St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-02-21

Smith, he was always after the cul-
verts, especially if there was any
danger of freshet I've seen him up
to his waist in water, working away
with an axe, and, when the Jam
broke, nearly getting carried through
the culvert; and that was right out
here, just beyond the tower"
Harry had stopped eating jam, and
was listening with all his ears He
had never seen his father up to his
waist in water But just then there
was rap at the door, and young
man hurried in. He was the opera
tor from the tower
Sorry to interrupt you," he said,
''but I've just received this"
This is the telegram which he hand
ed to Fetrow:
]. F., Ganister-There is a small
washout at Six-nile Dump. Please
report at once with all your force to
F. ]. c. at that point Bring shovels
You can use the north track with
your hand-car P M. S.
Fetrow handed the message over
to Archer. 'P M. S. is Mr.. Sargent,
of course said Fetrow Il forget
who F. ]. c. is, but you can tell me
on the way down Will you call the
men? I'll get out the hand-car."
Then to the operator: Just tell P.
M S. that I'll have the men down
there in an hour. Can we get down
on the hand-car as quick as that,
Archer ?"
YES. 1t is not far beyond the end
of your division"
The men were pulling on their
boots and lighting their lanterns
Il don't like this leaving my own
division. Who knows what will
happen while we are gP49 said
Fetrow.
"Oh," said Archer, "if anything
happens Harry will let us know"
Harry had been watching them a
little sadly, but he frightened up at
this. 'Shall | telegraph down to
you? ?"
mo; you can't do that, for the OPP
orator will go away at eight or nine"
said Archer
NO" said his father, as he stoop-
ed to kiss him, IF anything happens
you'll have to walk"
Harry shut the door after them,
and then watched them from the
window. Archer's light disappeared
as he ran down the hill to where the
rest lived. Fetrow's light went to
the tool house and got out the hand
cars and shovels Then Archer's
light came back with six other
lights, and they all started off down
toward the east.
1t was about seven O'Clock, but
Harry was very sleepy. So he blew
out the lamp, took his candle and
went up to bed. There were no cur
tainS in the room, SO, as he lay in
bed, he could see the great red eye of
the signal tower At first he felt very
lonely. He had never been alone in
an empty house before; and the wind
blew, and the rain beat, and the
house creaked now and then in a way
he did not like. But the big red eye
was company for him, and he dozed
off quite comfortably. But, just as
he was dropping off, he woke up with
jerk.
A train had stopped at the station.
He sat up in bed, and saw the red
light go out, and then the light in
the tower go out. Then some one
came out of the tower, and ran across
the wet shining platform and board
ed the train Then there was a clat-
ter as the train went on, and every
thing was black.
1t was so black that Harry could
not even make out the white snow.
But he shut his eyes tight, so as not
to see the blackness; and then he
found he could see quite plainly his
father and mother, just as they look
ed sitting together at home, with the
baby on his mothers knee. And,
little by little, he heard less of the
wind and the rain and the strange
creaks, till he heard nothing at all
and saw nothing at all; for he was
asleep.
1t was long time before he woke.
Then he first thought he was dream
ing of Niagara Falls; for really he
the geography, and he heard it,
above the bowling of the wind and
the splashing of the rain and the
strange creaks of the house, he heard
a great rushing of water.
He rubbed his eyes, and then he
did not see the Falls any more; but
still he heard this great rushing of
water.
He sat up in bed, but it was all
black again Then he lay down, and
thought it must be the wind and
rain But no; he could hear them
and the rushing, too. At first he
tried to go to sleep; but the more he
tried the more wakeful he grew.
81 can't help it" he said. Il can't
stop the rushing, so why can't go
to Sleep"
But, as he lay, he began to think
of what Archer had said about the
culverts and the freshets, and Mr.
Smith up to his waist in water.
eff they are having freshet on the
other section, why should they not
have one here? But" he argued with
what can | do? The oper-
ator has gone, and | can't telegraph.
lift takes father an hour to go to
Six-Mile Dump on his hand car, how
long will it take me? What can |
do?
And still he could hear the rushing
of water Then he answered him
self: "Certainly you can't do any
thing while lying here. Get upn'
SO he got up and lighted his can
die. Then he dressed himself, and |
put on his coat and cap and boots.
Down stairs he found that there
was one lantern, left standing in the
corner. He lighted it; and, leaving
his candle on the window seat, he
started out with the lantern into the
night.
The rushing of the water was COM