Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-01-08
Tales aud Sketehss.
BY THE THICKNESS OF A Button.
Continued from Saturday /

cars DelnB snunted ABOUT IN all directions
at the same time; on all sides they came
looming like great shadows out of the
darkness and thick snow. and straight
vanished in it again. The poor switch
tenders, wet to the skin, up to their knees
in snow, sprang this way and that between
the rolling cars. You know how a dis
tributing station looks of winter night.
God only knows how us we're not all
made mince-meat Of in the course of it;
and I've all my life long been surprised
when next morning | haven't heard that
this one or that one was killed on the spot.
And II anything does happen, then the
strict gentleman at the green table in
their warm Office up there out with the
rules out of their ockets To be sure its
| the only way. But Ii they would
only for Just once in their lives to look on
| themselves outside
That night, then it was right bad, and
the Sylvester punch, too may heve touch
ed the mems heads little beforehand,
Tor the ringing went at at Il rate as il Sa-
tan himself was giving the orders. But
| there was a wretched little assistant
station master--I could not bear the man,
because he once came in my way in GER
tain matter-but | could not help looking
in ama2ement as | saw his signal lantern
everywhere, swinging in an inch, swing
| horizontally, swinging crosswise, up,
down, behind. before, and heard his shrill
voice through all the storm. And see, I'd
Just called to the man, as | saw him slip
through between two buffers, that he
ought not to be so devilish reckless But
he had laughed at me, ard called out:
\ ou attend to your own work. Zimmer-
mann. and never mind me; we must be
| Nnk laFA =, 4 ....lt 4
ward = and away he was gone.
Il heard him still giving the order
Forward = yonder among my comrades,
and heard the car chains clink, and then
sound-what like was 1t have you ever
head butcher hack through thick bone
with his AK ?-and then dull cry, and then
again, only the cling and clang OF the buf-
ters clashing together. A cold shudder
ran over me; then got the signal to 60
ahead-there was no stopping. For
ward, forward In moment | was
far away in the other end OF the yard
where no one could know what had
happened.
was dreaming, and when, a half hour
later, We had got through. and | en-
tered the engine-house again, the. boss
said to me, Have you heard thinner
mann. Assistant Statiopmaster Porges
has been killed on the spot. crushed to
death between the buffersP"
Il didn't ask many questions; my heart
shuddered. and don't know how took
care of my engine and got on the way
home. As | passed by the stairs, | saw
group with lanterns standing there, and
something covered with cloak lying on
the snow | didn't stop; shivered all
over; and can tell you boys, I'd have
given heaven knows what II l hadn't
wished him to the devil half an hour be-
fore. | tried hard to get that out OF my
head. meant nothing particular by ii;
twas way OF talking common enough
with us among you young chaps it's worse
vet. and it would cure YOU il you once
felt the crawling inside OF you that have
Well at last made out to get thinking of
Z the warm room at home there, with the
! felt slippers all ready, and Louise and the
youngster, and the flask OF arrack and
. the sugar and the lemons on the table.
and the cat and the tea-kettte singing,
and by degrees | began TO feel little
lighter.
Now, with all this thinking of this and
that, you'll readily believe | hadn't paid
much heed to wind and weather, road or
!, pathway; and all | knew it was whirling
3 and howling yet in the air as | entered
: the cut by the oil-mill, through which |
might have seen the windows OF my house,
+. il one could have seen anything at all ten
! PAGES off. went ahead on the right-hand
J track of the two in the cut because that
was ireer from snow, and from that side
could see my house sooner.
And, in truth, | went along quite care
lessly, for | was going from the yard, and
that was the in n-track, so no train could
!. come on from behind, and at that hour
It none was to be expected in front Be-
d sides. must have heard it coming
Just as | was in the middle of the cut,
which lies, you know, in the curve. and
y where that night one could not see a car
n ength off, heard whistle behind me, and
> light after it clap and clap of the ap-
rroaching train. | noticed. too, that the
engine was pushing the train before it,
because the stroke OF the engine was much
farther behind than the rolling of the
wheels. | thought, 'Ah ! that is the reserve
train of som twenty pair of wheels that
stood yonder ahead on the track, and that
they shunting over to the freight house.
But all this passed only vaguely through
my mind, as one always thinks mechan-
cally OF his work even when his head and
} utdTI dIo lull Ol OtnGI luiuSs. saw
vaguely, in reality didn't feel the slight
est interest in it, for the train must direct
ly pass me on the other track. But when
the ping and pang of the wheels on the
hard frozen track had got quite close up,
and | already heard the coupling chain on
the foremost car clinking back and forth,
and saw the light of the signal lantern be.
: gin to glide by me on the snow, partly
turned my head to call Happy New
Year" to the fellows upon the train.
/, But there was no train on the track
and at the same instant | got a violent
blow in the back The sparks danced be-
fore my eyes-slap II lay flat on my face
on the track, and, pung pung the cars
began to pass over me-"
Here the engineer made another pause.
- 1t was still as death In the room. and faces
breathless and riveted learned forward and
round the table lie filled the glasses
again. pressed down the tobacco in his
pipe. and went on: