The St. Johns herald., 1896-12-05

i them again" said Dr. Blank, and he did so, with the result that his first fig uring was correct.
 One man was missing. There could be no doubt about that The car had only yielded forty-nine men.
 Search the car," called out the doc tor, and the keeper proceeded to do SO.
 The first man he encountered was MT. Inch, who, having made up his mind that sufficient time had elapsed to ren- der it safe for him to leave the car, had risen and was making for the door.
 ''Hello," exclaimed the keeper, "how did you get here?"
 T just walked in from the other car,' replied MT. Inch, with dignity.
 Didn't see man hide himself around this car anywhere, did you?"
 Now it happened that some minutes | before the train reached Parlor City the red-headed man who sat next to MT. Inch had slid to the floor, and cud- dled himself up under the seat. MT. Inch had seen him do it, and had mar yeled at the mans ability to stay in one | position so long. To tel of this incl dent, however, was to admit that he had been in the car for some time, which would scarcely do, so he simply said in tone of mild astonsihnent:
 See man hide himself? How ridic- ulous," and the keeper, impressed by his tone, passed by and started search ing at the upper end of the car.
 MT. Inch continued toward the door. i reached the platform, and stepped slowly down. Mr. Inchs personal ap- pearance was not what it usually was A night in country hotel, with neither hair brush nor comb il the morning, showed on him. Contact with the elbow of lunatic behind him had put most disreputable looking dent in his derby. His appearance was altogether bad enough to justify pr. Blanks ex- clamatiOn of:
 "Ah, here he Is. This way, my friend" which he made when he saw MT. Inch descending to the platform.
 MT. Inch heard the remark, but paid no attention to it. Instead of obeying he quickened his pace toward the other end of the platform, but before he had gone a dozen yards pr. Blank was alongside.
 ''This way, my friend" said Dr. Blank, swinging Mir. Inch around by the arm.
 What do you mean, sir?" said MT. Inch.
 Keep quiet, now, keep very quiet, |" said the doctor, sOothingly. It'll be all right If you keep quiet"
 Why should I keep quiet when a loafer grabs me by the arm and swings me around as though I were log of wood?" cried MT. Inch, indignantly.
 "Get back into line," said Dr. Blank "Get back into line, and let's end this nonsense," and he grabbed MT. Inch by the collar and proceeded to drag him down the platform.
 MT. Inch lost his temper then, and swung his right around toward his captor's jaw with vicious violence. The blow landed, and so did a second and third, sent in with equal precision. Dr. Blank hung on, though slightly dazed. He couldn't hit the man back. There is State rule forbidding keep CTS or doctors to strike an insane per son, no matter what the provocatiOn. The doctors have but one mode of de- fense. It is the hypodermic injection, and each doctor carries syringe load ed with a special preparation which will take all the life out of a man ih 1 five minutes, cause him to sleep for several hours, and bring him around after his slumber in a decidedly weak mental condition.
 While Dr. Inch was banging Dr. Blank on the nose and jaw, the doc tor was maneuvering with his free hand for his syringe. While the strug- gle went on the keepers kept their eyes on the other insane men. They couldn't leave them to go to the doctors assist ance. The struggle was apt to excite them, and general outbreak was to be prevented above all things.
 Dr. Blank was was getting played out when he managed to reach his syringe haul it out, and jab 1t into Mr. Inchs neck. The effect of the injection was instantaneous.
 "Pm stabbedw yelled MT. Inch, slap ping both hands to his neck and drop ping.
 I'm d-n glad of it," remarked pr. Blank. You're the toughest one I ever tackled" and he motioned to a keeper who was coming toward him on a run to come faster.
 We've found the other man," said the keeper, when he came up.
 "Of course we have" said the doc. tor, with sarcastic emphasis on the i've"
 ''He was under a seat in the car, went on the keeper. You've made a bad break here," he went on in a low tone. Come up here, and let's get away"
 Great Scottr' roared the doctor ''isn't this one of our men"
 'No," said the keeper Hes a citi zen who wandered into the car"
 Lets cut this quick said the doc tor. Tell the boys to march around tt the north of the depot and I'll join yot there." and away went the doctor II one direction, while the keeper wen down the platform.
 So much interest had been manifest ed in the crowd of insane men that few people on the platform had noticed tho struggle between Dr. Blank and MT Inch. The few who had seen it wen away when the insane men were marched off, and so little later, wheI a station hand came across the re spectacle Mr. Inch asleep in pile O.