A FIGHT IN A TUNNEL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1153, 17 May 1870, Page 4

A FIGHT IN A TUNNEL.

";".V;.-."_.{pjpoin the "Gentleman's Magazine.") 3\j£inr^ epics ago, my health having become much/ impaired by over-study, I was^ recommended to pass a winter in the soHith of Of so agreeable a. prescription lr readily myself. I was without wife or chUdtq enpumber my departure ; and, armed only with a portmanteau, made a most , de.lightful_jpurney of it to the charming town of V — -■-. Shortly after my arrival, whilst sitting at the window of my hotel j a man passed bjf> so very much like my self that, struck with the resemblance, I rose, and, leaning forward,; followed him with my eyes. His dress bespoke, him an Englishman. He waVteii; /So was I. Slim; I was slim. itijj 'eyes were blue,' skin fair, his hair a Seep auburn, his nose aquiline. All this was' my portrait. When he had reached the bottom of the street, he paused, looked round, then slowly returned, crossing the road,-: however, and taking the opposite pavemejit. This enabled me to get a .clearer view of the man. I confess I was much impressed with the resemblance, 'and hardly liked it. The physiologist, I thought," may delight as much as he pleases in such coincidences ; for my part x decidedly object to being made a portion of any v sorfc, : or; phenomenon. I had read of very unpleasant consequences following Eersonal resemblances, and earnestly oped * that this individual, whom Nature, short "Of moulds at the time, had undoubtedly cast in mine; would speedily clear the neighbourhood of his presence. ;;.;;A.week oc two after : this',: in taking a walk across :£ beautiful bit of adjacent country,, l suddenly encountered my likeness,' seated on a rustic bench beneath a tree. With his arm circling the waist of a veryTJeautiful peasant girl; Her skin, of a pure and- cream-like tint; -finely con^ trasted the- splendid luxuriance of her black hair. Jier eyes flashed upon me as I passed, and I'noticed her draw herself erect with rapid hauteur, as if indignant or impatient of detection. The man by her side, who Would have passed very well for me to any other person but my mother and myself, still maintained his caressing attitude* He did not condescend to raise his eyesito.me as I passed, but kept them fixed uppa the. face of the girl, who, I could see, watched me with a species of sullen eagerness, as if wishing mo well out of sight. As I passed them, I must confess to having experienced a momentary sensation of envy: of the man. Since nature has put him. in my skin, I thought, it seems only fair that I should put myself in his shoes. !E|or all I know, I:reflected, that beautiful S'eas'ant girl might have been originally estined for me ; but the intention of nature has been defeated by her love of coincidence. I laughed at my thoughts as I. walked on,, and,, .turning a - corner, lost sight of the lovers. On reaching the bottom of the lane, I found that I had fallen upon a cul-de-sac. The passage terminated in a series of fields, across which I could' discover no footpath.' I had no wish to be arrested for trespassing, so I decided on returning the wayl had come.. :.. ■-',;.■ On., sighting the bench, I found it was deserted. I was not sorry. I would by no means have disliked another peep at the beautiful brunette ; but, at the same time; I' had no ambition to inspire the couple with the notion that I was watching them. I had got. to the top of the hill, and was passing between a row of thick bushes, making a sort of natural hedge for a broad area of trees, like a gigantic park, when I was suddenly startled by the report of a pistol, discharged to my left. At the same moment, I heard the hollow sound of a ball striking my hat, and that article of dress rolled to the ground. ; I looked round with a pale face. The attack was horribly sudden. Who, in the name of heaven, wanted my life ? For what crime was my blood demanded ? What had I done ? I saw the blue smoke curling up from the densest portion of the hashes, and heard the crackling of the furze, and twigs caused by the hasty flight of Bome ; one. ..; I picked up my hat. The ball had passed clean through it. Had it struck two inches lower, it would have entered my skull. -I- hastened towards the town, possessed with much the same sort <)f enviable feelings as you might imagine a Tipperary landlord or agent would feel who sees threats of his life carved on every other tree. Bravery in a situation of this sort was jqiiite out of the question. Of what use is pluck' when you have to deal with invisible foes? I might almost confess to Saving' brokeri. into downright flight as I neared the town, so extremely anxious was I to escape, the vicinity of every sheltering bush, tree, or hedge in. the .neighbourhood. ... : On gaining my hotel, I began to reflect on my narrow escape. I had been too much excited to attach to it the significance it demanded. But the hole in my hat conveyed the most shuddering information ion my narrow escape. Beyond all reasonable doubt, my life within that hour had only been worth two paltry inches. I repeated the question to myself, " Who wants my life? and if anybody wants it, what -are his claims ? What have I done to merit assassination?" Being wholly unable to answer these queries, I resolved tomake a confidant of my host, the hotelkeeper. ;., I called him to my room, and told ; hirii of. what; had happened. He shrugged his shoulders, as he exclaimed — "monsieur, like the rest of mankind, must pay ; the penalty of making love."' " But," said I, shocked at his smiyfroid, "I have not made love. Since I have been here,- 1 am not conscious of. having looked afc a woman, much less spoken to one." , . . . . "Then it is an enigma," he replied. "The only solution I can offer you is— that you nave been mistaken for some one else/ ")Bon ,ZHen. f " I exclaimed. "You have undoubtedly, hit the mark. I have been mistaken^-and I know for whom. Have you not seen a man in this town bearing a striking resemblance tome?" " No, ' was the answer. " Well, my friend, I have. The moment I saw him/I felt uncomfortable; I had a presifttiment of evih You will oblige me OyJe.tting me, have your bill. I shall go to J?ftris..:tof night.' If I stop, here another da^jfrny'lijTe, which I left England to fortifyjiwilihe snuffed out like a candle." ■ "_'/ J?he seeing matters come to ajpbint that affected his interests, endeavoured to laugh down my doubts; He argued that the ball I had received in my hat .might have been destined for a bird,; » that.jit,;was the shot of some wretched igarksnian,;.whp might have mistaken my Kajf; for 3, erqw. T' ' "'-., 'f^halmaybe alj very well," t an/^^'["jbufc'suffer me to tell you that :%'soft-f&6uae'only makes mo more resolute r ; #Ml6aV£ the 'place;; for -of what value is a ;Ei|a's£lifevin;a district abounding with '■■^.'^vi»j^6u:^ho/-ea^p^a^ke,&j}ia.t, for a :^.;-:crosT:' f -...' ■-.-„■- --. '->y-V,; \,;~-\ ;. | - . ■ . 1 ■ : "■■ ••■:^^ : i i jrivyj;, ; Je^j .for Paris at 2.35. It was aa^espressi and X found it to} be due at 8 rXj oJpWi^i \i': :F/d£spjitched : naiyv portmanteau r:;.4^^a|^(i)t|efr"i^/''tJiß ; itritionv and haying 20 %Ji |ip&p&s - J !^r%dieKsat- down' to a lightre- % J^^^idfi^il^ fowl and yin ordimirei iThe &§pj|i^|^^^able. enabled rae^fco get &

view of the street. Ad the porter strode away with my luggage, I observed a man ' cross the road and accost him. In reply ; to what was obviously a question, the porter, with the gesticulations of a Frenchman, pointed with his thumb to the hotel, and vigorously nodded his head. The mau crossed over again to the pavement, came on until he was opposite the hotel, caught sight of me through the window, and abruptly turning on his heel, walked off in the direction taken by the porter. I thought nothing of this. The man, 1 conjectured, probably wanted the job I had given to the porter. He was a com-mon-looking fellow, dressed iv leather gaiters, a blouse, a slouched cap, and a belt. There was nothing singular in his face. He was dark, with a black beard and moustache. He was a familiar type of the middle aged peasant of southern France. Having discharged my bill, I walked to the railway-station. On one platform there was much tumult, a train from Paris having just arrived. But upon the platform against which stood the train that was to bear me to the North, I counted only five people, exclusive of porters. But I had little time for observation. The train would leave in three minutes. I saw my portmanteau stowed away in the luggage-van, procured myself a first-class ticket, and took my seat. The shrill whistle of the guard sounded. The engine gave a snort, and the line of carriages clanked to their chains as they ( tighteued to the strain. Suddenly several voices, cried " Stop ! -stop ! Now, then, quick! Which class— first ? Let's see your ticket. Bight. Here you are — jump in !" The door of my carriage was opened, a form bounded in, the door was slammed, there was another shrill whistle, and off went the train. • I looked at my companion. He was the man whom I had noticed speak to the porter and stare into the window of my hotel. . A thrill passed over me. My recent escape had greatly shaken my nervous system, and the apparition of a mau whom I felt I ought to suspect sent a chill through, my blood. As a peasant, which he was — not expressed only in dress, but in his hands, which were dirty, rough, and horny — what did lie do in a first-class carriage ? I would have given something to have changed carriages. But there was no communication with the guard. Moreover, the train, as I have told you, was an express, and did not stop until a run of sixiy-six miles had been accomplished. We were now bowling along with great rapidity. The man sat, screwed into the corner away from me, immovable. He appeared to be looking through the window at; the country as it whirled by, but there was an abstracted expression in his gaze which indicated that he saw nothing. His arms were folded upon his breast. Though he must have been conscious of my scrutiny, he never turned his eyes upon me. His lips, I saw, were tightly compressed, and he breathed slowly but deeply through his nose, the nostrils of which dilated to the steady respiration. I began after a time to regain my composure. I struggled to laugh down my fears. What, I thought, had I to fear from a man I had never seen — who had never seen me ? The thing was preposterous. I extracted a paper from my pocket and commenced to read. I might have spoken to him, only I imagined that a man in his situation might have been embarrassed by my French, which I did not speak with a good accent. Besides, there was something that repelled all approach in his immobility. Half an hour passed away. All afc once, over the edge of my newspaper, I saw him put hi& hand out of the window, as if to open the door. I had not time to conjecture his intention when, with a wild, screaming whistle, we were hurled into the night of a long tunnel. The rapid disappearance of the daylight made the oil lamp suspended in the carriage emit but the dullest light for some minutes. I laid the newspaper down, with all my old fears revived in me. I had scarcely done so when I saw the outline of a man rise in the carriage. He leapt over to me where I was seated. I saw the gleam of a knife in the air. Mad with passion and surprise, I grasped the descending arm. A furious determination to preserve my life inspired me with the strength of a giant. The ferocity with which I seized the wrist forced the haud open. The knife fell; and then commenced a silent, furious struggle. He seized me by the collar, and clung with the tenacity of a tiger. I heard his snapping teeth, as if he were endeavouring to bite. We swayed from one end of the carriage to the other. I felt how weak ill health had left me, and prayed to pass out into the light, that I might the better see how to encounter the ruffian. Suddenly I felt myself swung round with tremendous energy. I bounded against a door, which opened, and we fell on to the lines in the very centre of the tunnel. The fall seemed to have stunned him, for. he fell under me, and remained for a time motionless. For myself, I received an indescribable shock, such as is experienced in a collision; but I retained my senses. I heard the roar of the train dying away in the distance. I saw the red gleam fading like the eye of a dying demon. I still clutched him by the throat, nor did I dare relinquish it. My situation was frightful. I suspected that a down train would soon be passing, and in the intense blackness of the tunnel I could not see oh which line we had fallen. I would have stretched forth my hand to grope for the rails ; I might have found a place of safety by judging of the distance between them ; but I felt the form of my assailant commencing to writhe beneath me. His struggles grew fiercer. Ho endeavoured to. rise, i but with the fury of despair, I kept him pressed down, one hand on his throat, the other on his breast. What I desired was to render him insensible. I would then leave him in the darkness, and grope my way as I could. It never occurred to me at the time that there was no need to make him insensible in order to elude him. The darkness would have rendered my presonce invisible to him. But my mind was hopelessly confused. I was breathing a sulphurous air made thick and difficult by its blackness. My only thought was to keep the ruffian down. I was only capable, indeed, of this thought. A few minutes had elapsed when I heard a distant rumbling like approaching thunder. It increased. I seemed to feel the j wind blowing against my face. I tasted, top, a continual draught of smoke and steam. I knew that a train was approaching, and my hair lifted on my head. What rails were we on? The suspense was frightful. My assailant increased his struggles. He became furious. He was evidently fighting to throw me down, and over in the direction of that side of the tunnel along which came the roar of the train. I saw his object, and madly pressed upon him. His body frantically writhed. He twisted under me as if ho revolved upon a pivot. He endeavoured to shriek some words to me, but my throttling grasp made his voice no more than a horrible hoarseness., ,

I saw the red and green lights of the engine approaching. They grew in size and lustre with a hideous rapidity. There was a roar, a shower of dust, a wind that struck me down like a blow from a strong man's fist ; then followed the dying rattle, euding in a dull and sullen moan. I rose to my feet. I crossed over to the wall, and, feeling along it, took a. walk with all the speed my sinking frame would suffer mo to put forth. How long I walked I know not. My passage seemed interminable. The damp of the wall, against which my left hand constantly pressed, froze my blood. Now and then I stumbled over piles of rubbish lying grouped against the side ; and sometimes my groping was bewildered by my coming across recesses into which my hands guided me. At length I saw a star, tremulous, glorious in the distance. It was daylight ; the aperture of the tunnel, and I pushed forward with invigorated spirits. I neared it slowly ; for this star seemed to maintain an inexorable distance, and would not enlarge. How shall I describe my joy as I gained the twilight of its reflection — as I advanced and felt the pure air of heaven upon my dry cheeks and burning lips, — as I saw the blue sky, and the dim vista of pale green banks ! As I got into the light a cry escaped my lips. My trousers were splashed with blood. There was one ensanguiued line, as if a fountain of blood had played upon me. I seated myself to recover my strength. I could see that I presented a dismal and terrible spectacle. My coat was torn, my hands were black — so, too I judged was my face — my collar had been torn from me, and the skin at the ends of my fingers was lacerated. After reposing myself I climbed the bank, and perceived at about the distance of a mile a small station. I made towards it, and gained it. A railway official, who was standing looking at two children playing in a back garden, uttered a loud cry of alarm as ho espied me. I narrated my story to him as coherently as I could, and then sunk upon the ground in a fainting condition. Of what happened after this I have no remembrance. When I came to my senses I discovered that I had been taken to the house of the station-master, and carefully tended by his wife. From him I learnt the conclusion of this singular incident in my life. It seems that after my story had been told, two men were despatched into the tunnel in search of my assailant. They discovered him lying dead, with both his legs cut clean off a little above the knees. They bore the corpse to an adjacent deadhouse ; and an inquiry into his death brought out particulars which are very easily anticipated. The man who so closely resembled me at V had seduced the betrothed of a labourer, one Theodore Vertot. This Theodore, reckless now of life, and resolutely bent on vengeance, swore to kill the seducer. Mistaking me for his enemy, he attempted to shoot me. This failing, he hung about the hotel armed with a stiletto, determining to stab mo whenever I should appear in the street. Hearing, however, that I was about leaving for Paris, he perceived a better and safer means of prosecuting his design, by stabbing me in the tunnel through which he knew we would pass, and then escaping in the darkness, lleflection had obviously taught him that revenge would be none the less sweet because it did not entail his destruction by the law. Such is this simple but tragical story. My jprototyp^__wh_qjhad been the means of twicerimperilling my life, I have never seen since._ I confess to no wish to see him. It" isHbad enough to have to bear the brunt of one's own follies ; it is altogether miserable to suffer from the follies of others. Ever since the occurrence of this small episode I have always ihought that there is a much wiser providence manifested in the dissimilarity between man and man than our philosophy suffers us to dream of.