Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-03-26
"A QUEER ADVENTURES \ i I j! !,

W. SGAoSlliS CuC Ollly 9OCCupd4COl Iuc CdE-
riage in which / rode, broke the tedium
Of the journey aby reading. in the linn:
light of the chill December day, so11fe OF
the several periodicals with which J.
had furnished myself at the bookstall
previous to my departure from the sta
ton.
The papers at that time were full of
accounts respecting some startling cut
RACES committed just previously by a.
band Of desperate nihilists, who, in their
own particular manner, v ere :levylngg
war upon civilization in q well-knDwn.
European capital. The reports We're
alarmingly graphic, and an air of in"
security was engcndered by reading.
them, for rumor had it that the ram;fi-
cations wesc wel!-nigh iilnitless, ex-
tending into other lands besides their
own, and it was plainly limited that Eng
land was shortly to receive a Special
share of their attentions.
read on until the growing darkness
rendered the operation TOO difficult to.
be longer INDUCED in, and then unused
upon what I had read until, half my
journey being accomplished, it became.
necessary for me to change my train.
With quarter Of an hour to Spare, L
entered the buffet attached to tile sta
ton at which L ha;: stopped, with the
object of obtaining some needed re-
freshment. Having eaten nothing since
breakfast, l was hungry, and looked
round for something Substantial VIII ere
with to appcase my appetite.
The only available thing beside the
usual sandwich was German sausage,
which I began to tackle without the
least compunctior. Although not an
edible that usually INDUCED into be
correct, / had never before tasted it.
the inelegant polony seemed to my
sharpehcd palate quite toothsome food,
and l ate vigorously, and telt. ash be-
iieved, all the better for it when the
time came to resume my journey.
I had a companion this time, a man
who, like myself, was closely wrapped,
and who occupied the seat directly OPP
posite to the corner one in which 1
placed myself. In his hand 1 noticed
that he carried small, cblong parcel,
incased in brown paper and tied with
strip of thin string, SO arranged as to
form loop for the fingers that held it,
On starting, my fellowtraveler made
q few commonplace remarks about the
weather, and later on, with an air Of
decided socia bility, offered me his flask.
L am aware that it is not ordinarily adj
visable to accept hospitality in this way.
from a, stranger, and it is a thing al
ways set my face against. but, in this
instance, 7 broke through my custom,
*and took the tproHered drink, and then,
drawing my wraps closely around me,
Snuggled into my corner, and tried to
make myself comfortable for the rest
fRf the: ride
III had*not~ been long thus ensconced
sNhen "a kind Of drowsy stupor began to
Hreep overme, which steadily increased,
despite repeated efforts on my partto
;shake it off. AS 1 sat. in this semi-con-
scious state. my thoughts; reverted to
the nihilistic literature had been read
ling, and instantly it occurred to me that
the brandy had been drinking was
arugged. The thought was not aplhas
ant one, and somewhat alarmed. by it
I%made a farther attempt to rouse my
self from the lethargy into which.I was
falling, but without success. Suddenly
I lost consciousness entirely, and every.
thing became blank. "a AZ
It was only for a few moments, how.
ever, for my senses returned as quickly
his they had left me, although my power
of action was quite gone. Iseemed like
Il person under the influence of some
,mesmeric spell, from which there is no
escape. In this condition my gaze in
.stinctively turned to my companion,
and I noticed, as thought, a mysteri-
GUS change in his appearance. His com
plexion had assumed malignant air:
his eyes wore wild look, and round
his mouth there curled cunning smile.
AS I sat watching him.: he began to
undo the parcel in his hands, and draw
ing away the paper in which it was in
closed, exposed to view box apparent
ly made Of tin. A little hinged door on
one of it,, sides, which he presently
opened, showed that the interior was.
filled with a species of clockwork ar
tangeme1tt, and instinctively guessed
that the thing l beheld was one Of those
diabolical inventions which have come
to be known by the term of internal ma
chimes. %.,.s b.. y
On behclding this horrible engine Of
destruction, which, for >aught 1 knew,
might be fused ready for it's dreadful
work, my first thought was to stretch
out my hand for the communication
cord, and, by stopping the train, let the
authorities know the manner of maj.
they were carrying; but, on attempting