, 1896-07-08
A FIGHT WITH A MADMAN.
The Midnight Adventure of a Traveller
on a California Railroad.

was AhA>" ~
a "terkwater railroad" il California
These terms obtain in railway par
lance. The train consisted of a motle.
and sinuous length Of freight cars, witt
two passenger cars bringing up tn
rear, on a smoker. l was in the latter
and it was night. At either end a fit
full and Pickering light family illumin
ed the extemities of the car and in
tensified the darkness of the rest of it
The only other occupant was a man a
its further end, who sat directly under
the light with his back toward me.
had been smoking furiously for hal
an hour. trying to subdue, in solace o.
tobacco. the vexation caused by the
Irritating slowness of the train as il
ratified YEARLY along. For lack of any.
thing better to do, | pressed my face
against the window pane and tried tc
decipher objects in the outside black
ness through which we were moving.
Ghosts of telegraph poles fitted by in
regular procession: the rails of a par
allel track seemed to be racing with the
train and keeping up with it; occasion
al lights, few and far between, told
when a farmhouse was passed. This
was neither exciting nor entertaining,
and | turned from the dreariness with
out to that within. Then I noticed that
the man at the further end had his
arm thrown over the back of the seat
and his face was turned toward me.
The conductor, with his lantern on
his arm, entered at this moment and
proved a temporary diversion. Was
the train late? Yes, but the time would
be made up before we reached the ter
minus. We had a couple Of freight
cars to drop at the mex station and a
couple to take on, but the delay would
be slight. The conductor walked the
length Of the car, returned, and went
into the rear one. Gradually l began
to nod. My cigar fell from my fingers,
and ! leaned sleepily over on my travel
lue Dd6 DSSIuC ulC 1 uoLCu " IA
until awakened by a jerk from the
train. l looked ahead and saw my fell
low-passenger. He still had his arm
over the back of the seat, and he ap-
peared to be gazing steadfastly in my
direction. l noticed he was not in the
same seat as before, but in one three or
fp,,r anrar NV nr1 ~ tho nor uyoG
just wondering how long l had been
asleep and how long he had been
watching me, when I saw him stealth
lily step into the aisle and sink into the
next eat in my direction, his arm over
its back and his face toward me as be-
fore. l was thoroughly awake and cur
ious now, and a little uneasy to boot.
He had gotten into the dark shadows
of the car, and all l could discern was
his form and the indistinct white disk
OF his face. Two minutes, and again
a cat-like movement and change of
seat. I leaned back, feigned sleep, and
watched him through partly closed eye
lids. This. however. seemed to reas-
sure him, for he advanced two seats in
quick succession. l counted the backs
Of the seats. He was still six away from
me. For a moment l felt inclined to
get up and leave the car. l would not
have admitted that l was afraid. but
there was something decidedly uncan-
ny about the mysterious approach Of
the stranger in that darkened car, and
| began to develop a rather healthy
anxiety. Besides. I had forgotten my
revolver when leaving home. Had'the
conductor entered l would have been
grateful. Still l was determined to see
what the mans object might be. AS
the rays from the light in my end of
the car fell upon him, l was better able
to make him out. l could see he was a
man Of about my own age and physi-
que. with piercing black eyes in which
that l was not asleep. AS l watched
him advance, seat by seat, I wondered
If he would attack me, and, ii so, how
l should repel 1t. My nerves are pretty
good, but they yer being sorely tried
Strange as It may seem, even during
those critical moments, while l watch
ed him as alertly as he did me, the
monotonous rattle of the train got into
my head and compelled me to keer
note o. its regular but unmusical time
beat:
Clack. clack, clickerty- clack: click
click. clackerty-click-he was but two
seats away-clack, clack, clickerty
clack-he was in the seat immedtatel,
in front Of me. his face not three fee
from my own-click, click. clickerty-
1 could stand 1t NO longer; l openet
my eyes and met his gaze. A long mo
ment and then:
"Well?" from me.
You are my brother William"
1t was not a question, but an afirma
ton. solemnly and slowly made.
You are mistaken" l began. i'm
measurably relieved, T."
You are my brother William" b
repeated, nercely, land I shall punisl
you a. you punished me-"
At this juncture, without any &C
countable reason, he paused. a. II liz
tening intently, arose, and wake
swiftly back to his seat at the extrem
end Of the ~ Thereupon the doc
opened and the conductor stood bestd
him A. ounn 49, ~~vA him q 1Un0 an