The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-04-19
CHAPTER VI.
A WELCOME TO THE EARTH.

A WELCOME TO THE EARTH.
Early in the evening tie rescue
train. with a force Of shovelers full
five hundred strong. thundert,i up the
grade behind the waiting cars. and
the men came trooping over the snow
TO begin their delving for the hidden
rails. The darkness soon descended.
but the moon arose. and lanterns b.
the score were lighted in the trenches
that the busy shovels cut.
a wonderful scene Il was. In ell
that mountain world Of white. resil-
vcred by the frozen disk Of beauty in
the sky. The fires were glowing In
the locomotive furnaces again as the
huge dark monsters waited there 10
move ahead once more. Like feverish
ants the human beings labored in
the vast heaps OF sncw, their dark
forms sharply silhouetted against
the endless white eIpnnse In
groups. in pairs. and singly all the
time in motion. always swarning
and swarming over newer fields Of
drift, they labored with their
ing implements, the drone and muF-
muir OF their conversation punctuated
crisply by the clear metallic ring OF
steel on steel. when shovels CHANGED
10 meet In the fierce assault upon the
snow.
For nearly half mile the column
dotted out the course of the buried
rails. the furthest men appearing Ike
the merest specks in the cold white
CLEAN OF lunar light. The trenches
grew in depth and length with amaz
ing rapidity. Great yawning chasms
OF darkness they became as II, army
of tolling ants moved onward and on
ward I'm their Irresistible march. Here
and there a single figure. like a stray
gler. moved about alone, presently 70
rejoin his fellows and make a unit in
the swarming horde so rapidly chan
neling the banks that had baffied
steam and the concentrated bulk of
the steel leviashans. which stood BY
helpless, waiting for release.
Hour after hor- the work went on.
nnd the deepest. longest drift on the
rails was trenched till it looked like n
blush canyon cut in virgin alabaster.
Then, in tile night, the lusty brag Of
the locomotives, putting. startled the
mountain silence and the plow. in its
reinstated triumph. hurled what re-
NAMED of the snow from the track as
II with an angered animals defiant re-
sentiment
Swaying and creaking, the train OF
cars assumed the monotonous motion
IF speed. and so at last topped the
summit and commenced the long de-
scent OF the eastern slope Of the
range.
When the morning sun at length
aroused the passengers to life. the
coaches were rolling through a tim
bered land where the snow had been
r1eited d week or more before. and
tho good dark earth. already family
spread with springs new creenery,
save an indescribable cheer and com
fort TO the travellers. weary Of a uni
verse OF white
TC Sylvia the sight of the reawak-
ened world was glorious Her Whole
Dature-loying self was ting1ine with
an unsung joy OF response In the
midst OF his citation the porter came
and told her that Allan Kennedy had
asked him to say good-by 10 herself
and little Dummy. in Kenredy's stead.
He had been obliged TO leave the train
at his station very early in the morn
one would have wished 10 be dis
turbed.
\ sharp little pang shot to SyIvia-s
heart But she presently looked out
once more upon the welcome earth
and felt that she. as we'll as the land
must don smile IN answer to the
warming sun Perhaps il was better.
after ALL that she hal not had an on
portunlty 10 bid good-by &c Allan. She
resolutely turned her thoughts to
Jerry. and was grateful to think that
he had summoned her out OF the East
TO lie country OF her heart
Little Dummy awoke and could not
see enough Of this beautiful region OF
forest. The two had been waiting
fully hair an hour when Jerry ap-