Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-06-13

in a dream. one OF the escaped cfilni-
nails bending over me. then darkness
shrosisled my mind,
.'lt must have been late al night
when Consciousness returned. opeilec
NV eyes and saw above me in the deep
bne sky radiant full moon A duh,
heavy sensation in the back OF my
head made me try 10 put my hand on
the aching spot. but discovered that
/ was bound hand and foot Gradu-
ally | collected my thoughts, reIneia-
bered the attacks OF highwaymen, and
a terrible foreboding. which made my
heart stop beating. ,iarted through my
brain | felt that | was laid across
two sharp, parallel projections. which
pressed against me tnOSt painfully.
and, listening intently. heard. far be-
low me. a faint. FLASHING sound.
was no Doubt was lying across the
rails of the Cayuga Fridge. bound, uil-
able to move, with the terrible. certain
prospect Of being cur into three pieces
by the next train.
II almost host consciousness again.
But / soon recovered my composure.
Then | tugged desperately al my
bonds until they almost cut my mus
tles. shrieked. and an last wept like
child. | tried 10 roll myself into a diff
fereiit position. and remembered that
an incautious movement would hnri
me into the silent waves OF the Cayu-
ga-bound hand and foot. ulotioniess
as q stone
Il shnddered and lay still But not
long. The light OF the large. 10 me.
fearfully brilliant moon. the FLASHING
of the water below fhe wind having
softly, then the deathlike silence again.
rarely interrupted even by the distant
notes of bird-all became unendura-
BILE and inspired me with unspeakable
terror. And the rails. The rails. My
senses tortured me- could not es-
cape them. The wooden beams OF the
bridge tTembled almost imperceptihly
from TIE washing Of the water ! I'm
agined feft the approach of the train,
and my heart stool still. only tn
throb the next instant with such dread-
lul speed that the pllsations were al
most ardiole.
There are some things. gentlemen.
which are totally ueomprehensible 10
me: one Of them i how i survived
that night one thing stood ,listin, tly
before nv mind. / must eu,l.ayor Il,
work myself into another uosition-if
possible get into the Snace between
the raiIs-if il was mol. perhaps the
next moment. 10 become the victim IL
the most aeonizine death.
And | succee,is.elf / strained every
muscle. eyerx sinew IN the point ~
breaking. / writhed. twisted.
panted. nv hsad seemed bursting
and. after tremendous exertion. which
appeared 10 ME TO last an eternity.
though. perhaps. II was only ,nolne,,ts.
| founf myself In the hollow between
the rails.
WAS / safe / had moi time 10 eon-
slider or rejoice IN my new hop. but
all my vital ye,wers were concentrated
i'm the single sense Of hearing in the
far distance / distinguished al ftrst
vaguely. then more and more distius.-
IL. the regular. monotOnous. dulI Noise
which is produced nv n moving ioco-
motive. The awful silence Of the night
merged. minute nv miDute into the
still more awful. confused. EARRING
sounds. the rattIing and groanIne
rumbIIng and nnntine d fthe Io,ou.,.
tive. which was rushing forward ~
the mad speed Of American trains 4
thousand feet more five hupdrasJ--aIt
the terrors of the Internal regions as.
sailed me. hut not a muscle moved. i
Iay AZ II turned 10 stone. tried ID
shrek. hut did not eyen hear nv own
voice: how should ii reach those on
the train?
wow for All infinitely brief snae. az
time. I faItcied that / saw 4 bright
light. a blast OF hot air famed mo:
then. s,ld,l,nlv dartneSs shrn,,....d
me: heard laundering roar NJ
though tile very heavens were falling
Close. very close. barely an inch
above. the monster dashed over mo Il
was safe. Still balf-unconsciors I
heard n deafenine rurnbIipg and eiat.
tering, and saw shafIowy masses M
by: there was another monant ~ aw.
full dread--the hook of chain which
hung lower than the rest caught u,s,
dragged me along few feet. and
fillaIIy tore ] largo ,,ia,,. fro,,, Az,
breast OF my coat. releasing ,ne-tben
every object danced around me. the
moon. the bridge AMI the hIrI, bang
whirled in giddy MAJ, above and
below me and nv senses failed.
when I rccaine,I INV CONSCIOUSNESS
r.