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enjoyment seem condensed into a single moment. It was so with me then.
I could comprehend the emotion of Columbus, when he first beheld
through the dim dawn of morning, the new found, but long dreamed-of
shores of America, or the less innocent, but no less vivid joy of
Cortez, when he first planted the cross of Spain over the golden halls
of Montezuma. My breast throbbed full with emotions of delight and
gladness, that words labor in vain to express. A sense of ethereal
lightness ran through all my veins, and I seemed to be ascending
higher--higher--into realms of inexpressible bliss, with each
pulsation of the engine. It was a moment of triumphant joy that will
never return again. Not a dream of failure now shadowed my rapture.
All had told us that the greatest difficulty was to reach and take
possession of the engine, and after that, success was certain. _It
would have been_, but for unforeseen contingencies.

Away we scoured, passing field, and village, and woodland. At each
leap of the engine our hearts rose higher, and we talked merrily of
the welcome that would greet us when we dashed into Huntsville a few
hours later--our enterprise done, and the brightest laurels of the
guerilla Morgan far eclipsed!

But the telegraph ran by our side, and was able, by the flashing of a
single lightning message ahead, to arrest our progress and dissipate
all our fondest hopes. There was no telegraphic station where we took
the train, but we knew not how soon our enemies might reach one, or
whether they might not have a portable battery at command. To obviate
all danger on this point, we stopped, after running some four miles,
to cut the wire.

John Scott, an active young man, climbed the pole, and with his hand
knocked off the insulated box at the top, and swung down on the wire.
Fortunately, there was a small saw on the engine, with which the wire
was soon severed. While this was being done, another party took up a
rail, and put it into the car to carry off with us. This did not long
check our pursuers, but we had the satisfaction of learning that it
threw them down an embankment, as will be narrated more fully in a
Confederate account inserted hereafter.

When the engine first stopped, Andrews jumped off, clasped our hands
in ecstasy, congratulating us that our difficulties were now all over;
that we had the enemy at such a disadvantage that he could not harm
us, and exhibited every sign of joy. Said he, "Only one more t