The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-09-11
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NA ANit Npou ulAt was uttteA
able 70 make him out could see
he was a man Of about my own age
and physique, with piercing black
eyes IN which thought could de-
tect a suspicion that was not asleep.
AZ | watched him advance, seat by
seat, / wondered If no would attack
me, and, II 80, how / should repel H.
My nerves are pretty good, but they
we're being sorely tried Strange as
Il may seem, even during those criti-
cal moments, while watched him aa
alertly as be did me, tho monotonous
rattle Of the train got into my head
and compelled me to keep note Of its
regular but unmusical time-beat
CIack, claek, clickity-clack click,
click, clackity-elick-he was but two
seats away-claek, clack. cliokity-
clack-he was 10 the seat Immediately
in front Of me, his face not three feet
from my own-click, click, claek-
ity---
could stand it no longer I opened
my eyes and met his gaze. A long mo-
meut and then:
"Well?" from me.
"You are my brother William"
1t was not question but an afirma-
ton, solemnly and slowly made.
''You are Mistaken" I began, inn
measurably relieved, Il"
"You nre my brother William" be
repeated, tieroely, "and shall punish
youas you punished me"
At this iuncture. without any ac-
countable reason, he paused, as if
listening intently, arose, and walked
swiftly back to his seat at the extreme
end of the car Thereupon the door
opened and the conductor stood be-
side him. AT once he gave him q long
and apparently animated recital.
Several times he pointed to me.
The railway official came down the
aisle, stopped, and looked at me curl
ously.
Conductor, aaid /, "that man is
a lunatic.
In few words, I detailed the ac-
tiOns and the declaration of my fellow
passenger.
The conductors expression of curl
osity changed to one of amazement.
"Why," said he, 81 have just been
told you did all that yourself. Are
you both lunatics?"
was so astounded that 1 could
think of nothing to say, and sat there
looking at the CONDUCTOR in an incom-
parably stupid way. That function
airy studied me obviously for awhile,
glanced back at the other man, aud
then, evidently concluding We were
both harmless, left the car.
The extraordinary passenger now
remained passively in his seat, with his
back toward me. In a short while the
train stopped. l looked out, but
could discover no railway station. A
brakeman rushed by me and uncoupled
the forward freight cars, which the
engine pulled away to the station, a
quarter Of mile distant, leaving the
two passenger cars standing alone on
the plain.
The man ahead did not move. ]
turned to my bag for second to get
fresh cigar, and when 1 looked again
my man had disappeared. / could
not believe it possible for him to have
left the car within that incredibly
short space of time, and l arose quick
ly and started to go forward. Almost
instantly a couple Of bullets whizzed
past my head and crashed through the
glass door behind me. was dazed
for the moment, but two more shots
and the falling OF broken glass acted
as wonderful impetus, and I dropped
to the floor behind the seats. The
next shot shattered the lamp at the
opposite end of the car Another, and
1 was covered with glass from one
above me. That the shooter was /
good marksman there was no mistak.
ing. After the lamps were demolished
a perfect fusiIlade Of shots ensued,
the most Of them apparently being
directed at the door, to prevent my
escape in that direction. I laid per
. a. n.Tf - - - I'LL. 7