Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-09
Hltslellanp.
From Every saturday
The -sign;ls-nail
BT cHAELEs DIcKIss.

" HalIOli Below there
When be hesri a voice thus calling to him,
he was standing at the door CT his box, with
a Il AZ IN MS hand, furled around It's short pole.
One would have thought, considering the
ture OF the ground, chat ne could not have
doubted from what quarter the voice came
but, instead OF looking up 90 where 1 stood
on the top Of the steep cutting nearly over
his head, be turned himself about snC looked
do Osn the Line There WIS something re
markaJ lie ia his manner of doing so, though
| could not have salI for my life, what But,
| know 1t was rem II kable enough TO attract
my notice, even though his figure was fore
shortened ana shadOaed, down IL the deep
trench and mine high above him. and so
steeped IN the glow OF angry sunset that |
shaded my eyes with nay hand before | saw
him at all
HaIl0A Below
From looking down the Line, he turned
himself about again. and, raising his eyes, s-w
my figure high above him.
= Is there any path By which can come
down and SPEAK To you.
lie looked up at tne without replying, and
| looked down at him without pressing him
too son with repetition OF my idle question
just then, there came L vague vibration ID
tue earth aud arr; quickly changing into u
violent pulsatI0p, anu OncomIng rush that
caused me TO start back, though it hao
force to draw me down. " hen such vspor
as rose TO my SIGHT from this rapid train had
psssed sIud y skImmIng away over the
landscape, l looked down again and saw him
refuriing tle dag he had shown while the
train went by.
repeated my inquiry After a pause,
during which ne seemed 20 regard me with
fixed attention, he u0tIoued with his rolled
Up h4g toward point on my Level, some two
OF three hundred yards distant. | called
down TO him all. " All right - and made tor
that point. There, by dInt of looking closely
about me, found rough, zigzag descending
path nvtcaed our, which | followed.
The cutting WIS extremely deep, and un-
usually precII iIate. 1t Was made through a
csmmy stone that became oOzier and wetter
| went down. For these reasons. | found
the way long enough 10 give ms time to recall
q singular aIr vi reluctance or compuisi0n
with which he had pointed out the patti.
" hen came down low enough aton the
zigZag desc, ut 10 see him again, | that lie
standing between tn e rails on The way ty
which The Train had lately Iassed. III an atII-
tude ii he waiting Tor me To appear.
lie had his ieiC hand az ms chin, and tn left
eiUOw rested on his right hand crossed over
hIs Breast. His attitude was one OF such
pectaLOu anu watchtulDes-, that | stopped u
moment, wondering dt 1t.
| resumed my downward way, and, steg ping
pom the level Of the railroad and draw
ing nearer - MIN, saw that he was l. DARK
.aliUw man, with dark beard and rather
heavy cyebroHs. IiIs post was IN as solitary
and dIsInai place ever saw On e.ther
side, dripp.pg We wall OF ,gged stone, ex-
cludiDg elI Tiew but sIrIp Ut SKY the pel-
spectIve one way, only crooked prolongati0n
OF This great dungeon; the shOrter pefspt ctIve
IN the other direction terminating III gloomy
red light, ana the gloouiIer cntTance 10 back
tunnel, IN whose massive architecture there
bar0a4Uus. depressing and torbidding
Buc little sunlight found way
t. this spot, and 1t had earthly, deadly
smell AID 20 much cold wind Iuehed thro IT,
that II struck chill 10 rae, 1t | had leit tbs
narural w0IId-
Before he stirred, was near enough TO iIti
TO have tOucned hin NOT even then relnOv-
ing his eyes iron mine, hc stepped back one
step ana niIed bus hard.
Ihs wac Lonesome post to occupy (l sdd) g,
and 1t had rIVHed my attention when L looked
down from Up yonder. VISITOR Was rarity,
l should suppose Dot unweiconle rarIty
hopeG la me, be merely saw " no
had en shut up within narrow limits all hIs
lie. anc VINO, being last eet irte had
newly ava kened interest Ih these great works.
It such purpose spoke 10 hun but am
lar from sure Oi tie teims | used, for, besidrs :
that am lot happy IL oE enipg any CONVEX
daunted me.
lie directed mos. curious look toward the
red light near tn tunnel mouth and loo ke d
all about II, as If something were missing
from II, ana shcn looked q me.
lhar hight was Part of hIs charge. Wac
1t not?'
He aDsw red in lo1 VOICE Don't YOU
know II ?"
The InOnstrou7 thought came into my mind
ar peTused TIE fixed eyes and the saturine
face that this as a spiGIt, not man have
specuated since whether there may have been
infection IN mis- mind.
Ia my turn, stepped back. But in max
ing the action detected in bis eyes some la
tent fear cf me. This pat the monsnous
thought TO flight
4 You lock a me- | said, forcing q emile
"as Ii you had dread OF me.
. was doubtful" be returned, whether
Tad en- You before"
Nhere?'
lie pointed 70 the red light he had looked
- There 2" said
InIentiy wat :hiui of me- he replied (bus
without q souBc) = Yes"
Ny good leliow, What should DO there
However, DE that asIt may, never there
yCu may swear.
r. think l may ne rejoined. Yes,
am sure | may
Ills manner cleared, Ike my OVID. He re
Piled 10 my Remarks with Readiness and II
well chosen words. Had he mu.h 10 90 there
f,s, that was 10 say, he had enough respon-
sItIlIty 10 tear; tut exactness and watchi ui
Less were ~bat Was required OF him. and 9
sclual uoik-maI aIusi i.lor-he had Ut X t
Done. lO chang, that signal, Eo Trim tDos,
lghts aId 10 turn ihIs jiOD handle now ana
then wss all be had 10 do ubder that head
Regardirg those ma y long and lonely hour
o. which | {, eIned 10 ,sake 60 much, he CT nj,
sDly say Il al the routn If his lie had shaIet
iIssIi Irto that form. and he had gIowD osel
10 1t. lie ksd taught hlmseli n Iangusg,
down befe-It only 10 know j; by siehr, ant
to have foImed his own cruoo I0ens Of III
prcnunciaticn, could be called learning it