struck the light, and had the lamp in his hand. As the engine came out of the
tunnel, his back was towards her, and she cut him down. That man drove her,
and was showing how it happened. Show the gentleman, Tom.'
The man, who wore a rough dark dress, stepped back to his former place at the
mouth of the tunnel!
'Coming round the curve in the tunnel, sir,' he said, 'I saw him at the end, like as if
I saw him down a perspective-glass. There was no time to check speed, and I
knew him to be very careful. As he didn't seem to take heed of the whistle, I shut
it off when we were running down upon him, and called to him as loud as I could
call.'
'What did you say?'
'I said, Below there! Look out! Look out! For God's sake clear the way!'
I started.
'Ah! it was a dreadful time, sir. I never left off calling to him. I put this arm before
my eyes, not to see, and I waved this arm to the last; but it was no use.'
Without prolonging the narrative to dwell on any one of its curious circumstances
more than on any other, I may, in closing it, point out the coincidence that the
warning of the Engine-Driver included, not only the words which the unfortunate
Signalman had repeated to me as haunting him, but also the words which I
myself--not he--had attached, and that only in my own mind, to the gesticulation
he had imitated.
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