The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-11-07

creased, he saw the blood on, his land
and ut the same instant he heard the
rumble Of the express in the deep
stone cutting only six miles off.
Springing to the erect position,
IIanty passed through some ten Sec
onds of the most intense mental e1-
ertlon he had ever known. Then came
his design and his action. At rain
pool he half filled the broken flask
with water. Feeling for the blood
vessel which gave the pulse at his lett
wrist, he set his teeth and plunged The
keen angular edge Of the glass bottle
neck (keener than the finest lance or
razor into it. The lights Of the ex-
press emerged from the cutting. The
blood jetted from the wounded artery
none too freely for the anxious mar
tyr who had the train to save. Much
of the scarlet stream poured down the
sides Of the flask, even when, by the
light OF the candle, Lauty did what he
could to direct the stream into tho
bottle. But at last, with the roar OF
the train waxing louder and coming
nearer, lanty had made rich ruby
colored fluid in tho flask. Cramming
twisted paper into The broken neck, he
carefully opened the lantern, placed
the bottle between the flame and the
glass, needed not at all the letting ar
terry, and stepped on to the line m
front Of the express.
"Now, mny God send that I get far
enough to give them time to see the
signal an pull up!' moanel Lanty.
"'Tis liquor that's a curse; an mo
head is reelin' SO, I can't hardly hold
the lanthern steady! an now, if tho
Mother O God doesn't strengthen me
knees, I can't go far enough to do any
coed! They'll sec the big green light;
but who would notice this poor red
glimmer-anyway in time? What!
Glory be to God! they're whistlln' !"
And so it was! Ionder, about a
mile off. the keen eyed driver OF the
big wheeled engine Tornado had
caught sight of poor, tottering Ienty's
feeble red light. lie need no longer
strain forward upon those trembling
limbs. Straddlins his legs apart SO
that he might at least stand the more
firmly-raising his lamp high in his
left hand, and pressing " round peb-
bic into the wound in the wrist with
his right, there he stood! Never did
seconds seem so like minutes. Lanty
felt his limbs failing. A dew which
was not all rain tricklel down his fore
head. Indeed, the cool rain, which
might have refreshed him, had abrupt
~ ceased.
"Father in heaven! give me
strength 10 hold up till I stop tn ex-
press! Resaye my sowl if il ends me!
An hear my vow; If it stops short
and spare itself en- meself, the dhrain
Of dnrink I TUX five minutes ago will
be the last forever, by the Sacramento
OF God. Amen! All. mercilul Lord!
It's blind I'm getsin'! Let me put the
lanthern safe down on the sleeper!
There! All, Glory be to God, the sig
mailman has seen it, an changed the
signal! To- express is, stoppin'! T.
Gu-dy-'
The great Kissing engine Tornado
pulled up within sixty yards OF Lanty
Rioardan's red light. The stoker and
the guard ran forward, and found the
poor fellow unconscious from loss of
blood beside it. The scarlet spray
from the jetting artery had closely
spotted his face and dress. Two of tho
passengers were eminent surgeons.
The artery was instantly compressed
and quickly tied. Others soon found
the landslip and explained what had
happened.
But when TASKS were produced,
and it was attempted to give the brave
fellow some stimulant, lie feebly
turned his pale, clammy face away,
pushed the liquor aside, md said:
"Wather, il We phase! NNid my last
dyin' words I put my blacklist curse
On the dhr1nk; an die I will, phase
God, aiore I throw His mercy back il
His fnce with the breakin' Of my word.
Wather!"
"Iou are not going to die, ny brave
fellow !" said the surgeon, as he ipea
his own hands after the operation.
"You have saved all our lives at the
double risk Of your own; an d, as one
of the directors, shall tell the story
Of how you did il"
It was many days before Lanty
Rioraan was even pronounced out OF
danger, and many weeks before he
was able to get actively about, or essay
any kind Of work, so heavy had been
the loss Of blood which he had SUI
fered. The circumstances were hushed
up ss much as might be, lest passen-
gers should shrink from travelling by
by q line upon which such dangers
were possible. Within an hour of the
occurrence a large gang had been put
to work upon the weak spot; and no
subsistence can ever possibly take