Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-07-18

| plunged with roar into tunnel.
! ''Look here, now," exclaimed the
fellow, putting on o most menacin:
air, and leaning toward me with hi
fists clenched, ''if you don't do what
want then out you go through that
door"
Without answering I again sat dow,
in the middle seat of the carriage. o.
this the man stood looking at me for {
moment as though undecided how tt
act. Then, perceiving my silk hat
resting on the rack overhead, he tool
it down and put it on. This impudent
act of the dirty villain SO incensed me
that, scarcely thinking what wa
about, I jumped up and snatched it of
his head. In second he whipped
round and struck NE q blow full in the
chest with his heavy fist; I grappled
with him, and then began fierce ant
! desperate conflict.
| As soon as I closed with the ruffian
! felt that his whole effort was to get me
close to the door and thrust me through
t. He was an immensely strong fel
low, but as clumsy as q bear. /, OF
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 I grappled with the vii
ain than he gave me blow in the face
savage enough to have broken my nose
had he delivered with as much judg
nent as he did violence. But had
aiken him by the throat with bott
hands, and I continued clutching hi:
xindpipe with the tenacity of bull
;errier. We twisted and wriggled and
dumped from side to side of the con.
ined space, and all the while felt him
irawing me in the direction of the
! open door. At last L twined my foo,
about his leg and threw him; he fell
heavily, striking his head against the
cushioned seat, and down I came with
him, still clinging to his iron hard.
muscular throat, upon which my grip
seemed to make scarcely any impres'
ZION. We rolled about for awile, each
sDdeavoring to keep uppermost, end
when with his superior strength he goi
ibove me and knelt upon my chest, ]
thought he would murder me as I lay
! n that almost helpless posture. But
instead he gasped out, "Will yc
! change clothes now?" and whilst i
waited for my answer got my fist ire
md struck him upwards under the chin,
knocking his teeth together with click
ike the snap of a rifle trigger aud
nearly dislocating his neck and the1
gave heave up which threw him of
ne, and moment later we were botE
Upon our feet again and pounding
lway as before.
I was beginning to feel that coulo
! not continue the struggle much longer,
and that, exhausted as I was, he would
/ be able to drag me to the door and
pitch me through it on to the line.
My opponent breathed hard and fast,
but showed no signs of giving in. Or
sudden the train gave violent Jolt,
that flung us both against the bulkhead
Of the compartment the flame of the
lamp leapt up, then fickered a moment
and went out. We continued fighting
in a darkness as deep as that of tho
grave. Now that we were both com
pletely in the dark, I felt myself more
| On IN equality with my antagonist.
! My sole dread was that I should find
myself tumbling backwards through
, the open door. He had hissed out,
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 I felt him relax his grip
Of my body, and he called to me to lei
go. Glad of moments respite, I re.
leased my hold of the fellow, though
standing on my guard meanwhile,
wary of some desperate trick upon his
part. After little, finding that he
did not renew the attack, spoke and
asked what he was doing, at the same
lime cropping about to try and feel
him. received no answer, neither did
ny hands come in contact with his
body. At that moment the train EN-.
.rged 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-
ng in through the windows, sufficient
10 have revealed the figure of the man
lad he been still in the compartment
| had box of matches in my pocket,
md with trembling hand I pulled it
,ut and struck light. The place was
mpty. With long sigh of relief and
hankfulness, I sank exhausted into a
eat to wait until the train should pull
Up at its first stopping place.
Half an hour ia:er we came to a
standstin in the station of a large
town. I sought out the guard and
told him what had occurred. He at
once dispatched a porter for the sta.
tion-master, and when that official
arrived the two of them heard my
story, and then searched the compart-
ment thoroughly. But not a trace OF
the william did they discover. My Own
opinion is that, taking advantage OF
the biackness, 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 at
it may, I never heard more of the
matter, although the memory OF tina,
experience fingers as a sort Of night
mare of my railway travelling; and
whenever I now get into a compart
ment by myself I take very good care
to first Of all peer under the seats and
make sure that there exists the mean:
of communicating with the guard
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