Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-06-26


the rate at which he went would have
driven him through the terminal
with terrific force. And then, besides
and this was no small matter-there
would be much damage to property.
A hasty order. few manipulations Of
the telegraphic keyboard-and the
traveller, by virtue of a turned switch,
was journeying toward Berlin.
Meanwhile, GREATNESS, shocked by
the terrific blasts that blew on him,
trussed helplessly, the president Of the
Nokomis and Western Railroad went
racing eastward. The physical pain
was not as yet intolerable, for the
gyroscope aided him to maintain his
poise, and 1t was only necessary not
to lean too far over, lest he should
strain the aching muscles OF his limbs.
So he ran on and on, tearing through
village and town, catching a momen-
tary glimpse of crowds with white,
terror-struck faces-then on and on
once more. over the open fields,
through woods and hills and swamps,
borne on by the resistless force of that
Unsuitable devil that drove him. He
thanked heaven for that one mercy of
the fur overcoat which Haynes had
bestowed on him. But that had been
a part of the mans scheme, in order
that he might prolong the agony, for
without 1t Hopkins would have been
frozen stir before the afternoon was
over
Now operators waited, finger on key
board, to receive the news brought In
by mounted men at every station. And
1t was ever the same. The mad Amer
lean still journeyed eastward and his
speed showed no sign Of abating.
/ Traffic was disorganized over all Prus-
STA. The Minister of the Interior,
without waiting to consult his col
leagues, issued another order and a
second switch was turned. He had
meant to turn the flying man into the
Hartz region, sparsely settled dis
trict where the mechanism might wear
itself out among the steep mountain
grades. But in the confusion the
wrong switch was turned, and the next
news flashed over the wires was to the
effect that Cyrus Walkenphast" was
approaching Munich.
More consultation; treachery now
and competition among the line man
ayers to turn the fugitive away and
secure free passage for their stalled
trains. Cooperation ceased; each
played his own hand. Hopkins was
sent zigzagging throughout South Ger
many, spinning from line to line, pass
ing stalled trains on sidings and mobs
of shouting men. Some of them kneel.
ed to pray. Many thought him a mes
senger announcing the approach of the
last Judgment. Finally, by sudden
consensus Of individual plans, he was
shunted out of Germany and into Aus
tria, into Bohemia, into Galicla.
There, on the vast Polish plains, night
fell and shrouded him.
Night fell, but still he journey on.
He was in Russia now, travelling the
vast and almost boundless Steppes.
Here the danger OF encountering traf-
fic was less, for the lines in the
Cars country were few, and every
train was stalled until he passed. He
was travelling in a northeasterly di-
rection and there was nothing to do
but let him journey on, for he could
not have been stayed. The pains In
his limbs had become almost unbear.
able, the east wind whistled through
his fur overcoat, chilling and numb
ing him. At every gap between the
separate rails the tiny Jolt, at first un
noticed, threw him into agony. His
back seemed to have been scared with
red.hot pincers. Yet, If he gave way
If he allowed his exhausted muscles te
rest. he would continue onward twist
| I'D NERnA "a =
After a while the numbness almost
oyercame the sense of pain.
He longed for death now. craved fol
1t as one in agony who, feeling its In
; eyitable approach, welcomes the dark
ness with its merciful surcease o
pain. The chilling winds bit him t.
the bone, his lids were heavy will
> sleep. and yet he dared not sleep, les
he lose his balance and fall, to awak,
twisting and writhing on those props
of legs, made one with the terrible
machine. The balloon-shaped swelling
in the bottom of his overcoat hal
grown much smaller; still, not NOR,
than half the gasoline had been con
sumed, and only half the night wa
over when he rushed out of the dark
ness into q glare of lights. This wa
Moscow, where, in anticipation of hi
arrival switch had been set to carr.
him eastward over the single tract
of the trans-Siberian railway. H
heard the hoarse shout of the NUT
tude. He heard the rhythmic chant o
the priests who prayed for him. Eve
to Moscow the news had been tele
! graphed, and east of this, too. for Il
Mini Novgorod thousands watche
for the traveller who never arrived
Lights. lights. and always lights. The
burned his eyeballs and scared hi
brain. Then Moscow was past, an
now he was speeding through the fol
!. ests again.
Wolves howled in his track. will
, creatures sprang aside through thicl
] cts and underground. And still h
never paused. The gentle summit c
! the Ural Mountains hardly checke
! the velocity of his career. The
! were passed; he was in Asia, SWEEP
Ing over the frozen plains, crossin
!, broad forest belts when dawn Shove
: in the sky.
When four and twenty hours ha
! passed the man was nothing but an a,
: Al