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

where it was, and if she had been well,
perhaps-I'm not sure-I might have
told her all about it but as it was, of
course it would have been like poison
ing her peace of mind, for my job was
on the permanent way of one of the
London lines, and fully expected that
whole lot of my work would be in tun-
nels with the trains roaring by night
and day.
1 went on the very next morning, and
it was just as / expected. Our first job
was in tunnel half mile long, and
about in the middle, where the way was
little srnk from the level
Our party. which consisted of six, had
picks, shovels, and great levers, and we
had, besides, four of those naphtha
lamps-portable gas some people call
them-same as you've seen used at fairs
or stalls in the busy streets; and in this
fashion we walked early to the mouth
of the tunnel.
There was one thing / couldn't help
noticing about the men of our gang, and
that was the peculiar dull, heavy way
with which they moved arm or leg, while
their heads seemed to be never at rest.
They'd good call for it though, as soon
learned, every man working at railway
jobs having to divide his time IN two,
half being for the job on hand. half be-
ing taken up in looking out for danger.
We hadn't gone fifty yards into the
tunnel, which got blacker and closer,
and more wet and reeking with damp,
at every step, before began to hear a
dull, heavy roar. We were walking on
the right-hana side between the metals,
so as to meet any train upon the line,
and my first movement was to step on
to the other line" four-foot we call
it-so as to be out of the way till the
train had come by.
"Here, hold hard !" shouted the lead.
er of our gang, and he laid q hand on
my shoulder and dragged me back for
I hadn't seen that there was another
train coming into the tunnel. and that
it was dashing up swiftly, giving us just
time to creep back in the holes left in
the tunnel wall, like doorways, here and
there, before it went by with rush.
/ couldn't help it-perhaps it was
through it's all being so new to me-
anyhow, / came over all of a tremble,
and felt that scared, / could hardly hold
the pick Fhad brought with me.
What would Polly feel if she knew I
was here? 1 thought, and 1 felt quite
pleased that had not told her what it
was had to do.
The next minute we were making on
further into the tunnel, but we had not
gone far before there was the loud hol-
low roar coming again through the dark
ness then, like couple of faint stars,
We could see the engine-lghts /; the
word was given, and we got into the
man-holes once more. Then the faint
stars grew AID grew till they flashed and
glimmered on the wet brick walls
grew and grew till they seemed coming
to burn us up-and then there was
roar and flash, and the whole train
was by, and we were all walking on.
1t was very slow work, for there was
train about every three minutes, and
we had to get into a safe place pretty
well half minute before it passed.
Long enough, you'll say; but it was the
custom with the men to get out of the
way in good time, to be on the safe side
so that, counting both ways, l think
seven trains passed us before we got to
the place where we we're to begin.
To new hand, it was dismal, cellar
like place the air smelt burnt and foul,
and as if the engines had used it up
half-a-dozen times over, leaving only
bad steam in its stead Our lamps were
hung up on iron rods we brought with
us, and stuck in the six-foot way be-
tween the two lines, and there we stood
ready to begin.
1t puzzled me to think how we should
ever get the job done, for it seemed as
if We should be able to give about half
a-aozen strokes with a pick and then
leave off and ours was likely to be a
longish bit of work, for the line had
settled, so that what We had to do was
to clear away the ballast, then with the
long levers bodily hoist up length of
rail, and the wood sleepers it rested on,
and shovel the gravel underneath.
Well, it was like this for hour after
hour just few strokes of shovel or
pick, and then the shrek of an engine
and its two bright eyes glowing in the
distance, and seeming for all the world
to me there in the darkness like the
horrors of fever or nightmare, or
something of that kind. 1 couldn't get
myself to think and feel that it was
real. kept expecting to wake up in
bed to attend ON Polly, or on one of the
children that was SICK. 1 couldn't, of
course, make out what that hollow roar
or those two bright flaming eyes had to
do with it, but there they were, seeming
to fascinate me as they came nearer
and nearer the noise grew louder and
louder, and then the train dashed by,
seeming to take my breath with it,
leaving me crouching close to the Shiny
wall, as if longing to force myself into
it, till the CANCERS voice reused me into
knowing where 1 was with his husky
voice and his SECT on, my lads.
| How 1 got through that day I never
seemed to know but though breathet
freely when outside the tunnel, and tool
all the reckless jokes of my mates il
good part, there was a regular load a
my heart, and / could only think of go
ing in next day with sort of shudder
for I'd got it into my head that one o
those trains would be the death of me
and the shrek of the engine, and tn
hollow roar of those coming and o
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