Cannibalism in the Cars3000字.docx

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,