Page 31 - The English Carnival 7

the steep cutting nearly over his head, he turned himself about, and looked down the
Line. There was something remarkable in his manner of doing so, though I could not

have said for my life what. But I know it was remarkable enough to attract my notice,
even though his figure was foreshortened and shadowed, down in the deep trench, and
mine was high above him, so steeped in the glow of an angry sunset, that I had shaded
my eyes with my hand before I saw him at all.

“Halloa! Below!”

From looking down the Line, he turned himself about again, and, raising his eyes, saw
my figure high above him.

“Is there any path by which I can come down and speak to you?”

He looked up at me without replying, and I looked down at him without pressing him
too soon with a repetition of my idle question. Just then there came a vague vibration
in the earth and air, quickly changing into a violent pulsation, and an oncoming rush

that caused me to start back, as though it had force to draw me down. When such
vapour rose to my height from this rapid train had passed me, and was skimming away
over the landscape, I looked down again, and saw him refurling the flag he had shown
while the train went by.

I repeated my inquiry. After a pause, during which he
seemed to regard me with fixed attention, he motioned
What you Think?ou Think?
with his rolled-up flag towards a point on my level, What y
What do you think was
some two or three hundred yards distant. I called down the profession of the man
to him, “All right!” and made for that point. There, by whom the narrator met ?
dint of looking closely about me, I found a rough zigzag
descending path notched out, which I followed. The cutting was extremely deep, and

unusually precipitate. It was made through a clammy stone, that became oozier and
wetter as I went down. For these reasons, I found the way long enough to give me time
to recall a singular air of reluctance or compulsion with which he had pointed out the
path. When I came down low enough upon the zigzag descent to see him again, I saw
that he was standing between the rails on the way by which the train had lately passed
in an attitude as if he was waiting for me to appear. He had his left hand at his chin,

and that left elbow rested on his right hand, crossed over his breast. His attitude was
one of such expectation and watchfulness that I stopped a moment,wondering at it.

I resumed my downward way, and stepping out upon
the level of the railroad, and drawing nearer to him, saw
What y
that he was a dark, sallow man, with a dark beard and What you Think?ou Think?
How does the narrator
rather heavy eyebrows. His post was in as so litary and describe the surroundings
dismal a place as ever I saw. On either side, a dripping- of the cutting?

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The Englsih Carnival-8