The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-22

light In the signal box. about quarter
OF mile up the line. | could see the
signalman IN his box, the outline Of his
figure standing out against the light
within. ] looked al NV watch. The
down express from London was almost
due. i would make rush for that sig
nal box and compel the occupant 10 put
the signal against il and stop 1t IL was
"a desperate game, but only get that train
TO stop for an instant and all would be
right. BY getting into it could reach
Silkminster in the early morning. and
what cared for any action the COM
pany might take if / saved my friends
son? II the signalman refused to put
back the levers the strength born Of
desperation would enable me TO master
him and then 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 soma
phore signal that was near me let fall
its arm, and the red light was changed
into 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 /
stumbled over and over again. / had
cleared half the distance when l heard
the ominous roar ahead, and in few
seconds could distinguish the distant
glitter of the engines head lamp bear
ing toward me. The train was just over
a mile from me, rushing on at express
speed. With IA groan CALCULATED, TOO
later
At that instant my eye fell upon a
CHASTITY looking structure by the side of
the track, looming grimly through the
darkness. 1t resembled one armed
gallows with man hanging from it,!
For moment / thought it must have
been fearful fancy conjured up by the
thought of Fenthurst's dreadful fate,
but Immediately Remembered that this
strange looking apparition was none
other than "a mailbag suspended from "a
post-in fact, part of the apparatus by
which 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 saw suspended before me.
A mad and desperate idea took pos
session of me. Fortunately am small
man. The bag hung just over my head.
l jumped at it, seized il, drew myself
up parallel with it,, held it firmly at the
top. where it swung by hook, and
drew my legs up So as 70 present as
small compass as possible. Then l
waited. 1t was but few seconds, but
it seemed hours. | heard the roar of the
approaching train. Then the engine
dashed past me. There was whir and
rush, aud all was dark.
When | came TO my senses l was ~
ing on the floor of the postal van. Two
men in their shirt sleeves were brsily
engaged in sorting letters = rack.
felt bruised and stiff all = n, and !
found that my left arm was LDund in Il
sling made ont of handkerchief
"Where are WEI ask d.
They turned around.
vi, Nbu w t'nlc 10, udNt yOus Sbll
one of them. Nov perhaps you II give
an account of yourself It's precious
lucky you're here at all, let me tell
you. for if you had been taller man
we should only have got part Of you in
the net AS it is, you've got your col
lar bone broken. We've tied it up a
bit. +"
20 no hot ha1
prompted me TO take the desperate step
l had done. They piled quantity Of
empty mailbags on the floor and made
me rough shakedown.
A little after we drew up at Silk
minister station. There was policeman
ON the platform, and | at once told my
story TO him, the result being that we
drove round to the Jail and insisted
upon seeing the governor. OF course he
was deeply interested in what / had TO
tell them and at once made arrange
ments to stop the execution. The home
secretary was communicated with by
means of special wire. Fortunately he
happened to be in town, and after q
couple of hours Of anxious suspense
reprieve was received from him.
well, said the governor, II don't
know which l ought to congratulate
most, Mr. Fenthurst or yourself, for you
have botlr had most narrow escape.
Little remains to be told. l soon
identified the condemned man as the
person whom l had met in the train.
He also turned out to be the son of my
old friend, as 1 had fully expected.
After the due formalities he was dis
charged. Suspicion having strongly at
tached itself to his name, however, he
was very miserable, until about fort
night afterward the real murderer was
discovered and captured. Charles Fent-
hurst and myself became firm friends.
and although l was fearfully shaken
and upset for some weeks after this adj
venture | never regretted the night on
which l was picked up with the mails.
Strand Magazine.
The Captain Of The Standard.
Charles Dickens was not militant