Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-10-14


about one broad, / could discern the enor-
nous trestle bridge, marvel of American
engineering skill, which carries the Au-
burn division of the New York Central
railway across, passing on it's way through
the small station of Cayuga Bridge.
My business in the village was soon
finished, and toward evening l started
home again. Do you know how delight
full ride on summers evening is? Cay
uga Bridge is surrounded by extensive
oak forests, through which the greater
part of my journey lay. The gnarled and
massive trunks cast long shadows, and
the foliage rustled so gently In the soft
evening breeze that one seemed rather to
feel than to hear it. AS / rode between
these giants of the forest sweet recollec-
tions of my distant home crept into my
heart, and, sunk in my thoughts, let the
reins fall on my horses neck. and he trot-
ted steadily forward. admired the mar
velous variety of color that the rays of the
setting sun produced as they shone through
the mass of dark green leaves and seemed
to kindle their edges into flame.
Suddenly was startled out of my rev.
erie by a slight noise which appeared to
come from the underground on either side
of the road. Turning sharply round !
grasped my revolver, but at the same mo-
ment I received stunning blow on the
back Of my head which knocked me sense
less from my saddle. Once more I recol-
lect opening my eyes and thinking that l
could see indistinctly one of the escaped
criminals bending over me, and then all
became blank.
sit must have been late in the night
when consciousness again returned to me.
Slowly opening my eyes l saw far above
me the dark, blue vault of the sky and the
full moon shining brightly. A dull, pain
full sensation at the back of my head
prompted me to place my hand there, and
then discovered that was bound hand
and foot. Gradually I collected my
thoughts. remem bered now the murder
Gus attack in the forest, and fearful fore
boding flashed through my mind which
almost caused my heart to stand still. l
felt that was laid across two sharp paral-
lei projections, which cut into my Shout
ders and the back of my legs, causing me
intense pain, and far below me I could
hear the gentle FLASHING of water.
Heavens! There could no longer be
any doubt. I was lying stretched across
Cayuga bridge, bound, incapable of NOV
ing an inch, with the hideous and abso-
lutely certain prospect of being cut literal
ly to pieces by the next train that passed.
For the second time that night l almost
swooned as l realized my situation, but by
powerful effort of will recovered myself
and tugged desperately at the ropes that
bound me until they cut almost into my
muscles | shrieked and wept finally like
a child. l made mad endeavors to roll
myself into another position and then
recollected that careless movement might
precipitate me into the flood below, bound
hand and foot to sink like stonel
"a shudder ran through my frame, and
lay motionless again, but not for long,
for the light of the great, almost fearfully
bright moon overhead, the ripple of the
water deep below Inc, the breeze that came
in light puffs and then died away again,
giving place to a deathlike stiffness, occa-
sionally broken by the scream Of some dis
tant night bridal was unbearable and
caused me the anguish of DEATH And
then the rails, the railsl My thoughts
were torturing me, and yet could not es-
v"po onoih' Ing "ooueh pealns VI tne
orloge yipraeeo perceptlpiy from the move
menu Oh tne water below, ana thought
that could already feel the approach of
vile Vrain' anu ny mar prlstleo WIN the
horror of it. The breeze now blew some
what stronger, and l imagined that /
could already hear, far away in the dis
lance, the putting and painting of the loco
moIise' anu NY hearc seoou stil' 10 oea1
WIN w, ieuoupieu iofoe ohe neAo Anolneho.
Ahere are certain 1hlngs' gentlemen
Whioh are apsoiutely incohprenensiDle 10
ms VIC oi then IS tne lact that was
apie W survive tha1 hlghe. one thought
suoou otol oiear ~ my inlnu. "usu en-
ueasor w some 'ieahs 10 shlit my posltloh
- possipie, W oiio peCweeh tne lnetals-
n uio hot WISH, possibly even IN the next
lno.nelu' W pecolle inc prey Oh Ghe most
"wiul uo"0h ono couiu conceive. strain
gu every "uscAe' every siheW, vi! coula
sO ,s ~ iiore; Wouhu anu CWls0eu my
SUI anu pahUeu uhtii ohoughO my heaa
inusC pursu' ana alGer snperhuman exer-
olons "nloh appeared 10 last an eternity
ana perhaps iasGed put minute found
myseA ID inc nol!oW between the rails
was saveaf hao no ume 20 CONSIDER
Gnao OF 10 reloice over 1he 1resh chance or
lis Wnloh was now onerea 20 me, 1or my
', Whoie peing concentrated itsell IN mtent
llsoellng. rar away IN Cne issuance
coulu now hear-nrso OF an lhdlstinotiy
anu 'hen grauually increasing as IL Grew
nearer anu nearer-Che regular monoto.
hous paltihg "ndch nera!os Une approach OF
locomotive Inc 1ear1ul STIFFNESS OF the
nlgnt gave way as eaoh minute passed 10
ohe more Iear1ul noise, 10 the cianklng
ana numbering OF the engine as 1t raced
on toward me at the headlong speed OF
American roa trains. Now l,ooo feet more,
now ooo-ali the horrors OF hell possessed
me- put lay without moving muscle.
once indeed tried to scream. could no
longer near my own voice. How, then,
could the people on the train be expected
20 near me! And now for an 1mmeasur-