenscity of bull
terrier. We twisted and wriggled and
bumped from side to side of the con-
fined space, and all the while l felt him
drawing me in the direction of the
open door. At last I twined my foot
about his leg and threw him; he fell
heavily, striking his head against the
cushioned seat, and down l came with
him, still clinging to his iron hard,
muscular throat, upon which my grip
seemed to make scarcely any impress
sion. We rolled about for awile, each
endeavoring to keep uppermost, and
when with his superior strength he got
above me and knelt upon my chest, l
thought he would murder me as 1 lay
in that almost helpless posture. But
instead he gasped out, "Will you
change clothes now?" and whilst he
waited for my answer l got my fist free
and struck him upwards under the chin,
knocking his teeth together with click
like the snap of rife trigger and
nearly dislocating his neck and then
gave heave up which threw him of
me, and q momen. later We were both
upon our feet again and pounding
away as before.
was beginning to feel that | could
not continue the struggle much longer,
and that, exhausted as l was, he would
be able to drag me to the door and
pitch me through it on to the line.
Ny opponent breathed hard and fast,
but showed no signs of giving in. On
a sudden the train gave violent Jolt,
that flung us both against the bulkhead
of the compartment the fame of the
lamp leapt up, then fickered a moment
and went out. We continued fighting
in n darkness as deep as that of the
grave. Now that we were both COM
pletely in the dark, 1 felt myself more
ON an equality with my antagonist.
NY sole dread was that | should find
myself tumbling backwards through
the open door He had Missed ont,
amid horrid blasphemies, his intention
OF leaving me dead in that tunnel,
where my body might lie undiscovered
for weeks Dead men, he said told
no tales, and he wasn't going to lose
the liberty he had that night regained.
But all at once felt him relax his grip
of my body, and he called to me to let
go Glad of moments respite, ] re-
leased my hold of the fellow, though
standing on my guard meanwhile,
wary of some desperate trick upon his
part. After a little, finding that he
did not renew the attack, spoke and
asked what he was doing, at the same
time cropping about to try and feel
him ] received no answer, neither did
my hands come in contact with his
body. At that moment the train EN-
erged from the tunnel, and the gloom
in which the carriage had been
plunged by the extinction of the lamp
gave place to kind of faintness sift-
ing in through the windows, sufficient
to have revealed the figure of the man
had he been still i'll the compartment.
| | had box of matches in my pocket,
and with trembling hand l pulled it
ont and struck light. The place was
empty With a long sigh of relief and
thankfulness, | sank exhausted into 6
seat TO wait until the train should pull
up at its first stopping place.
Half an hour later We came to
standstill in the station of large
town. l sought out the guard and
told him what had occurred. He at
once dispatched porter for the sta
ton master, and when that official
arrived the two of them heard my
story. and then searched the compart-
ment thoroughly. But not trace of
the william did they discover. My own
opinion is that, taking advantage of
the blackness, he had gone out upon
the footboard, there to wait until the
train should slacken speed sufficiently
to enable him TO jump off with safety
and make good his escape. Be this as
it may, I never heard more OF the
matter, although the memory of that
/ experience fingers as sort of night
mare of my railway travelling; and
whenever / now get into compart-
ment by myself l take very good care
to first of all peer under the seats and
make sure that there exists the means
of communicating with the guard
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