Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-07-03

had bound my arms and legs so that was
helpless What strength and skill this del
cate looking woman had! could feel the
thin cord almost penetrating my flesh.
Yet in my state of stupor accepted it as a
necessity, and I offered, or, more proper
ly, was able to offer no opposition.
She then, with another rope, dashed me
to one of the dividing seat arms. Still
was silent and unresisting.
My feelings were quiescent. had moth
ing of the horrible sensation of nightmare,
where the mind revolts, but paralysis
cramps action.
She now took up the strange looking in
strument, which I felt would be utilized
on me, and the service of which was excit-
ing in my mind great curiosity. 1t may
seem strange to the reader, but it is fact
that with tightly stretched cord biting in
to my flesh, my whole thoughts were con-
centrated on the strange looking instru-
ment lying ON the seat by the woman's
side.
The reason of its presence was not long
to be in doubt. She took it, and again
bending over me forced open my mouth
and fixed the instrument. 1t was gag.
I submitted to all this, strange to say,
even mentally quiescent. The only idea
I had was slight curiosity as to what she
would do to me next, but no wonder as
to the purpose or end she had in view
struck me-
She stood over me for a second or two
contemplating her handiwork. Evident
ly satisfied she took down another parcel
from the rack, which she unfastened with
ha, hpo <<>xr nal nj, Oh
placed on the seat covering 1t with brown
paper.
She then sat down on the seat, and re-
moving the slight, delicate shoes she wore
replaced them by heavy boots, which had
evidently been among the contents of the
parcel. Next she caught up her skirt and
fastened it around her waist SO as to leave
the lower part Of her legs free.
She rose, and putting each foot success
sively on the seat fastened strong leather
pad over each knee
She placed her shoes in her pocket and
again let down the window little.
1t had come on to snow, and large flakes
were blown into the carriage.
In my cramped position the cold was
numbing me, and I almost fancied there
was a look of compassion in her eyes as
for second she turned toward me- But
she was bound on action and had no time
to spare.
Taking under her short mantle the ar
ticle she had placed on the seat of the car
riage, she opened the door on the near side
and stepped out on the footboard.
The express was running on the extreme
rails Of the railroad. A ditch bordered the
at M har %ho
side rail. AS have said, snow was falling
in large flakes.
From outside she closed the carriage
door, and her face disappeared from the
window.
Suddenly the train jolted, as trains run
ming at express speed occasionally do, and
shortly after loud explosion struck my
ear. l remembered no more till conscious
ness came back to me with a sense of acute
pain. The train had reached Crewe, por-
ter had looked into the carriage where
was, assistance had been summoned, and
l Twas being freed from my bondage.
1t was some time before could give an
account of the incidents of my eventful
journey, and even then my recital was re-
ceived with some skepticism No trace of
woman could be found on the line, and
surely she could not have escaped unin-
jured, in spite of her knee pads.
"Who had the engaged saloon2" Iasked.
"The Russian ambassador, was the re-
ply.
"There was an explosion, asked. cit
might have been a nihilistic plot-the wo-
man was a foreigner"
SWELL, If she was, she was blown to
pieces by her own bomb"
When the snow cleared away place
was discovered in the hedge on the outside
of the ditch where the wood had been evil
IDENTIFY blown away and blasted, but not
the smallest trace of the mysterious wo-
man was ever discovered.
was sure had been drugged by means
of the cigarette, and that tho fair plotter
was fully prepared not to be interrupted
in her scheme If any one at the last mo-
ment got into the carriage she had selected
concluded that the nonsucccss of her
diabolical plan had been happily brought
about by the jolt of the train, which had
caused her to lose her footing as she crept
along the footboard to hurl the bomb into
the carriage occupied by the Russian en-
bassador, and that it had really been q
case Of "the engineer being hoisted by his
own petard. London Spare Moments.