The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1897-09-02


! b.d oas apoihar dsoanoe Ear dowH The
& laie, which ia forty miles lops, sad At tbs
: putcul.r spot aboat one broad. ! eould
, discern the enormous ires,ls bridge, q nsr
vel ci American engineering shin. which
carries the Aaburn division of the Nos
Yort Central Railssy across, psssiOs 90
It's vav through the small station Of C.In
"a Bridge
NJ business in the village Vas soon hu
lshed and towaIds evening ! started home
again. Doyou kuow how delightful .
ride on a summers evening isf Csynss
Bridge Is surrounded by extensive osh
forests, through which the grester part Of
my journey lay. The gnsrlsd aud mas
slvs trunks cast long shadows. and The
iolisse rustlsd 40 gently 10 the sofl even
i0s breegs, tba, one seemed rather TO feel
! than TO hear it. As rode between these
/ siants OF The forest. sweet tecollections OF
any distant home orept alto my heart and,
sunk 10 my thousht lei the reins fall
90 my horses neck, who trotted steadily
| forward. admired the marvellous yaris
ty OF color that the rays OF the setting sun
prod q ced ss they shone through the mace
OF dark green leaves aud seemed TO kindlc
their edges into Il me,
Suddenly WAS startled out OF my rev
a.ta b., a eIiohl ro{aa xh,nb .paaa,aj 40
come from the underground on either side |
Of the rosd. Turning sharply round,
srasped my revolver, but 10 the same mo
ment received a stunning blow on the
back OF my head. which knocked me sense
less from nay saddle, Once more | recol
lect opening my eyes aud thinking that
could see one Of the criminals bending
over me an then sll became blank.
1t must have bsen late in the night
when consciousness again re urned to me
Slowly opening my eyes, saw far above
me the dark blue vault OF the sky and the
full moon shining brightly. A dull pain
ful sensation ut the back OF my head
prompted me to place my hand there and
then discovered | WAS bound hand and
foot. Gradually collected my tboughts;
| remem bered now the murderous attack
IN the forest and . fearful ioreboding |
flashed through my mind, which almost {
caused my heart to stand still | felt that
was laid across two sharp parallel pro q
jactions, which cut into my shoulder and a
the back Of my legs, causing me intense Y
pain and fat below me could hear the /
gentle plsshipg Of water. 9
Heavens there could no longer be any .
loubt. | was lying stretched across Csyu i
90 Bridge, bound, Incapable OF moving sn Il
Dch, with the hideous aud absolutely Ger v
ain prospect OF being cut ltlrally to
pieces by the next train that psss ID. For 81
be second time that night | almost n
wooned as / realized my situation; but Il
" powerfulul effort OF will recovered II
nyselI and tugged desperately at the e,
opes that bound me until they cut si
most into my mn Giles; sbrieked, and a
gept finally like q child. | made mad en- W
eavors TO roll myself into smother posi- OF
ion snd then reoollected that careless ri
lovement mig ht precipita me toto the Ii
ood below bound hand and foo, to in
ink like stonel tt
shudder ran through my frame and di
" motionless again; bat not for long. II
Or the light Of the grest-almost fearlully pi
right moon overhead, the ripple OF the N
ater deep below me, the bretze that eli
anne 10 light paffs and then died away
gain, giving place 10 death like still TO
ess, occasionally broken by the scream AZ
[ some distant night bird-all was On OF
esrsbe and caused me the snguish OF lei
cath. And then the rsilsl the rails Ny at
loughls were torturiug me, and yet l cs
,uld not escape them, The wooden ar
cams Of the bndge vibrsted perceptsbly &C
ON the movement OF the water below
ID | thought that could already feel an
10 approach OF the train and my hair th
-istled with the horror OF it. The breeze
w blew somewhat stronger and imsg th
ed that | could already hear, far away lil
the distance, the pafiing and painting nj
the locomotive and my heart stood th
i'll, to b ,st with redoubIed force the trt
o next moment. hs
There are certain things. gentlemen, al
hich are absolutely incomprehensble to
e. one OF them is the fact that | was ca
lie to survive that night. One thought bill
pod ever clear in my mind: must en So
avor by some means to shift my posi- tol
IN If possible, 10 one tetween the met al
) Ill did not wish, possibly even in
g next moment, TO become the prey OF ert
9 most awful death one could conceive ro
ID | sueceededl Istrsined every mus th
3, every sinew, till | conld strsiu DO vs
ore. wound and twisted myself. and
nted until | thought my bead % nst tbs
rst and stter superbumsn exsrtions, A
,ich sppesred to last az eternity. and vii
rh APPS lasted bnt minute, found my bo
u in the hollow between the rails. rec
W as slved? had no time TO consid The
that, or to rejoice over the fresh chance
life which was uoE offered TO me. for del
, whole beng concentrated itself in mi
.ent listening. Far away in the d fro
ICE could nov bear first OF sll iadis be
city aud then gradually increasing as it an,
sv nearer aud uesrer the regular, mo
touous panting which herslds the sp ui
oaeh Of d locomotive The fesriul still ed
Sc OF the night gave way. as each min fen
passed. TO the more ieBrlnl noise, to xe
e elsukiugsud laundering OF the eb OF
- a.