New-York tribune., 1903-07-07
The Chameleon.
Copyright; 1908: by Mcclure. Phillip, Co,

inartculately. His bare feet were bleeding. but
IL was not pain which allied him. A woman
wrapped in blanket sat, triangle of misery,
upon the ridge of one OF the cars whittier she
had climbed. and rocked to and fro moaning.
Two meu chopped away the sides of each car,
searching for some one possibly still prisoned
there. But the crowd was forward, near the
water, where the engine. the baggage and mail
cars and the day coach had gone down together
in inextricable destruction. Swapping their coup
hngs, they had plunged right down forty feet
to the bottom of the ravine. There was the raw
force Of the accident There the three doctors
were busy. There. he hastened Irward,
Bradford could see Murdoch, stripped to his
shoes and trousers the enormous chest of him
heaving and sweating and straining; now he
was lifting at an improvised lever. now en-
couraging some poor fellow underneath, now
directing the efforts of volunteer gang which
worked at the other end Of the car; never stop
ping, never wasting a motion. exhalIng con-
idence from his mere mass and strength. Brad
ford stopped 4 second, terrified yet fascinated,
as he had been at the first glimpse of the con-
ductOrs broken arm. where the doctors were
doing their work. A voice at hts elbow, tnde-
scribably piercing, altogether inhuman, smote
on his strained ears and he jumped around.
The man in the torn nightshirt had followed
him. and now laid a shaking hand upon his arm
Il never believed in q hellr' he cried. shrilly.
II never believed in it!' He stared at the doc
tors with frightened, unreasoning eyes-the eyes
of wild animal in terror Suddenly he flung
up his hands. ''I never believed in it,! he re-
peated. insistently
The doctor nearest Bradford turned. Hold
him." he said sharply. and Bradford, though
his flesh crept seized the man in both arms In
spite OF his struggles. The doctor caught the
mans little finger in both hands and wrenched
it backward once. The sharp snap of a breaking
bone followed The man cried out in agony.
but the shock had recalled his wits, and 1t
the cry Of man in pain. no longer a brute
only. Bradford shivered so that he lost his
hold upon him, and the man IN the nightshirt-
nursing his broken finger, stumbled away quiet
ly. The doctor watched him a moment II
thought that would do it," he said, in satisfied
fashion, and turned again to his work. Bradford
said nothing. He wondered blankly at the girl
In gray-had she still been on the train? Where
was she now. and in what plight? There
was no way for him to look for her. None OF
his thoughts were clear. though his senses re-
mained almost preternaturaIly fine.
The hurly-burly continued till the moon had
slipped down the sky-the crash of axes and
the ripping OF wood the oaths of those who
worked and the means Of those who waited
the plash. in every silent second, Of the water
where 1t struggled by its sudden barriers Brad
ford, in dream. all the intellect OF him van
ished, sat and saw and heard 1t all. When the
others noticed him they thought him hurt per-
haps. even out of his senses for the time
But every tiny fraction of his emotional being
was keenly alive. His nerves answered to every
stroke Of the axe. and every cry was like call
to him while he sat helpless and staring. An
Irishnlan from the day coach. who had gone to
sIe a7d
came out of that hell of tangled cars un-
scratched. STROBE unsteadily by. singing:
An AReJ the @as 60t Ss t shat besrg he urs
An rather nss than half that behind.
Thus he warbled "Bedad It's true Nv me-
silf!" He craned his neck backward earnestly
to contemplate the damage he had sustained in
the rear, and one of the doctors laughed. Brad
ford, taking his cue, unconsciousIy threw back
his head. too and laughed-laughed at great
length, unmusically loudly till the doctor cried
sternly' Here, stop that!" Bradford's laughter
ceased as suddenly as water turned off at the
tap and he fell to wondering who had laughed
And then, when he rapidly nearing the
border of the land whittier the man with the
torn nightshirt had wandered, question. flung
out to any one. pierced through to his under
standing.
Cant somebody sing? God above men, sing
something." The voice was resonant and COM
mandng: there was nothing despairng or
querulous about it. Bradford knew 1t for Muir
doch's. He Jumped up as if some spring with
in him had been pressed,
Why can sing" he said aloud. He waited
for a moment. and then, ithout premeditation
entered upon the first bars Of ''Mandalay." But
his voice was not quite at his bidding, and
wavered
shut up that ID cheeping!" shouted
of the axe swingers near him. and Bradford
paused obediently. But moment later he
heard Murdoch cry out IN hearty encourage
ment. GO on-sing!" and he called himself to-
gether and sang.
Bradford could sing. There had been moments
in the old days when the diapason OF his bass
went rolling and rolling through the hall and
women leaned forward and men held their
breath to miss no note Of it: when he found
their hearts and played upon them. till their
eyes were bright and wet by turns. and sthe
little concert Of the college glee club was trans
ported out of the realm of comedy into the
country of song There had been a time when
the presidents wife. after they lost their little
girl. had dome up to him very quietly and said
with a break in her voice. Thank you. Mr..
Bradford" and he had stammered, for once at
a loss for words Why. we all loved her. Mrs.
Craven; We couldn't help it," and she had
swered simply. Il knew that from your singing;
it is that that comforts me-" There had been
a time when the team won in the face of what
seemed sure defeat and at the celebration af-
terward they put frankie Bradford up on a
barrel beside the bonfire and he gave them
their triumphal marching song till they rocked
@Da a=lyvr with Tbafr oh and oa1 he