Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-03-30

then, was the third warming, and | was
now doomed man! ANY moment might
bring my death.
We sat for few minutes in silence
Then Alexis said, Il assume you arc arm
edY''
II have my revolver here, loaded and
ready" l replied
And so have |. Our great danger will
be between here and tho frontier; am
convinced of that. We must use the ut
most vigilance"
Fortunately we have carriage to our
Selves said, land the doors are both
locked We shall have to be on our guard
when we leave this train"
The first part of the journey was long
and firing, and as the day wore on and
night began to gather in we became sleepy
and silent. Alexis curled himself up in
his corner, with the collar of his fur cloak
pulled up over his eyes, and dozed. AS
sat looking at him l noticed how very
similarly we were dressed. / was wearing
cloak and hat very closely resembling
his own, and, muffled up as we were, it
would have been difficult for stranger to
have distinguished one from the other.
1t was II very dark night, and, wishing
to see what kind of country we were pass
ing through, / suddenly turned my face to
the window, and, screening the light with
my hand, tried to peer into the gloom. AS
pressed my nose to the glass l distinctly
saw mans face on the outside looking
in. 1t instantly disappeared.
With one hand on my revolver dashed
down the window and looked out. The
train was rushing along at a great speed
and nearly lost my cap in the wind, but
there was nobody to be seen.
"How you startled me!' cried Petro-
witch. "What on earth is the matter?'
II saw face at the window"
Imagination, my dear fellow, or, more
probably, your own reflection"
mo. am positive it was neither. 1t
was fair man, with beard, while am
dark, with only a mustache"
Alexis suggested we should exchange
seats and lot him experiment. We did SO,
and under my direction he initiated my
movements in looking out of the window.
''It is certainly suspicious he said.
"We must hA on our guard"
We did not go back to our original seats,
but remained as we were. Each held his
revolver in readiness. We sat thus talk
ing for about half an hour. All the time
Kept my eyes fixed on one or the other Of the
windows. Petrovitch was not SO vigilant.
He would gaze at the glass for few
minutes and then turn to speak to me.
Suddenly l thought 1 saw something
moving on the side where Alexis was sit
ting. AS bent forward could discern a
face dimly, but right against the glass was
revolver which a hand was directing at
the head of my friend
"Down! Down for your life!" I shout
ed to Alexis, but the same instant there
was loud report, and the bullet cutting
a clean hole through the glass, laid poor
Petrovitch along the seat.
AT the same moment--indeed believe
half second before-I had fired my own
pistol. AS peered out Of the window l
saw man retreating along the footboard
toward the rear of the train. Again fired,
but without result.
The train soon stopped, and u careful
search was made, but no man at all resem-
bling the ono had seen was to be found.
He must have occupied a compartment
alone, for nobody in the train, if they were
all to be believed, had seen any person
leave n carriage while it was in motion.
Meanwhile it was found that my friend
Alexis was not, as l had feared, killed,
though lie is, unfortunately, disfgured for
life. A skillful doctor was found at the
next station, and he is today hale and
hearty. Probably tho League of the Red
Hand never knew Of the blunder that re-
suited from our exchange Of seats and also
believed that Its intended vengeance on
myself had been carried out to the death.
The actual assassin, however, had very
narrow escape, for cap was picked up on
the line with bullet hole in the crown. I
had missed my man by less than an inch.
London Tit-Bits.