A MIDNIGHT SCENE 13 



doubled up like a jack-knife, and stretched myself on 

 the floor near the stove at one end of the car, with my 

 satchel for a pillow. I was just between waking and 

 sleeping, when I was startled by a low groan, followed 

 by others, louder and still louder, until there was a 

 succession of frightful yells. Amid these, piercing 

 shrieks, shouting, swearing, and soilnds resembling 

 heavy blows, could be heard. I sprang to my feet, to 

 see the whole car one confused mass of arms, legs, and 

 heads, and a mad, howling stampede of half-dressed 

 men striking blindly at each other and rushing through 

 the door. Some screamed " Indians " and "Murder;" 

 while others articulated nothing, but shrieked at the 

 tops of their voices; and all were fighting their way 

 out of the door with all possible speed. It did not 

 take me long to get the general scare ; and out of the 

 door I pressed, jumped off the standing train into the 

 snow, and ran. I had no idea where to run, arid after 

 looking around, and finding that we were not pursued, 

 I stopped. I could see some of the passengers on top 

 of the freight cars; some running for dear life in the 

 snow, barefooted, and only half dressed ; and some 

 crawling into the iron pipes on the platform car. In 

 the cars behind ours the lights were all extinguished, 

 and it was as still as the grave. I shall never forget 

 seeing the brawny form of " Buffalo " on one of the 

 cars, trembling from head to foot, with an empty pistol 

 in his hand, and swearing as he dropped the cartridges 



