Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-30
CHAPTER /.
THE CABMAN'S FARE.

THE CABMAN's FARE.
It was bitterly cold. The keen De-
cember wind swept down the crowded
thoroughfare, nipping the noses and
ears of the gay pedestrians, comfort
ably muflled in their warm wraps.
Broadway was thronged with the
usual holiday shoppers and pleasure
seekers. Cabs with their faded steeds
driven by weatherbeaten jehus, and
private carriages behind well-groomed
horses handled by liveried coachmen,
deftiy made their way through the
crowds and deposited their fares at the
entrances of the brightly-lighted thea
tiers or fashionable restaurants. A
wizened bag, seated on the curbstone
at the corner, seem~d to shrink into
herself with the cold as she turned the
crank Of her tiny barrel-organ and
ground out dismal and scarcely au-
dihle cacophony; while All anxious
eyed newsboy, not yet in his teens, shiv-
cred on the opposite side Of the way,
As, with tremulous lips, he solicited a
purchaser for his unsold stock. One
could hardly be expected to open a
warm overcoat on such cold night,
for the sake of throwing cent to an
old beggar woman, or of buying news
paper from a ragged urciin. Even the
gayly decorated shop windows failed
to arrest the idle passerby; for it re-
CURED perpetual motion to keep the
blood in circulation.
The giant policeman on the crossing,
representing the majesty of the law,
swayed the crowd of vehicles and pedes-
trians with the authoritative gestures
of his ponderous hands, and CALAMITY
escorted bands of timid women through
the inextricable maze.
And withal, the cable cars, with their
discordant ,clangor, rumbled rapidly
TO and fro, like noisy shuttles, shoot.
ing the woof of the many-hued fabric
which is the life of great city.
Presently from one of the side streets
there came a cab, which started leisure
ly to cross Broadway. The big police
man, with his eyes fixed upon an ap-
preaching car, held up warning hand
TO which the driver seemed to pay no
attention, for the reins remained slack
and the listless horse continued to
move slowly across the avenue.
Several people turned to look with
mild curiosity at the bold cabman who
dared thus to disregard the authority
of blue cloth and brass buttons. Their
surprise turned quickly to amazement
and dismay when their eyes rested upon
him; for his head had fallen forward
upon his chest and his limp body
swayed upon the box with every mo-
ton of the cab. He seemed unconscious
of his surroundings, like one drank
or in stupor. A4
At his side sat young man closely
muffled in his overcoat, and with a
sealskin cap pulled well down over his
ears. His face was deathly pale. Those
who caught sight of his features saw
that his bloodless lips were firmly set.
and that his eyes glittered with few
erish light. He carried one hand in the
lapel of his coat. With the other he
shook the inert form of the uncon-
scious cabman, in an effort to arouse
him to sense of the impending danger.
i The situation flashed upon the
gripman on the car. Instantly he
threw his weight upon the brake
wheel, at the same time loudly sound
ing his gong. The policeman, too, I'M
derstood in twinkling what was
about to happen, aud rushed for the
horses head. But it was too late.
! The cab was fairly across the track
when the car, with slackened speed,
crashed into it.
just before the collision, the young
man in the sealskin cap sprang from
the box to the street. He landed upon
his feet; but, losing his balance, he
fell forward upon his left arm, which
still remained in the lapel of his coat.
He must have hurt himself; for those
standing near him heard him groan.
But the center of interest was else
where, and no one paid much atten-
ton to the young man, who, arising
quickly. disappeared in the crowd
The cab, after tottering for an in
slant on two wheels, fell over upon
its side, with a loud noise of splinter
ing wood and breaking glass. The
driver rolled off the box in heap
At the same time, the panic-stricken
passengers on the ear rushed madly
for the doors, fighting like wild
. beasts in their haste to reach place
OF safety.
After the first frenzied moment, it
became evident that, although badly
shaken up, the passengers had re-
ceived no injuries, except such bruises
as they had inflicted upon each other
in their mad struggle to escape. BY
this time a crowd had collected about
the overturned cab, and several more
policemen had come to the assist
ance of the first one, who was now
seated serenely upon the head of the
cab-horse, precaution seemingly
superfuous, for the poor beast,
1AQygh .ARipjuyed, appeared toq be