The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-04-11

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they were slowed away In the large
safe and the heavy doors made fast,
/ thought everything was well fixed.
Afew minutes before we pulled out
two wagons paused by the car, one Of
them containing two collins and the
other four men. who were evidently
acting at pallbearers. looked around
for the bereaved brother with the pc
culiar eye, but he was nowhere to-
be seen. I though it a little strange
that he should be absent at such 4
time, but forgot all about 1t in q
moment.
The collins were placed at one end
of the car. and after it had been ar
ranged that one of the men should
come into the car and take a look at
the bodies when we arrived at Red
wood, he shook hands with the others
and entered one of the cars. AS the
door closed on him. the bell rang and
we went steaming away. -
was pretty busy for an hour or
more, and we had passed three or four
stations before had time to cast
more than casual glance toward
the quiet passengers at the end Of
the car. But after little. when !
had more leisure, an uncomfortable
wish took possession of me to look
at the faces of the two dead men.
It wasn't mere morbid curiosity, and
can't describe it in any way better
than to say it was sort Of a vague
desire which I could not quiet with
out satisfying it.
I noticed that the lids were not Sc
curely fastened down. My next dis
covery was that the screws were
gone. This struck me as being
strange, for I was sure I had noticed
them when the collins where lifted
into the car. I remembered that l
had given the attendants permission
to arrange the caskets to their own
satisfaction, and that they had been
long time doing it. If they had re-
moved the screws unobserved at that
time, what possible object could they
have had in doing SO? With this ques-
ton in my mind, I raised the upper
portion Of the lid of the coffin near
est me- and took good look at the
face of the occupant. He was a
young man, with a full face and
square features. His cheeks were
not sunken, and he had decidedly
fresh appearance for man who had
been dead nearly two days, / thought.
Replacing the lid. passed to the
other coffin. Here a new and start
ling surprise met me. The man in
the coffin was the man whom I had
seen in the express Office! That red
eye was staring straight at me, and
was not mistaken! For a moment my
CONSERVATION was too great for
words. I could not have uttered
sound, had my life depended on it.
This man, who was alive after the
accident which the paper said caused
the death of Van Scooter and Griggs,
and who had made arrangements for
the transportation of their remains,
was now here in this coffin, to all ap-
pearance dead! Then l remembered
that the bereaved stranger had said
that his dead brother resembled him.
self very closely. But two brothers
are not apt to both have red glass
eyes! Such a coincidence as this was
beyond the pale of reasonable proba-
hility.
While I yet gazed at the supposed
corpse, the other eye opened little,
and was sure it was looking at me!
l was convinced there was fraud
here, but to show that / had discov-
cred it might cost me my life. So
very quietly replaced the lid of the
coffin, and took a moments time to
think the matter all over.
I remembered my conversation with
the express agent, which we feared
had been overheard by the clerical
looking stranger, and could only come
to the conclusion that the whole thing
was deliberate plan to murder me
and gain possession of the $4,000 in
my charge. There was no denying
that the man with the red eye was
alive, and I. had no doubt the other
man was, also.
Kneeling down, placed my ear
close by the side of the coffin and
could hear him breathe quite distinct
~. I remembered that it was the in
tention of the attendant who had
boarded the train. to enter the car
at Redwood, ostensibly for the pur-
pose Of seeing to the bodies; and
could not doubt that the three men
intended to attack me after the train
pulled out Of the station. and rob the
car before our arrival at the next
stopping place. There was but one
station between us and Redwood, and
/ knew we would be there in ten
minutes more. I had no more for
hesitation. Instant action was my
only chance for safety. If could Sc
cure myself against an attack until
we reached the next station. | felt
that would be we'll. In one instant |
had decided upon plan of action.
AS quietly as possible, piled sever
al heavy boxes of merchandise on top
~ thc two collins. and then I knew