the watchman, 'the fast freight goes through a little after three.' 'How
much after?' I said. 'Oh,' he says, 'I couldn't say exactly. Five or eight
minutes, I guess.' I asked when the next train went, and he said there
wasn't a regular passenger till six-fifty-five. Well, sir, maybe you think
I was going to wait four hours in that hole! I went out of that building
to beat the limited--never thought of the wheelbarrow till I was halfway
to the station. And there was some of the liveliest stepping you ever saw.
Couldn't see a thing except the light on the rails from the arc lamp up by
the station. I got about halfway there--running along between the rails--
and banged into a switch--knocked me seven ways for Sunday. Lost my hat
picking myself up, and couldn't stop to find it."

Peterson turned in toward one of a long row of square frame houses.

"Here we are," he said. As they went up the stairs he asked: "Did you make
the train?"

"Caught the caboose just as she was swinging out. They dumped me out in
the freight yards, and I didn't get home till 'most five o'clock. I went
right to bed, and along about eight o'clock Brown came in and woke me up.
He was feeling pretty nervous. 'Say, Charlie,' he said, 'ain't it time for
you to be starting?' 'Where to?' said I. 'Over to Stillwater,' he said.
'There ain't any getting out of it. That drive's got to be running
tomorrow.' 'That's all right,' said I, 'but I'd like to know if I can't
have one day's rest between jobs--Sunday, too. And I lost thirty-two
pounds.' Well, sir, he didn't know whether to get hot or not. I guess he
thought himself they were kind of rubbing it in. 'Look here,' he said,
'are you going to Stillwater, or ain't you?' 'No,' said I, 'I ain't. Not
for a hundred rope drives.' Well, he just got up and took his hat and
started out. 'Mr. Brown,' I said, when he was opening the door, 'I lost my