Year: 1871

sorting the money. Having nothing else


TO do, look more closely at myself.


Small, thin cords, which cut deeply into


my flesh, arc tied around my wrists and


ankles, while others tie me tightly to the


hammock. must, indeed, have been far


gone in sleep, and deeply drugged, to have


allowed this. The robbers evidently mean


me no harm, but how can I face the com.
lpany after this robberyY How account for


the absence Of Joe, without bringing about


his immediate dismissal9 AS for myself,


1t will be the old story. The papers will


say was willing confederate, and sub


mitted to being tied and robbed. l shall


be imprisoned, perhaps for life My poor


therless. -


No. l, who is hard at work yet with his


companion opening the bundles and sort
ing out their contents, here for the first


time speaks. "We're nearing the hog
tunnel, No. 2, he says, in light, lisping


voice. Even in my half stupor know


that voice. If 1t Is whom think it is, his


left arm is slightly crooked, the palm of
the hand turning nearly outwards. AS he


moves into the light of the solitary lamp
to glance at some bonds plainly see the
turned hand. Bill Lane" / call, won't
| you free my hands? this cord hurts me.
| With horrible oath he springs forward:
"You've sealed your doom" he says you
must die now" Iplead forlife, for he has
cast aside the Grape and / see the devil in
his eye. Bill used to be on our run as
messenger, but a robbery occurred of which
he was suspected of assisting in, or at
least of allowing himself to be robbed,
and he was discharged.


But plead in vain. The conspirators
confer among themselves for few mo-
ments, and then my hammock is unlocked
and thrown upon the floor and am rolled
up in it, and into an incredibly small space.
The bundle is then tied up tightly, and one
of the robbers tries its weight | am
slight of form, and he can easily lift the
living bundle up, and throw it on his
shoulder. How can they get me from the
car? How they got in is as yet mystery
to me. The doors are locked on the out |
side, and could not be broken open with
the train at full speed from without. As l
lie upon the floor, nearly suffocated and in
fearful pain from my cramped position and !
the tightness of the robes, Bill Kisses in my |
ear, We are going to throw you over the
Rocky Run"


Even death in the form of being cast a
living bundle from the cars into the waters |
of the run, which we cross in short time |
at an immense height, is preferable to the |
agony am enduring. l think l prayed |
with all my soul then. have prayed be-
fore going into battle, when expecting to be
wrecked at sea, and at other times when
my life was in danger, but | never prayed
before think with all my soul. Then
there was chance of escape, here there |
was none. My senses, quickened with the
agony of the moments, were wonderfully
acute, or else l was already in delirium. /
thought heard voices at the forward ven
tilator. / thought heard him say Watch
close and shoot if there is danger" Of
course it was fancy, for the train was GO
ing at full speed, and Ned must be at his
post on the engine.


Next / heard cautious footsteps on the
roof of my car-probably, if anybody, it
was brakeman going over the car to the
engine for his lunch can, which was there
keeping hot. l lay still praying few mo-
ments longer, then more footsteps are
plainly heard on the roof This time l
was sure there were two or three persons.
Ah l forgot no doubt they were cOnfeder.
ates watching outside while the three
within did the plunderipg. All of a sud
den the bell-pull overhead ratified as if en-
ergetically pulled: the engine whistled
brakes, brakes, and felt every brake on
the train was being put down to purpose.


The robbers consulted for moment,
and then one said, at is nothing they are
stopping for hot journal perhaps" Bill
sprung to me and pressing his revolver
hard against my body, hissed, if they call
for you, say all right" Before l could
reply, rasping noise was heard, followed
by the report of pistol, and the fall of
some heavy body across my already over
taxed frame. tainted.


When l came to Ned was chatting my
hands, and half dozen men were rubbing
my swollen and'chafed limbs, while brandy
was being placed on my lips. Ned was
almost hysterical when | came to, but the
craziest of all was little Jack, the wood
passer of the engine, who kept shouting, II
shot him, | shot him." till some one
knocked him down'to make him quiet.


Then it came out. The robbers had
been concealed on the rear of my car, and
had watched me through the grating. On
my going to sleep, slender stick, with a
sponge in chlorOfOrm at one end, had been
placed under my nose, rousing me for a
moment but to send me into a deeper
sleep. Then with fine saw a portion of
the end of the car had been removed
through which they crept, and then
closed it behind them. Ned after while
thought he would have look at
me, so crawling over his engine
he essayed to open the ventilated
shutter ana peep through. fluulng IL |
fast, he looked through the bell-rope hole,
which happened to be large one, and talk
ing in matters at a glance, he had called
little Jack to him, and handing his revolver
had given him the message had heard
Then crossing the car he had obtained the
services of the conductor, bTakemen and
some willing passengers, and having sur
rounded as far as they. could fast-moving
car, he had pulled the bell and so signalled
the fireman to stop. When Jack saw Bill
point his revolver at me he thought he was
going to shoot me, so forcing the ventilat
ing shutter open he brought him down
with well.aimed bullet, killing him in
stantly, We took the other two to town
on our route where justice was done them
They got thirty years free board As for
Ned, the express folks were vexed at first,
but as had suffered so much and pleaded ,
hard for both him and myself, we kept our
old places and still do. Christmas day
spent in bed and also a few days after
wards getting well, but they brought my j
wife and family to me and we didn't fare '
SO badly after all. |





A YOUNG. lady of New York ought to
have prize for persevering endurance in
the way of pleasure seeking. On recent I
Thursday she went to large party in New |
Haven, and returned by the midnight train
to New York, in order to attend morn
ing wedding where she was to ofiiciate as
and on that evening went to a
Il. =