The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-16
TRAVELLING WITH A MADMAN.
THIS LUNATIC WAS CUNNING He
You'd BELIEF.

'JerkWater railroad" in California. These
terms obtain I'm railway parlance. The
Taln consisted OF a motley and sinuous
length Of freight cars. with TWO passen-
ger cars bringing up the rear. one a
smoker I was in the latter. ana IL was
night Al either end a htful and flicker
ing light family ulumined the extremIties
Of the car. and intensified the darkness of
the rest of it. The only other occupant
was man at the further end. who sat
directly under the ught. with his back to-
ward me.
1 had been smoking furlously for half
an hour trying to subdue, in the solaee
OF tobacco, the veXatlon caused by the
irritating siowness Of the train as 1t rat
tied Wearily along. For lack Of anything
better TO do l pressed my face against the
window pane and tried TO decipher objects
IN The outside b,acNness through which
we were moving. Ghosts OF telegraph
poles fitted by in regular procession; the
rails of a parallel track seemed to be
racing with the train and keeping up with
II; occasional lights few and far between
told when farmhouse was passed. This
was neither exciting nor entertaining and
turned from the dreariness without to
that within Then ] noticed that the man
al the further end had his arm thrown
over the back of the seat and his face
was turned toward me
The conductor. with his lantern on his
arm entered a. the moment, and proved
q temporary diversion. Was the train
lateE Yes. but the time would be made
up before We reached the terminus We
had couple of freight cars to drop at
the next station and a couple to take on.
eul the delay would be slight. The con-
ductor walked the length of the car, re-
turned and went into the rear one. Grad
ually l began to nod. My cigar feI from
my fingers, and leaned sleepily over my
travelling bag beside me. / dozed for "A
Whlie until awakened by "A jerk from the
tram i looked ahead and saw my fellow
passenger. He still had his arm over the
back OF the seat. and he appeared to be
gazing steadtastly i'm my direction. ] no.
tlced he was not In the same seat as be-
lore, out IN one three or four nearer my
END of the car ! was just wondering how
long i had been asleep and how long he
mad been watching me, when / saw him
stealthily step into the aisle and sink into
the next seat I'm my direction. his arm
over its back and his face toward me as
before. | was thoroughly awake and Gu
rlous now and not a little uneasy, TO boot
He had got into the dark shadows Of
the car, and all 1 could discern was his
form and the .ndistinct white disk of his
face. Two minutes. and again a catllke
movement and change Of seat.
/ leaned back and feigned sleep. and
watched him through partly closed eye
lids. This, however. seemed to reassure
him, for he advanced two seats in quick
succession. 1 counted the backs of the
seats. He was still six away from me.
FOR moment l felt inclined to get up
and leave the car. would not have adj
mitted that / was afraid. but there was
something decidedly uncanny about the
mysterious approach of the stranger in
that darkened car, and began 10 devel-
op rather healthy anxiety. Besides, I
had forgotten my revolver when leaving
home Had the conductor entered / would
have been grateful. Still / determined TO
see what the mans object might be- AS
the rays from the light In my end OF the
car fell upon him. i was better able to
make him out. / could see he was a man
OF about my own age and physique. with
piercing black eyes IN which / thought
could detect a suspicion that / was not
asleep. As / watched him advance seat
and, II so, how could repel II. My nerves
are pretty good, but they were being sore
ly tried. Strange as 1t may seem, even dur
ing those critical moments, while / watch
ed him as alertly as he did me, the mo-
notonous rattle Of the train got into my
head and compelled me TO keep note Of its
regular, but unmusical time-beat:
Clack, clack, clickity-clack; click. click,
clackity-click-he was but two seats away
-clack, clack, clickity-clack-he was in
the seat Immediately in front of me, his
face not three feet from my own-click,
click, clickity-
1 could stand it no longer; I opened my
eyes and met his gaze. long moment
and them
We'll" from me-
You are my brother William"
1t was not a question, but an afiirma-
ton, solemnly and slowly made.
You are mistaken" 1 began, immeas-
urably relieved, Il
you are my brother william" he re-
peated, fercely, land / shall punish you
as you punished me-"
At this juncture, without any accounta-
bic reason, he paused, as If listening in
tently, rose and walked swiftly back to
his seat at the extreme end of the car.
Thereupon the door opened and the con-
ductor stood beside him. AT once he gave
him a look and apparently animated re-
cital. Several times he pointed to me
The railway official came down the
aisle, stopped and looked at me curiously
Conductor" said l, that man is
lunatic."
In a few words detailed the actions and
the declarations of my fellow-me ssenger.
The conductors expression Of curiosity
changed to one of amazement.
why" said he, II have just been told
you did all that yourself Are you both
lunatics?'
was so astounded that I could think
OF nothing TO say, and sat there looking
at the conductor in an inconnarablv
obviously for awhile, glanced back at the
other man, and then. evidently conclud-
ing that we were both harmless, left the
car.
The extraordinary passenger now re-
manned passively in his seat, with his
back towards me. In a short while the
train stopped. ] looked out, but could dis
cover no railway station. A brakeman
rushed by me and uncoupled the forward
freight cars, which the engine pulled away
to the station, a quarter of a mile distant
leaving the two passenger cars standing
alone on the plain
The man ahead did not move I turned
to my bag for a second to get a fresh ci-
gar. ard when 1 looked again my man
had disappeared. l could not believe il
possible for him to have left the car with
in that incredibly short space Of time, and
/ arose quickly and started to go for
ward. Almost instantly a couple Of bull
let's whzzed past my head and crashed
through the glass door behind me. / was
dazed for the moment, but two more shots
and the falling of broken glass acted as
a wonderful impetus, and / dropped to
the floor between the seats. The next
shot shattered the lamp at the other end
of the car. Another and / was covered
with glass from the one above me. That
the shooter was a good marksman there
was no mistaking. After the lamps were
demolished perfect fusilade of shots en-
sued, the most of them apparently being
directed at the door to prevent my escape
in that direction. / lay perfectly still and