The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-22

the engine hear lights glared his
way and that. a thousand switch
lights, like big red L green eyes,
shown everywhere. I was hidden under
q platform.
Soon 1 heard two railroad men talk
ing, and learned that some oox cars
which stood near were for the 500
train for Chicago. The mex moment
a truck drove up on the OPPOSITE side
of one OF these cars. There were q
dozen men. and d good deal of Ioui
talk and profanity while they unload
ed something heavy and showed it into
the car. They pushed the door shut
with u rusty. grating sound
Lock ii. Jim" said a voice.
"Taln't my business. The railroad
men Will tend to hat" Tneu they
drove off.
The next minute l was out and push
ing at the door. Il scraped back q
foot, and 1 was up and through the
crack III a cat. There was a terrific
joit as the engine bumped onto the
other end of the line of cars. l was
thrown headIOnS to one end OF the a
and against something which seemed
like q big crate. 1t was pitch dark IN
the car, but 1 scrambled to my feet
and managed, after hard work, TO get
the door shut. Then 1 felt my way
to the other end of the car and LAY
down on the floor like a dog. The
next 1 heard u man clasp on
the hasp of the lock and drive in the
pin with one blow. 1 just caught u
faint scratching IS he put on the tin
seal which closed the door officially.
The bread and water 1 put in the cor
ner behind me. a brakeman ran over
head with steps like Il giant and tn
ca: was jerked half in two as it start.
The reason L was thus p" sing
tramp was simple. In the first = a.
l was young, not yet twenty. / haC
Worked a Month for Il market ga
dener on the outskirts Of towns, n
n afternoon, instead of getting my
pay as l expected, had been discharged.
the man refusing to give me one penny.
As 1 walked away from his place l
had not a cent in the world and nothing
I could sell. My nearest friends were
in Chicago, 200 miles away.
! sat down by the roadside and
thought a long time. L knew that
work was very hard TO get in the
neighbOrhOOd; besides, l was discour-
aged. The one thing l wanted to do
was to get home. II anybody was
ever hOmesicker than I vas 1 pity him.
l made my way to the railroad yard
and found the car as l have told.
AS l lay there in the car L soon
realized that the train was going
faster and faster. The car bumped
and Iurched. and swayed and pounde
= md pr1rEe6 and the roar and T1mhlp
were deafening, the couplings creaked
anG wrenched and the doors ratified.
This was to be expected, and for a
lCng time 1 tried to sleep. At last l
did drop asleep, and I must have slept
for some time, and then L awOke and
realized that something had sounded
in the car itself-something that
frightened me.
The sound came again 1t was
louder han all the rest of the uprOar
In the dark l had strange notions and
l thought it was as if the car was
yelling out in pain. 1t came into my
mind that a horse shot through with
a c~annOn-balI in battle might make
such a last cry. But the sound did not
come again.
The car swayed so much that l was
chucked about this way and that on
the moot floor. l put the bread and
bottle back in my pocket. 1 tried To
brace myself against the side. and.
after a long time, again slept, for /
was worn out.
When l next awOke the motion was
a little Steadier. We must, l thought,
be on u straight. smooth stretch Of
road. The next thing l knew there
came a terrible yelling cry; harsh,
raSping, Earring, like u scream. a shrek
and a roar together. 1t made my ear
stand still there in the darkness. There
was a crashing and breaking and some
thing fell to the tIOOr of the car; then
only the thunder of the train.
l dared not nov Il muscle, being
struck with terror too frightfuI TO tell,
l had been jolted from the side of the
car and Knew not if I was in the end
or the middle. But now I did know
this. something was walking in the car
about me, around me.
Then came the tread of some kind
OF footsteps. soft. like a man walking
with his feet bare, along by me-; down
then up: down again. up one more.
Then Il paused. and there was j
scratching. ripping sound high up in
the car. - Of Wood being torn ana
rasped: mex, a soft pat: as Il MAJ
might maxi jumping from i low ~tOc,
TO the floor. his feet SUI bare.
Tread, tread, came the footballs
gain. along by me. down past my feet
.-.k again close -u ny E..-. Then an
0.E-" pause. ~pw.t.".- la- a burr jus.
-....et my cheek. ..E --.~ ur.s,Ie~
s.-- thrust IN my eye --- against ny
MI check, I turned -y Read les
- -.r |- nLrF. .-- r-. d. .-- x