Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-04-02

towards morning she dozed off into a
quiet sleep, leaving me to think of what
/ had better do.
1 was obliged to go to work, so the
only arrangement / could make was to
invite neighbor to step in and attend
to her, and six o'clock saw me with
the ganger and his lot on the way once
more to the tunnel.
Thinking of what had left at home,
I determined to fight down the feeling
of fear had on the day before, telling
myself that / was a coward, and that
the job was done by other men, so why
should be afraid. 1t was all no use
though, for, do what would, every
train that came by gave me regular
shock.
You see, the sitting up all night, af-
ter being tagged the day before, made
me the more unfit than / should have
been; and what with wondering
whether the doctor would remember to
call, and our neighbor to go in, and the
children to do all had told them, of.
ten got into such muddled state that
it was like being wakened out of sleep
when the ganger called to us to stand
aside.
1t was the custom there to work very
slowly and easily, or else / am sure they
would have had something to say abou,
the sleepy way in which / handled my
shovel and over and over again train
was close on me before moved.
should think that it was getting on
for twelve o'clock that, as / was shovel
ling away there, everything seemed to
pass away from me, and 1 was back
watching by Polly's bedside. My arms
were busy enough handling the tool,
but my mind was gone. and if ever
a man went fast asleep standing up, 1
did then. Fast asleep Yes, and
dreamed too for I seemed to be telling
the children not to make so much noise,
for they were drawing something about
in the next room. The lights were
burning, and the place was very hot and
stuffy, owing to the kettle having boil
ed over, and poor Polly's eyes seemed
to CLEAN with fever in the most unnatu-
raj way.
They frightened me at last, those eyes
did, coming nearer and nearer to me as
they did till they seemed to burn me, and
WANTED to get away from them only I
told myself 1t wouldn't be kind if 1 did
when she was SO i'll, so I stood and
looked full at them for what seemed q
terrible long while, till 1 knew that I
could bear it no longer, and then, with
a start, woke to find that / was star
ing right at coming train with the two
glaring, flashing lights, and the thun-
dering, hollow roar
OF course il only took few moments,
but it was like an age to me. And there's
all that cellary-looking, sliny-walled
place, and the naphtha lamps, and the
ruddy faces of my mates, and me facina-
ted and forced-lille to stare at that coming
engine, burning, snorting, and dropping
hot coals-that scene is all burned into
my memory SO deep, that 1 can never
forget it as long as / live.
The ganger shouted, my mates yelled
out to me but couldn't move could
only stand staring at the horrible mon
ster, which / knew must kill me the
next moment, and then it came upon
me just as 1 dropped on the ballast
and lay half in faint. There was q
fash of light, the whizzing of wheels,
the hollow echoing roar, and I knew
that as / lay between the rails the whole
train was passing over me.
I've seen long trains, and I've heard
of long trains, but that one, though
perhaps only the usual length, seemed
to take an hour to pass over me, and me
thinking all the time of the coupling
irons that must come and dash my
brains out. Then thought 1 was al
ready killed, and that there was no
bodily pain for those who were slain,
only the pain of thinking and then /
was looking at the tail-lights of the en-
CINE flaming naptha lamps.
They picked me up, my mates did,
and they were going to carry me out,
when / shook them off and told them /
was all right making them quite savage
like that should be unhurt when they
had all made up their minds that / was
killed. They all owned, though, that it
was the narrowest escape they ever see,
and the ganger took care to give me
better notice the rest of the day. Not
that / fell into such o state again, for
the shock of what / had suffered kept
me wakeful to degree.
That affair seemed to have the effect
of stringing me up tight, for though ]
have worked for days together-ay, and
nights too-in tunnels, / never seemed
to be afraid. I never told Polly
though, for, You see, what would be the
good? 1t would only have made hel
nervous and kept her back from getting
well, which took her long enough as il
was. However, / won't grumble, for
as she mended, things succeeded with
us, and now our homes as comfortable
as a man can get for six-and-sixpence {
week. Tunnel work ain's pleasant, bu
I've got about used to it; not so usei
though but that, as / said be sore,
shall never forget that affair-such
narrow escape as it was-and when / d.
think of it, and there's no one by, I tel
you what do: honestly, and with al
my heart, takes off my cap and close
my eyes, SO as to be all shut In like t,
myself, and then say a prayer, a yer,
short one, but it tells all l want, ant
you know what's said about mucl
speaking. Ny prayers a short one. bu
it gives all that's felt by man who's
| life was spared that he might 90 on try