The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-04-09

my eyes and saw above me in the deep
bne sky a radiant full moon. A dull,
heavy sensation in the back of my
head made me try to put my hand on
the aching spot. but discovered that
I was bound hand and foot. Gradu-
ally | collected my thoughts, remem-
bered the attacks Of highwaymen, and
a terrible foreboding, which made my
heart stop beating, darted through my
brain. II felt that / was laid across
two sharp, parallel projections, which
pressed against me most painfully,
and, listening intently, / heard, far be-
was no Doubt was lying across the
rails of the Cayuga Bridge, bound, I'M
able to move, with the terrible. certain
prospect of being cut into three pieces
by the next train.
Il almost lost consciousness again.
But | soon recovered my composure.
Then tugged desperately at my
bonds until they almost cut my mus
cles, shrieked, and at last wept like a
child. / tried to roll myself into a diff
! ferent position, and remembered that
an incautious movement would hurl
me into the silent waves of the Cayu-
ga-bOund hand and foot, motionless
as a stone.
| II shuddered and lay still. But not
long. The light of the large, to me,
fearfully brilliant moon the FLASHING
of the water below, the wind blowing
softly, then the deathlile silence again,
rarely interrupted even by the distant
notes of bridal became unendura-
bic and inspired me with unspeakable
terror. And the rails! The rails! My
senses tortured me. could not es-
NO, Nbo l1C ~ f,o
bridge trembled almost imperceptihly
from the washing Of the water. l inn
agined felt the approach of the train,
and my heart stood still, only to
throb the next instant with such dread
full speed that the pulsations We're al
most audible. @
There are some things. gentlemen,
which are totally incomprehensible to
me; one Of them is how I survived
that night. One thing stood distinctly
before my mind. I must endeayor to
work myself into another position-if
possible get into the space between
the rails-if it was not, perhaps the
next moment, to become the victim Of
the most agoniZing death. -
And succeeded! I strained every
muscle, every sinew. to the point of
breaking. writhcd, I twisted, L
painted, my head seemed bursting,
and, after tremendous exertion, which
appeared to me to last an eternity,
though, perhaps, IT. was only moments.
l found myself in the hollow between
the rails. s<... =. ~, ,. - 5
WAS I safe I had not time to con-
slider or rejoice in my new hope. but
all my vital powers were concentrated
in the single sense of hearing. In the
f,,, = sr,4~ 1s-4., s-l~
vaguely, then more and more diStin"-
ly, the regular, monotonous, dull noise
which is produced by a moving loco
motive. The awful silence of the night
merged, minute by minute, into the
still more awful, confused, Earring
sounds, the rafting and grooming,
rumbling and painting Q fthe locomo-5
tive, which was rushing forward at
the mad speed of American trains A
thousand feet more, five hundred-all
the terrors of the Internal regions as
sailed me, but not a muscle moved; I
| lay as if turned to stone. [ tried to
shrek, but did not even hear my own
voice; how should it reach those on
the train?
Now for All infinitely brief space of
! time, I fancied that I saw a bright
| light, a blast of hot air famed me;
then, suddenly, darkness shrouGed
me: I heard a laundering roar, as
though the very heavens were falling.
''Close, very close. barely an inch
! above, the monster dashed over mel
| was safe. Still half-unconscious, I
heard deafenjng lumbling, and clat-
| tering. and saw shadowy masses fit
by; there was another moment of aw-
full dread-the hook Of chain which
hung lower than the rest caught me,
dragged me along a few feet, and
| finally tore a large piece from the
breast OF my coat, releasing me-then
every object danced around me, the
moon, the bridge and the high bank
Whirled in giddy maze above and
below me and my senses failed.
when [ regained my consciousness
found myself in my bed, with tamil
lar faces around me. TO make my
story short, had been picked up in
the morning after that terrible night
by signal man, recognized and taken
to Auburn. A violent fever kept me
for fortnight within the shadow of
death, but my strong constitution con-
quered. When, after my recovery. I
looked in the glass for the first time,
L saw what traces those moments had
faft upon me-"
The physician paused. The pallid
face, the expression of horror in his
eyes, the perspiration which stood in
large drops upon his brow, showed
how Vivid must be his remembrance
of the scene, and how greatly the mar
ration had exhausted him
! Gradually the breathless anxiety
with which we had listened to the
story related with such graphic pow
! er, passed away, and cheerfulness
| returned.
| Then we paced to and fro for a long
| in the moonlight, in the garden,
behind the tavern, listening to the doc
! tors tales of less narrowing expert
ences in the young land of liberty,
| wonders and adventure
Builded Better Than They knew.
The trnly-gifted engineer always
makes one part of his work fit into an
other, anG no energy is. ever wasted.
| A wealthy engineer, who had set up Il
! very fine place in the country, where
he had carried out many pet construct