d see through the gloom as he vainly turned
his eyes about in the hope of some passing stranger to whom he could
appeal.

Luckily for Morgan, railroad trains did not get under way as quickly in
those days of hand brakes and small engines as now. Added to the weight
of the long string of empty cattle cars which the engine was laboring to
get going was a grade, with several short curves to make it harder where
the road wound in and out among small sand hills. By the time Morgan's
captors had attached the rope to the ladder of a car, the headway of the
train had increased until they were obliged to trot to keep up with it.
Not being fleet of foot in their hobbling footgear when sober, they were
at a double disadvantage when drunk and weaving on their legs. They made
no attempt to follow Morgan and revel in his sufferings and peril, but
fell back, content to enjoy their pleasantry at ease.

Morgan lurched on over the uneven ground, still dizzy and weak from the
bludgeoning he had undergone, unable to help his precarious balance by
the use of his arms, doubly bound now by the rope about his middle which
the Texans had drawn in running noose. It was Morgan's hope in the first
few rods of this frightful journey that a brakeman might appear on top
of the train, whose attention he might attract before the speed became
so great he could no longer maintain it, or a lurch or a stumble in the
ditch at the trackside might throw him under the wheels.

A quick glance forward and back dispelled this hope; there was not the
gleam of a lantern in sight. But somebody was running after him, almost
beside him, and there were yells and shots out of the dark behind. Now
the runner was beside Morgan, hand on his shoulder as if to steady
himself, and Morgan's heart swelled with thankful gratitude for the
unknown friend who had thus risked the displeasure of his comrades to
set him free.

The train was picking up speed rapidly, taxing Morgan's strength to hold
pace with it trussed up as he was, the strain of the hauling rope
feeling as if it would cut his arms to the bone. The man who labored to
hold abreast of Morgan was slashing at the rope. Morgan felt the blade
strike it, the tension yield for a second as if several strands had been
cut. But not severed, not weakened enough to break it. It stiffened
again immediately and the man, clinging desperately to Morgan's shoulder
to hold his place in the quickening race, struck at it again and miss