The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-04
THE PERIL OF THE MAIL
r T III f l. It z X.

serried ranks Of a million gum trees rose
the dawn.
A sickly. f~ainting dawn. that had hardly
strength 20 creep across the low sky and
turn its b~lackness gray. Yesterday the sun
had been pitiless. and no breath Of breeze
had come 70 cool the night. Now the day
rose again unrefreshed and seemed 10 fall
ter ere it began its course.
Across the face Of the country sinuous
sweeps OF railway line shone palely in the
struggling light.
IN one spot the big bulk of locomotives
and trucks, coal heaps and tanks doomed
against the gray and indicated the railway
siding Of Bundarabee.
A few sleeping cottages. small wooden
things with iron roofs. clustered 10 the
right of II and held the wives and families
and sometimes-for even they must sleep
the men themselves; the men whose work
II was 10 ride forth on the huge. throb-
bling iron animals ever there. and feed their
insatiate hunger and minister 10 their eter-
nal thirst.
Far way the shrek Of a solitary en-
gine shocked the still air.
In one OF the cottages began the move
ments Of life. \ woman with sleep-weary
49, AoA as a DA ANA oAAh INV
risen from her bed to prepare the 4%-o'clock
breakfast for her husband. He at the move
ment had rolled over and sworn a little.
with a weary mans irritation at broken
sleep. sworn at his engine. at the govern
ment. at the wife. who insisted it was
time to get up.
Two odd little rooms of home manufac-
ture stood side by side at the rear of the
--.s--- - A. 49, - 49, ---~ H. 49,
into one. a girl of ten rubbed the light
sleep from her eyes and yawned. The
night had been too hot for dreamless slum-
Der and the gray light outside showed her
st was possible now to get up. She opened
her door and stole out into the adjoining
room 10 remind its occupant of the fact.
Burgo Robinson. tine son of the engine
driver, was two years Older than his sis
ter. One liked his penetrating young eyes,
his good forehead. the caution and capa-
bility expressed by his chin. Jan. the sis
ter. had a forehead equally good. but there
was not one ounce of caution in her ma
ture-a wild, impulsive. reckless atom.
Burgo had once said that he believed she
had been filled up with charges Of gun
powder. and at intervals these exploded.
Still. she was his stimulating companion,
and he seldom had conjunction in follow
ing her lead.
Bundarabee was the dullest place in the
world. But for the trains that like streaks
of fire shot past from time to time and the
fascination that always hung about the
station yard. these two could hardly have
borne the extreme monotOny of their days.
They lacked the power to content them
selves with the sheep-like lives of the 9TH
er children in the place.
Burgo had dreams of building the most
wonderful of engines and steaming glori-
ously into the world upon it. His mother.
her poor soul stUnted with saving sixpences
all her life. tried TO check the ambition.
Where could money be found for him to
learn 10 be an engineer? He must be con-
tent. of course. 10 be a foreman like his
uncle Brown. or a driver as his father was.
and as his grandfather had been before.
But the lad dreamt on, Jan ever at his side
TO fire his thoughts.
She came into his room in the early light,
her black hair tumbling over the shoulders
of her nightgown. She shook his shoulder.
How can you sleep?' she said. There's
no breath anywhere. Get up and let's see
the trucks start"
Burgo upbraided her fercely. why
couldn't she let him have a bit of peace?"
he said. Why didn't she go away?'
My nets were full of mosquitoes" she
said; land. oh. it's been so hot. I've hardly
been to sleep at all"
The boy sat up, and the sitting morning
smote his face.
Come out" said the girl. persuasively.
Its almost cool outside"
She stepped to the door and out into the
yard. Burgo found himself slipping reluct-
antly out of bed and following her.
over the grass of their little paddock
they went. the parched grass that was un-
acquainted with rain and hardly had
knowledge Of dew. The little girl was still
in her white nightgown; the boy wore pink
and blue-striped pyjamss.
At the tanks the locomotive was kissing
cheerfully away. Uncle Brown. his eyes
still filed with sleep. was getting up the
steam.
why" he said. ''you kids is UP early.
Don't know Wen you're we'll off, you don't.
W'ere's your father?"
Getting up" the children thought. Jan
said she had heard her mother making up
the fire for the breakfast. They hung about
till the engine was ready. and still the
father did not come. Uncle Brown fused
about and swore mildly. but he was a
good-natured fellow and even as he swOre
worked on cheerfuIly.
Cut and tell him he'll get US the sack
yet. Burg" he said at last. Were near ten
minutes late already" Then. old ard" he
added. and climbed down from the cab.
I'll go myself. and get a bite OF some'ut.
too. Yer aunt don't get up TO see after my
breakfast
The chilaren smiled, for this was Uncle
Browns pet joke. He dwelt alone in a can
vas hut and had no wife or children at all.
but the references 10 yer aunt and yer
cousins" and the story of their likes and
dIslikes were so perpetual that had they
stepped suddenly into being the children
would have recognized them instantly.
Go and get your bits O. close on, Sissie."
he said as he turned away. Yer little cous-
in wouldn't be seed down here with only
'er nightshirt on"
But ''Sissie" merely tapped her one de-
lightful garment and said hat when she
was grown up and could do just as she
liked she would never wear anything else
on summer days. Brown went up the slop-
Ing paddock intent on a bite and the
thin. pleasant line of smoke from the cot