two silent, awkward women and a child. In the smoker lounged a dozen
men. They were of various sizes and descriptions, but they all wore
heavy blanket mackinaw coats, rubber shoes, and thick German socks
tied at the knee. This constituted, as it were, a sort of uniform.
The air was so thick with smoke that the men had difficulty in
distinguishing objects across the length of the car.

The passengers sprawled in various attitudes. Some hung their legs
over the arms of the seats; others perched their feet on the backs
of the seats in front; still others slouched in corners, half
reclining. Their occupations were as diverse. Three nearest the
baggage-room door attempted to sing, but without much success. A
man in the corner breathed softly through a mouth organ, to the
music of which his seat mate, leaning his head sideways, gave close
attention. One big fellow with a square beard swaggered back and
forth down the aisle offering to everyone refreshment from a quart
bottle. It was rarely refused. Of the dozen, probably three
quarters were more or less drunk.

After a time the smoke became too dense. A short, thick-set fellow
with an evil dark face coolly thrust his heel through a window. The
conductor, who, with the brakeman and baggage master, was seated in
the baggage van, heard the jingle of glass. He arose.

"Guess I'll take up tickets," he remarked. "Perhaps it will quiet
the boys down a little."

The conductor was a big man, raw-boned and broad, with a hawk face.
His every motion showed lean, quick, panther-like power.