The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-26
The BLACK DIAMOND.
FROM The strand Alaeazlne.

There was still sufficient daylight for me
10 read bv / turned over my papers and
selected my favorite and leant back on
the cushions TO enjoy "a at my leisure. As
] did so. 10 seemed 10 me that the revolver
in mypOcket stuck out at an unpleasant
angle. Now, ] must confess TO a weakness
and that is an intense dislike 10 weapons
Of any kind. AS Bon Gaultier expresses it,
- have a wholesome horror both Of pow
der and Of steel % so i drew the revolver
from my pocket and placed IL on the seat
beside me II was not wise thing 10 DO,
as a sudden lurch OF the train might have
sent 10 flying off. when the mischief would
have been done. However this was what
7 did. and then resumed my reading with
redoubled relish.
For some quarter Of an hour I was
buried IN an article, but at the end Of
that time I laid the paper down and
glanced about me Then 4 became aware
Of an extraordinary fact-the revolver
had disappeared. At first / was incredu-
lous. I looked on the seats on either side
OF me, ] felt IN my pockets TO see IT. 1
had replaced IL there. but il was not to be
seen. And as / sat daZed and beWildered
the horrible conviction forced itself upon
me that 1 was not alone, that some one
was concealed beneath the seat, and had
been locked in with me- II was hideOuS
thought. sat motionless. making no
sign. trying 10 face the position was
in as bravely as / could.
I told myself at last that whoever was
in hiding could have no possible designs
on me. II was but chance that / had
selected the carriage where some UNI
fortunate creature was already conceal
ed some one, perhaps, who was being
pursued, and was in want OF n weapon OF
self-defense, and who, therefore, mad
been unable to resist the temptation or
fered by my revolver. That must be itt
My hopes began to revive as / reasoned
out this theory. did not touch the alarm
bell not knowing in what quarter OF the
carriage my mysterious companion mlsht
be, thinking he would doubtless spring
upon me 10 prevent my making the sig
nal. If my notion Of the felOn wish
ing to ESCAPE were correct / felt that by
s. I
where the train stopped for the first time
in safety.
/ need not say that / was unable TO
continue my reading. ] sat with pa
per held in my hand, staring fiXedly be
fore me. ] don't know what length OF
time passed when suddenly / felt some
thing touch nv foot Without moving my
body In the least. I bent my head and
looked down, and what I saw sent thrill
through me- that was felt in every nerve.
on the floor close TO my foot, was a
hand. and the hand was black.
Then for certainty / knew that l
was I'm the deadliest peril; that ! was
alone and unarmed at the mercy Of the
malignant wretch who had followed me
from the far east with the fixed deter
mination of securing the diamond. ] felt
that he was trying to slip a cord about
my feet and so render me more helpless.
1t was a hideous dream, a grim night
mare, from which each moment / eX-
pected to awake But / seemed doomed.
NO chance to escae was possible. Death
stared me in the face. Still, whatever
1 IL
therefore l resolved that if die 1 must.
l would die game.
l gathered all my strength together, and
with a sudden movement caught that
dusky hand and dragged the Indian from
his hiding-place. My attack was un-
pected that he had not time to get at the
revolver, which he had evidently thrust
in his breast while he was busy with the
cord. saw my advantage in this, and
chung to his right hand with desperate
energy. But the brute was on me like
nOWeTfll
with far more physical strength than I
possessed, and from the first / saw that
my case was hopeless; nevertheless, the
struggle was a fierce one.
In reality, ] suppose, il lasted but a few
seconds, yet had time to ask myself more
than once what the end would be, little
imagining the strange termination that
was at hand. All at once, without any
warning, the train dashed headong into
some great obstacle in its path. There was
a terrible crash. and then the carriage we
We're i'm collapsed-crushed and splintered
as nut between the crackers.
The first lurch the train gave had sep
arated me from my enemy l knew not
what had been his fate. As for myself
was buried in the debris of the carriage.
Ny right side (hoth arm and Lego was ter
riby crushed The pain was too acute to
allow of my quite losing consciousness, al
though ! was dazed and stupefied. For the
last half hour / had been trying TO face
death braVely, feeling that my end was
near, SO that, in "a measure, ] was spared
the terrible panic that filled the other pas
sengerS in the train. | could hear their
frantic, agoni2ed cries for help. / could
hear tho hurried footsteps of those who
went to their aid, and now and then /
could see the Pickering light of the lam
terms they carried. But l heard and saw
all in an indistinct way. not realizing eX
actly what was going on. AT times, I fell
into a stupor, from which the pain in my
crushed limbs reused me and brought me
back TO life once more.
After awhile the wood upon me was lift
ed, and kindly faces looked down on me,
expressing pity for my condition. l must
have tainted when they tried to raise me,
for when ! next remembered anything /
was being carried along in the dark, with
the feeble light of a lantern bobbing up
and down before me. Again there was a
blank and when ! next came to myself 1
was lying in a bed in small place that
had evidentlybeen hastily arranged as a
hospital for the wounded.
l felt weak and shattered by all I had
gone through, and sank back on my pill
lows with a sigh of relief Close to the
bed a gentleman was standing who 1
supposed was a doctor, and at a little dis
lance was nurse with a white cap. 1
took in all these details in a dreamy way,
when suddenly, with a rush that sent my
of the diamond. What had become of it?
My right arm, which must have been very
badly broken and was now in splints was
quite useless. l could not move it in the
least. With my left hand, which was also
bruised and sprained, l was able to feel
that the leather belt was still about me
but the pocket in which the stone was was
under my wounded arm. In the condition
/ was in, it was impossible for me to get
at il, turn and twist as l might.
The doctor must have heard my restless
movements, for he came and looked down
at me inQuiringly. He had a shrewd.
kindly face which | felt l could trust and
] explained my trouble to him. | spoke in
a low tone, and as briefly as possible 1t
was a strange story-althOugh l made no
mention of the Indian-and my listener
might have thought it the rawlings of de-
lirium, but on slipping his hand under me
as | directed, he felt the pocket in the belt
and assured me that the stone was there
But you are hardly in fit state to
guard your treasure" he said shall I
take charge of it until you can resume
your Journey"
I thanked him warmly, but declared
that it was impossible that l could part
with it for a moment l know | was
very excited when l said it, for / felt
my temples throbbing, and my tongue
seemed hardly able to form the words
The doctor watched me critically for a
moment, and then, as he laid his hand
upon my pulse, said, soothingly:
Never mind, do not distress yourself
Perhaps, after all. il is better as it is
For who knows of the stones existence?
So put your fears aside and try to get
Well"