Cannibalism in the Cars3000字.docx
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CannibalismintheCars3000字
CannibalismintheCars_3000字
IvisitedSt.Louislately,andonmywaywest,afterchangingcarsatTerreHaute,Indiana,amild,benevolent-lookinggentlemanofaboutforty-five,ormaybefifty,cameinatoneoftheway-stationsandsatdownbesideme.Wetalkedtogetherpleasantlyonvarioussubjectsforanhour,perhaps,andIfoundhimexceedinglyintelligentandentertaining.WhenhelearnedthatIwasfromWashington,heimmediatelybegantoaskquestionsaboutvariouspublicmen,andaboutCongressionalaffairs;andIsawveryshortlythatIwasconversingwithamanwhowasperfectlyfamiliarwiththeinsandoutsofpoliticallifeattheCapital,eventothewaysandmanners,andcustomsofprocedureofSenatorsandRepresentativesintheChambersoftheNationalLegislature.Presentlytwomenhaltednearusforasinglemoment,andonesaidtotheother:
"Harris,ifyou'lldothatforme,I'llneverforgetyou,myboy."
Mynewcomrade'seyeslightedpleasantly.Thewordshadtoucheduponahappymemory,Ithought.Thenhisfacesettledintothoughtfulness--almostintogloom.Heturnedtomeandsaid,"Letmetellyouastory;letmegiveyouasecretchapterofmylife--achapterthathasneverbeenreferredtobymesinceitseventstranspired.Listenpatiently,andpromisethatyouwillnotinterruptme."
IsaidIwouldnot,andherelatedthefollowingstrangeadventure,speakingsometimeswithanimation,sometimeswithmelancholy,butalwayswithfeelingandearnestness.
TheStranger'sNarrative
"Onthe19thofDecember,1853,IstartedfromSt.LouisontheeveningtrainboundforChicago.Therewereonlytwenty-fourpassengers,alltold.Therewerenoladiesandnochildren.Wewereinexcellentspirits,andpleasantacquaintanceshipswereformed.Thejourneybadefairtobeahappyone;andnoindividualintheparty,Ithink,hadeventhevaguestpresentmentofthehorrorsweweresoontoundergo.
"At11p.m.itbegantosnowhard.ShortlyafterleavingthesmallvillageofWelden,weentereduponthattremendousprairiesolitudethatstretchesitsleaguesonleaguesofhouselessdrearinessfarawaytowardstheJubileeSettlements.Thewinds,unobstructedbytreesorhills,orevenvagrantrocks,whistledfiercelyacrosstheleveldesert,drivingthefallingsnowbeforeitlikesprayfromthecrestedwavesofastormysea.Thesnowwasdeepeningfast;andweknew,bythediminishedspeedofthetrain,thattheenginewasploughingthroughitwithsteadilyincreasingdifficulty.Indeed,italmostcametoadeadhaltsometimes,inthemidstofgreatdriftsthatpiledthemselveslikecolossalgravesacrossthetrack.Conversationbegantoflag.Cheerfulnessgaveplacetograveconcern.Thepossibilityofbeingimprisonedinthesnow,onthebleakprairie,fiftymilesfromanyhouse,presenteditselftoeverymind,andextendeditsdepressinginfluenceovereveryspirit.
"Attwoo'clockinthemorningIwasarousedoutofanuneasyslumberbytheceasingofallmotionaboutme.Theappallingtruthflasheduponmeinstantly--wewerecaptivesinasnow-drift!
'Allhandstotherescue!
'Everymansprangtoobey.Outintothewildnight,thepitchydarkness,thebillowysnow,thedrivingstorm,everysoulleaped,withtheconsciousnessthatamomentlostnowmightbringdestructiontousall.Shovels,hands,boards--anything,everythingthatcoulddisplacesnow,wasbroughtintoinstantrequisition.Itwasaweirdpicture,thatsmallcompanyoffranticmenfightingthebankingsnows,halfintheblackestshadowandhalfintheangrylightofthelocomotive'sreflector.
"Oneshorthoursufficedtoprovetheutteruselessnessofourefforts.Thestormbarricadedthetrackwithadozendriftswhilewedugoneaway.Andworsethanthis,itwasdiscoveredthatthelastgrandchargetheenginehadmadeupontheenemyhadbrokenthefore-and-aftshaftofthedriving-wheel!
Withafreetrackbeforeusweshouldstillhavebeenhelpless.Weenteredthecarweariedwithlabor,andverysorrowful.Wegatheredaboutthestoves,andgravelycanvassedoursituation.Wehadnoprovisionswhatever--inthislayourchiefdistress.Wecouldnotfreeze,fortherewasagoodsupplyofwoodinthetender.Thiswasouronlycomfort.Thediscussionendedatlastinacceptingthedishearteningdecisionoftheconductor,viz.,thatitwouldbedeathforanymantoattempttotravelfiftymilesonfootthroughsnowlikethat.Wecouldnotsendforhelp;andevenifwecould,itcouldnotcome.Wemustsubmit,andawait,aspatientlyaswemight,succororstarvation!
Ithinkthestoutesthearttherefeltamomentarychillwhenthosewordswereuttered.
"Withinthehourconversationsubsidedtoalowmurmurhereandthereaboutthecar,caughtfitfullybetweentherisingandfallingoftheblast;thelampsgrewdim;andthemajorityofthecastawayssettledthemselvesamongtheflickeringshadowstothink--toforgetthepresent,iftheycould--tosleep,iftheymight.
"Theeternalnight--itsurelyseemedeternaltous--woreitslagginghoursawayatlast,andthecoldgreydawnbrokeintheeast.Asthelightgrewstrongerthepassengersbegantostirandgivesignsoflife,oneafteranother,andeachinturnpushedhisslouchedhatupfromhisforehead,stretchedhisstiffenedlimbs,andglancedoutatthewindowsuponthecheerlessprospect.Itwascheerlessindeed!
--notalivingthingvisibleanywhere,notahumanhabitation;nothingbutavastwhitedesert;upliftedsheetsofsnowdriftinghitherandthitherbeforethewind--aworldofeddyingflakesshuttingoutthefirmamentabove.
"Alldaywemopedaboutthecars,sayinglittle,thinkingmuch.Anotherlingeringdrearynight--andhunger.
"Anotherdawning--anotherdayofsilence,sadness,wastinghunger,hopelesswatchingforsuccorthatcouldnotcome.Anightofrestlessslumber,filledwithdreamsoffeasting--wakingsdistressedwiththegnawingsofhunger.
"Thefourthdaycameandwent--andthefifth!
Fivedaysofdreadfulimprisonment!
Asavagehungerlookedoutateveryeye.Therewasinitasignofawfulimport--theforeshadowingofasomethingthatwasvaguelyshapingitselfineveryheart--asomethingwhichnotonguedaredyettoframeintowords.
"Thesixthdaypassed--theseventhdawneduponasgauntandhaggardandhopelessacompanyofmenaseverstoodintheshadowofdeath.Itmustoutnow!
Thatthingwhichhadbeengrowingupineveryheartwasreadytoleapfromeverylipatlast!
Naturehadbeentaxedtotheutmost--shemustyield.RichardH.Gaston,ofMinnesota,tall,cadaverous,andpale,roseup.Allknewwhatwascoming.Allprepared--everyemotion,everysemblanceofexcitementwassmothered--onlyacalm,thoughtfulseriousnessappearedintheeyesthatwerelatelysowild.
"'Gentlemen,--Itcannotbedelayedlonger!
Thetimeisathand!
Wemustdeterminewhichofusshalldietofurnishfoodfortherest!
'
"Mr.JohnJ.Williams,ofIllinois,roseandsaid:
'Gentlemen,--InominatetheRev.JamesSawyer,ofTennessee.'
"Mr.Wm.R.Adams,ofIndiana,said:
'InominateMr.DanielSlote,ofNewYork.'
"Mr.CharlesJ.Langdon:
'InominateMr.SamuelA.Bowen,ofSt.Louis.'
"Mr.Slote:
'Gentlemen,--IdesiretodeclineinfavorofMr.JohnA.VanNostrand,Jun.,ofNewJersey.'
"Mr.Gaston:
'Iftherebenoobjection,thegentleman'sdesirewillbeaccededto.'
"Mr.VanNostrandobjecting,theresignationofMr.Slotewasrejected.TheresignationsofMessrs.SawyerandBowenwerealsooffered,andrefuseduponthesamegrounds.
"Mr.A.L.Bascom,ofOhio:
'Imovethatthenominationsnowclose,andthattheHouseproceedtoanelectionbyballot.'
"Mr.Sawyer:
'Gentlemen,--Iprotestearnestlyagainsttheseproceedings.Theyare,ineveryway,irregularandunbecoming.Imustbegtomovethattheybedroppedatonce,andthatweelectachairmanofthemeetingandproperofficerstoassisthim,andthenwecangoonwiththebusinessbeforeusunderstandingly.'
"Mr.Bell,ofIowa:
'Gentlemen,--Iobject.Thisisnotimetostanduponformsandceremoniousobservances.Formorethansevendayswehavebeenwithoutfood.Everymomentweloseinidlediscussionincreasesourdistress.Iamsatisfiedwiththenominationsthathavebeenmade--everygentlemanpresentis,Ibelieve--andI,forone,donotseewhyweshouldnotproceedatoncetoelectoneormoreofthem.Iwishtoofferaresolution--'
"Mr.Gaston:
'Itwouldbeobjectedto,andhavetolieoveronedayundertherules,thusbringingabouttheverydelayyouwishtoavoid.ThegentlemanfromNewJersey--'
"Mr.VanNostrand:
'Gentlemen,--Iamastrangeramongyou;Ihavenotsoughtthedistinctionthathasbeenconferreduponme,andIfeeladelicacy--'
"Mr.Morgan,ofAlabama(interrupting):
'Imovethepreviousquestion.'
"Themotionwascarried,andfurtherdebateshutoff,ofcourse.Themotiontoelectofficerswaspassed,andunderitMr.Gastonwaschosenchairman,Mr.Blakesecretary,Messrs.Holcomb,Dyer,andBaldwin,acommitteeonnominations,andMr.R.M.Howland,purveyor,toassistthecommitteeinmakingselections.
"Arecessofhalfanhourwasthentaken,andsomelittlecaucusingfollowed.Atthesoundofthegavelthemeetingreassembled,andthecommitteereportedinfavorofMessrs.GeorgeFerguson,ofKentucky,LucienHerrman,ofLouisiana,andW.Messick,ofColorado,ascandidates.Thereportwasaccepted.
"Mr.Rogers,ofMissouri:
'Mr.President,--ThereportbeingproperlybeforetheHousenow,