'Strange what's become o' him,' says I to a fat man, who was puffing along.
'Dim strange, dim strange,' says the big fellow, in a keen, wheezing voice.
"Well, you never saw jist sich hunting as was done for that conductor. Everybody slopped around in the swamp till their clothes was as wet and muddy as mine. I was monstrous active in the search. I hunted everywhere 'cepting where the conductor was. Finally he got the gag spit out and lordy how he did squeal for help. Everybody rushed to him and soon had him free.
"It tickled me awful to hear that conductor explaining the matter. He told it something like this:
'Devil of a great big ruffian on hind platform. Asked him for ticket. Refused. Tried to put him off. Grabbed me. Smashed my nose. Flung me off. Pulled the bell-rope, then lit out on me. Mauled —— out o' me. Had a pistol two feet long. Made me pray. Heard train a coming. Took me to swamp. Tied me and sloped. Lord but I'm glad to see you all!'
"We all went aboard o' the train and I rode to Savanny onmolested. The conductor didn't mistrust me. He asked me for my check and I told him 'at I'd lost it a thrashing round in the bushes a hunting him. That was all right.
"When we got to Savanny I couldn't help letting the conductor know me, so as I passed down the steps of the car I whispered savagely in his ear:
'Ticket! dod blast you!'
"He tried to grab me as I shambled off into the crowd, but I knowed the ropes. I heard him a shoutin'—
'There he goes! Ketch him, dern him, ketch him!' But they didn't.