over, another goods train that had quietly, but
impatiently, been biding its time in a siding, thought it would try to
take advantage of this opportunity, and gave an impatient whistle. Sam
opened one of his sliding windows and looked out.

"Couldn't you let me shunt over a truck t'other side _now_, Sam?" asked
its driver remonstratively.

Sam glanced at his time-piece with an earnest thoughtful look, and
said--

"Well, yes; but look sharp."

He had already pulled the lever of the home signal, and now, with two
mighty pulls, blocked both up and down lines with the distant signals.
At the same time he pulled other levers, and shifted the "points," so as
to let the plethoric goods train just arrived, and the goods train in
waiting, perform their respective evolutions. It required nearly all
Sam's strength to "pull over" several of those levers, because, besides
being somewhat heavy to work, even at their best, several of them had
got slightly out of order--wanted oiling, perhaps. It was quite evident
to the meanest capacity that there was room for improvement in this
department of the Grand National Trunk Railway. In performing this last
operation Sam locked all the semaphores, and so rendered his part of the
line absolutely impregnable. There was so much vigorous action and
whistling here, and such puffing and backing and pushing on the part of
the engines, that a superficial observer might have supposed there was a
great deal of movement and confusion to no purpose, but we need scarcely
say that such was not the case. Several trucks of goods were dropped by
both trains, to be carried on by other trains, and several trucks that
had been left by other trains, were taken up, and thus in a few minutes
a part of the enormous traffic of the line was assorted.

Sam had judged his time well. He had got a good piece of work advanced,
and both trains well out of the way, just before the bell again
intimated the approach of the limited mail. He replied, set the line
free, booked the passage of the goods train, and sat down once more to
dinner, just as the door of his box opened and the pretty face of Gertie
peeped in.

We are not sure that such a visit would be permitted in these days of
stringent "rules;" at that time they may not have been very particular
as to visitors, or perhaps Gertie, being one of themselves, as it were,
was privileged. Be this as it may, there she was with a laughing face.

"May I come in,