The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-02-13
TRUTH is MIGHTY.

| the tracks over two ravines and a
! swamp. The man whom we all took to
be a drummer for sarsaparilla factory
looked out and down and shuddered:
| Then he drew three or four whiffs on
his cigar and shuddered some more.
"a little nervous, eh?" queried one of
| the crowd.
| "Yes, and I have cause to be-" was
The reply.
Then you've been over this place be-
fore?''
Yes. two years ago. feel as weak
| as woman. Gentlemen, excuse me
| while take nip of brandy"
did the train break through" asked
one of the group. after he had ''nipped"
and restored the bottle
"No. All! thank heaven, we are over
at last! All of you please take notice
of that house among the trees, and also
remember the little town we passed
| through about a mile back. My uncle
Reuben lives there in that house.
was here on a visit to him and went
over to the post office after my mail l
took the highway in going, but to
track on my return. / hesitated some
| time at the trestle, but finally started
to cross. Just wait minute. have it
all down here in my notebook. When
tell you thing for fact l like to
have the proofs The trestle is eighty
eight feet high in the center. had
just reached the center when -"
when you saw tramp
"Yes; I had reached the center of the
trestle when 1 heard the whistle OF a
locomotive, and a moment later caught
sight of freight train rounding the
curve There was only one possible
way of escape
''It was terrible situation"
'It was, find have it down here in
my book as II. S. which stands for
terrible situation. Thank you, sir, for
your appreciation"'
''You did not leap to the ground be-
Iowo''
mo, sir. If I had it would have
been jotted down here, which it isn't.
l did not lose my presence of mind.
Dropping down between the cross
pieces, l swung with my feet and hung
on with my hands. You can judge Of
mans feelings with almost hundred
feet of space between his feet and
great mass of jagged rock. "a
Great spoons! but you must have
suffered a thousand deaths"
Let me see. No. aid not. l have
it down here, and 1 only suffered 75O
deaths l don't want to lay claim to
$50 deaths to which have no legal
right. When I tell a story, tell it ex.
actly as things happened. l hung
there, swaying to and fro
''And the train passed over you?"
s'Well, no, it didn't. / should have
made note of it if such had been the
ease. I hung there for seventeen long
ninutes-minutes which seemed never
ending to me-
You lived month in those few
minutes.
NAT quite a month have it down
that lived only twenty-six days, and
don't want anything that doesn't be-
long to me-"
But did it take the train seventeen
minutes to- pass over you?" persisted
he inquirer.
.'Oh, no.
Then how was it?"
''Why, the train side-tracked at the
,ther side, you see, and hung on until
,ne of the brakemen walked out to me
md said if l wasn't in the circus busi-
ness to stay, I'd better get out of that
But don't exactly see."
''Oh, there is nothing to see. I got
off the bridge all right, with three
hours to spare before another train
came along. was very much obliged
to the brakeman-very much. ! might
have hung there all day, you know
yes, have it down here in my book
that was V. NJ. o., which means very
much obliged I am not a nervous man
by nature, but can you wonder that |
,hudder and grow weak in the kneeF
whenever pass over this trestle?''
No one said word for long min
ate. Then the questioner softly
aueried:
That was true story, wasn't it?"
LAS true as truth ITSELF" was the SOL
Dmn reply.
''Well, it was mighty poor story,
md this crowd doesn't want any more
like it. If you can't tell lie get out O
mere and give your room to man who
san."