The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-06-11

ing IN lew minutes Win piece OF rope,
which he had, | suppose, previously no
ticed there.
q You feel little bit more comfor-
table if tie your feet down, too, eh 2
he sneered and, to my horror, he put a
loop of rope round my right leg, drew it
underneath the inner rail, and then made
the end fast to my left ankle, above the
rail. | was thus fixed right across the
track, and escape from Il hideous death
seemed impossible. But the villain had
not finished yet
= There S just chance that you might
call out, he said, so I'll tie your mouth
up. You can say your prayers just as well
with it shut as open, and the sooner you
say them the better, for you never needed
to more
,'He stuffed part of my handkerchief
into my mouth and tied it round with
another bit of rope. Then he proceeded
to rifle my pockets.
= Got any loose cash about You ?
That right. I'll take care Of it, for it
won do you any good now, | reckon,
and YOU Il have the dying satisfaction of
having helped me to get off to London.
And now, you skunk of warder, good
night ! told you I'd be the death of
you one day, but, by Heaven, | never
hoped for such Il payingoff Of old scores
us this. Remember, YOU II see the head
lights of the engine coming towards you
you Il hear the roar of the train that 90
ing to squash you. 1t a good revenge
isn't it? I'd stay here aud see the end
of it if conld. only I've no time to spare,
so now good night, Warder Davis, curse
you !
And with a brutal kick at my de
fenseless body, he started off in the direc-
ton of Westmoor. | could see his bulky
form for moment or two in the dim light,
and could hear for several minutes the
tread of his feet crunching the gravel on
the permanent way. had no doubt i'll
my mind that he had been making for
Westmoor previously, and had used the
old platelayer's hut as a hiding place until
it was about time to take 4 chance Of get
ting on one of the up trains.
my situation was truly awful one.
He was quite right about the down eX.
press; it was timed to run through West
moor at just | | o clock 1t was past ten
now. so that there was not ali hour be
tween me and hideous death. | lay
still for some minutes and tried to compose
my mind to think Il little. Was there
anything | could do? Yes! With all
effort | might manage to remove the gag.
| pushed my head as far as it would &c
over the metals, and to my JOY was able
to undo the knots with my chained hands
and to get the handkerchief out Of my
mouth This was relief, certainly, but
only very small one, for it soon dawned
upon me that if | yelled my loudest there
would be no one within hearing on the
lonely moor through which the track ran.
To get my hands free was impossible, but
there might be a chance for my feet.
began to kick them about, and discovered
that the wretch had simply passed the rope
between my ankles once round the rail,
Sd that by alternately kicking and pulling
with each foot l could draw it backward
and forward against the rail. With the
energy of despair | began to work with
all my might to fray the rope against the
rail, and so set my feet free.
II must have kicked away for over hall
an hour-kicked and pulled till was stiff
and in agony, and still the rope held, but
I could feel it rubbing away and getting
thinner, and [ tried to work it so that the
friction took place where the rail rested IL
chair on the sleeper, so as to have ;
sharp corner to cut Fiercely | struggled
to get free, but the rope was IL strong one
and it seemed as if it would hold forever.
"A whistle Hardly discernible in the
distance, but still [ knew what it meant.
The down express was running through
Westmoor station. A fresh struggle
and still the rope held. Then came al
ominous rumble in the distance, and there,
half mile away up the straight bit oi
track. | could see the glimmer of the
engine headlight. A desperate pull!
hung ON to the outer rails with both hands
and pulled with arms and legs like man
on the rack Of old-every muscle of tho
body was strained with the fearful tension.
Snap The rope broke and my feet were
free.
There was not Il moment to lose; the
train was little over quarter of Il mile
away. and in 20 seconds it would be on
me- But desperate man can do lot IN
that time With quick movement
rolled over to the outside of the track, Sc
that my left arm came under the rail.
Then | threw myself at full length parallel
to the track, feet towards the approaching
train, and as far from the rail as possible.
At the same moment | drew down my
hands on either side of the rail so that the
short chain between the steel wristlets was
on top Of the rail, the center beng on the
inner top edge Of the rail where the train
would strike.
''With roar the train was on me. |
expected to have one of my hands cut off,
and there came a sharp thrill of pain to
both wrists as the leading wheel Of the
engine struck the chain, while the thought
flashed across me that I might not be fal
enough from the rail to escape being struck
in my body.
The passing of tina; awful train seemed
to be an hour Wheel after wheel ran
close to my face with hideous clatter-
until the momentary red glare Of the tai
light and big rush of air told me that
the danger had passed. For about five
minutes | lay perfectly still, and not till
then did l discover that my hands were
falling further apart.
Scarcely daring to hope, l drew them
slowly towards me. Yes l was free
The heavy train had snapped the swivel
link that joined the handouts, and, with
the exception of severe bruising in my
wrists, l was perfectly uninjured