A change in
his time of duty would come round next night, he had apprised me, and
he would be off an hour or two after sunrise, and on again soon after
sunset. I had appointed to return accordingly.
Next evening was a lovely evening, and I walked out early to enjoy it.
The sun was not yet quite down when I traversed the field-path near
the top of the deep cutting. I would extend my walk for an hour, I said
to myself, half an hour on and half an hour back, and it would then
be time to go to my signal-man's box.
Before pursuing my stroll I stepped to the brink, and mechanically
looked down, from the point from which I had first seen him. I cannot
describe the thrill that seized upon me, when, close at the mouth of
the tunnel, I saw the appearance of a man, with his left sleeve across
his eyes, passionately waving his right arm.
The nameless horror that oppressed me passed in a moment, for in a
moment I saw that this appearance of a man was a man indeed, and that
there was a little group of other men standing at a short distance,
to whom he seemed to be rehearsing the gesture he made.
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