Year: 1876

whole air was full of white snow, and as
the wreaths of it drove like white ghosts
across the engine, / could hardly see the
smoke-stack.


"Of the Iight-signals one caught only
now and then a glimpse, red, white, or
green of the horn and pipe signals,
what with the howhng of the wind about
the cars and car-wheels, and its sing
ing in the telegraph-wires, and the
whistling of the engines, one heard only
enough to be sure one had not under
stood them. OF the shouts of the men
one could make just nothing but that
they shouted.


"Then there were couple Of hun
dred cars being shunted about in all di-
rections 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 snowS sprang this way and
that between the rolling cars. You
know how distributing station looks of
winter night. God only knows how
tits 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
I haven't heard that this one or that was
killed on the spot. And if anything
does happen, the strict gentlemen at the
green table in their warm Office up there
out with the rules out of their pockets.
To be sure, it is the only way. But if
they would only just for once in their
lives take the trouble to look on them
selves outside


"That night, then, it was right bad,
and the Sylvester punch, too, may have
touched the mems heads little before
hand, for the ringing went at rate as
if Satan himself was giving the orders.
The cars flew so this way and that, and
the lights went by like flashes, and
everywhere one heard the groaning and
clinking of the buffers crashing together,
and the men crept about under and be-
tween the cars as if the wheels were
gingerbread and the buffers downy pill
lows. But before all there was wretch
ed little assistant station -master-I could
not bear the man, because he once came
very much in my way in certain matter
but could not help looking in amaze
ment as saw his signal lantern every
where, swinging in an inch, swinging
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 reck-
see nor hear thing, and might slip
down into the bargain. But he had
laughed at me, and called out: You at
tend to your own work, Zimmerman,
and never mind me; we must be through
before midnight = forward, forward Z
and away Le was gone. L had called
after him with good will: To the devil
with you, then 7 and that shall not for
get my life long, but shall think of it
with sorrow on my death-bed." Here
the old engineer made pause, wiped
his forehead, took draught from his
glass of punch. and went on:


"I heard him still giving the order
Forward I yonder among my comrades,
and heard the car-chains clink, and then
a sound-what like was it have you
ever heard butcher hack through a
thick bone with his AK g-and then dull
cry, and then again, only the cling and
clang of the buffers clashing together.
A cold shudder ran over me; then got
the signal to go ahead-there was no
stopping. Forward, forward = In q
moment I was far away in the other end
of the yard, where no one could know
what had happened.


But / did my duty still, only as if
was dreaming, and when, half hour
later, we had got through and entered
me, Have you heard, Zimmerman,
Assistant Stationmaster Porges has been
killed on the spot, crushed to death be-
tween the butfers3'


81 didn't ask many questions my
very heart shudde-ed, and 1 don't know
how took care of my engine and got on
the way home. As 1 passed by the
stairs, L saw group with lanterns
standing there, and something covered
with cloak lying on the snow. I didn't
stop shivered all over and / can tel
you, boys, I'd have given heaven knows
what if hadn't wished him to the devi
half an hour before. / tried hard to gel
that out of my head. meant nothing
/ pdTJlCIuhI ny ~ tWdo way " Itikibk
common with lis. Among you young
chaps it's worse yet, and 1t would cure
you if you once felt the crawling inside
of you that have. Well, at last made
out to get thinking of the warm room a.
home there with the felt slippers al
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-kettle singing, and by
degrees i began to feel little lighter.


"Now, with all this, and of this ant
that, you'll readily believe / hadn't too
much heed to wind and weather, road o.
pathway and all j knew was, it wa
whirling and bowling yet in the air as
entered the cut by the oil-mill, through
which I might have seen the window
of my house, If one could have seel
anything at all ten PAGES off. 1 wen
ahead on the right-hand track of tn
two in the cut because that was free
from snow, and from that side coul,
see my house sooner.


"And, in truth, went along quit
carelessly, for 1 was going from th
yard, and that was the in-track, so n
train could come on me from behind
and at that hour none was to be expecte
in front. Besides, must have heard
coming.