, 1896-07-08

aisle, stopped, and looked at me cur
ously.
r Conductor" said I. that man is
lunatic."
In a few words, l detailed the &C
tons and the declaration of my fellow
: passenger.
h conductors expression of curl
7 osity changed to one of amazement.
/ Why" said he, Il have Just bee,
told you did ell that yourself. Are yo,
both lunatics?"
was so astounded hat | could thinl
Of nothing to say, and sat there lookin,
at the conductor in an Incompatible,
stupid way. That functionary studiet
me obviously for awhile. glanced bach
at the other man, and then, evidentl,
concluding we were both harmless, lief
the car.
The extraordinary passenger now
remained passively in his seat, with
his back toward me. In a short while
the train stopped. l looked out, but
could discover no railway station. A
brakeman rushed by me and uncoupled
the forward freight cars. which the en-
CINE pulled away to the station, a quar-
ter of a mile distant, leaving the two
passenger cars standing alone on the
plain.
The man ahead did not move. | turn
ed TO my bag for a second to get a fresh
cigar, and when l looked again, my
man had disappeared. l could not be-
lieve it possible for him to have left
the car within hat incredibly short
space of time, and l arose quickly and
started to go forward. Almost instant
ly a couple of bullets whizzed past my
head and crashed through the glass
door behind me l was dazed for the
moment, but two more shots and the
falling of broken glass acted as a won
derful impetus, and l dropped to the
floor behind the seats. The next shot
shattered the lamp at the opposite end
Of the car. Another, and l was covered
with glass from the one above me. That
the shooter was a good marksman
there was no installing. After the
lamps were demolished, a perfect fusil-
lade of shots ensued, the most of them
apparently being directed at the door
to prevent my escape in that direction.
lay perfectly still and tried to think.
1t seemed a long time before l heard
voices on the outside, as the excited
passengers gathered around the car.
None Of them, of course. dared to en-
ter it. recognized the voice of the
conductor as he said:
We'll have to wait until they kill
each other"
Some moments elapsed, and the fir
ing became less frequent. began to
hope that the ammunition of my would
be murderer was about exhausted. Sud
denly it occurred to me that the win
dow might AFFORD me an escape. eau
tiously l reached my hand to the one
above me, and felt for the catch on the
sash. At this very moment my ankle
w "" " Il VIM nav
'n'e =. sea'' ~ ,ne "n'
it very possible that l cried out in ter
~ n' ""p nen
p
loose from his grasp, struggled to my
. " "'seA u .ne q oN
~ ~
o..
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