Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-08-22


about an inquiry, and it would moi
do to trust them. was in despair.
MadIy I threw on my hat and rushed
out. l ran in u mechanical way to thu
postoffice. Of course, it was shut
and il I had aroused the caretaker he
couldn't have wired; besides, all oul
wires went first to F., and, rs
have said, all communication was shut
off after S o'clock. Then started
for the railway station. This wal
about half mile from the postoflice
and we'll outside the town. As I hur-
ried along, I thought, with fresh dis
may, that this would also prove &
fruitless errand, for the last train &c
Silkminster was the $50 p. M, by
which have mentioned the postmas
ter always travelled. Silkminster,
must mention, was nearly $50 miles
down the line.
Should / wait till the morning and
telegraph? I remembered that the
Office did not open till eight O'Clock
l had, by this time, reached the sta
ton. OF course, it was all shut up and
all the lights were out, except those in
the signal lamps for the night express.
1t was now half past eleven. Was
there no hope? Yes.
At this moment my eye caught g
light in the signal box, about a quar-
ter of a mile up the line. 1 could see
the signalman in his box, the outline
OF his figure standing out against the
light within. I looked at my watch
the down express from London was
almost due. would make o rush fol-
that signal box, and compel the occu.
pant to put the signal against it and
stop it. 1t was desperate game, but
only get that train to stop for an in
slant, and all would be right. By get.
ting into 1t could reach Silkminster
in the early morning, and what cared
l for any action the company might
take if I saved my friends SOM If
the signalman refused to put back the
levers, the strength born of despera.
ton would enable me to master him,
and relax them myself. All this
flashed across me in an instant, and ]
clambered over the ratings on the
side of the station, and found myself
on the line.
Even as reached the rails q soma.
phore signal that was near me let fall
it's arm, and the red light changed in.
to q brilliant green. The express was
signaledl Would there be time? ]
dashed along over the rough sleepers
toward the signal box. It was very
dark and l stumbled over and over
again. I had cleared about half the
distance when I heard the ominous
roar ahead, and in few seconds could
distinguish the distant glitter of the
engines head lamp bearing toward
me. The train was just over mile
from me, rushing on at express, speed.
With groan I calculated, "Too
late!"
At that instant my eye fell upon a
CHASTITY looking structure by the side
of the track, looking grimly through
the darkness. 1t resembled a one
armed gallows with q man hanging
from it! For a moment I thought it
must. have been fearful fancy con.
jured up by the thought OF Fen.
thurst's dreadful fate, but Immediate
ly I remembered that this strange
looking apparition was none other
than a mail bag suspended from apost
in fact, part of the apparatus by
which a train going at full speed picks
up the mails. The express train that
was coming had postal car attached
to it. From the side of the car strong
rope net would be laid out, catching
the bag I saw suspended before me.
As a bag would be deposited from
the train in somewhat similar man.
ner, there ought to have been q man
on guard. I afterward found he had
left his post and gone to have a chat
with his friend in the CHEEKY signal
box.
A mad and desperate idea took pos
session of me. The train that was
bearing down, and which would reach
me in one minute, should pick me up
with the mails I grssped the idea OF
the thing in a second. If I could hang
on to that bag so that it came between
me and the net, it would break the
force of the shock, and the net would
receive me as we'll as the bag. For
tunately I am a small man. The bag
hung Just over my head. Jumped at
it, seized it, drew myself up parallel
with it, held it firmly ct the top,
where it swung by a hook, and drew
my legs up so as to present as small a
compass as possible. 1t did not take
me half q minute to do all this. Then
I waited. 1t was but few seconds,
but it seemed hours. heard the roar
of the approaching train. Then the
engine dashed past me. I shall never
forget the row of lighted carriages
passing about foot away from me-
closer even than that, I suppose-and
I hanging and waiting for the crash to
come.
And it came. There was dull thud
"a whir and a rush, and all was dark.
When came to my senses ! was ly-
lug VI VIC AOOI VI tuc pObthi val.
Two men in their shirt.sleeves were
busily engaged in sorting letters at a
rack. felt bruised and stiff all over,
and ! found that my left arm was
bound in sling made out of q hand
kerchief.
"Where are we?" asked.
They turned round.
ooh, you've come to, have your"
said one them. ''Now, perhaps, you'll
give an account of yourself. It's
precious lucky you're here at all, let
me tell You that, for if you had been q
taller man we should only have got
part of you in the net As it is, you've
got your collar-bone broken. We've
tied it up a bit. Now, perhaps, you'll
speak out; and look heie, if we find
you've been lodging the police, don't
you 60 thinking you'll give 'em the
slip any further. The mail van amt
. refuge Of that sort"
I told them the motive that had
me to take the desperate
step I had done. They wouldn't be.
1ievA IL Mt frat T,ucki1v khonOh 7