Railroads -- United States -- Design and construction -- Fiction; Western stories
At six in the morning a long procession filed out of the camp. At the
head went the rude coffin on the shoulders of six surveyors and
foremen. Paul Carhart and Tiffany followed, the chief with a prayer
book in his hand; and after them came the men. The grave was ready.
The laborers and the skilled workmen stood shoulder to shoulder in a
wide circle, baring their heads to the sun. Carhart opened the book
and slowly turned the pages in a quiet so intense that the rustle of
the leaves could be heard by every man there. For the ungoverned
emotions of these broken outcasts were now swayed to thoughts of death
and of what may come after.
“I am the resurrection and the life ...” Carhart read the immortal
words splendidly, in his even, finely modulated voice. “... I know
that my Redeemer liveth.... Yet in my flesh shall I see God.... We
brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing
out.... For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in
vain; he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.”
Gus Vandervelt raised his eyes involuntarily and glanced from one to
another of the lustful, weak, wicked faces that made up the greater
part of the circle.
“It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised
in power.”
Could it be that these wretches were to be raised in incorruption? Was
there something hidden behind each of these animal faces, something
deeper than the motives which lead such men to work with their hands
only that they may eat and drink and die?
“... for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For ... this mortal must put
on immortality.”
At the conclusion of the service Young Van, deeply moved, looked about
for his brother. But it seemed that the same impulse had come to them
both, for he heard a gruff, familiar voice behind him:--
“Look here, Gus, don’t you think you’ve been sort of a d--n fool about
this business?”
The young fellow wheeled around with a glad look in his eyes. He saw
that his brother was scowling, was not even extending his hand, and
yet he knew how much those rough words meant. “Yes,” he replied
frankly, “I think I have.”
Old Van nodded, and they walked back to breakfast, side by side. Only
once was the silence broken, when Gus said, with some slight
hesitation: “What are you going to do next?--Coming back to Sherman
with us?”
And Old Van turned his face away and looked off down the river and
walked along for a few moments without replying. Then, “No,” he
finally got out, “guess I’ll take a little vacation.” He paused, still
looking away, and they strode on down the slope. “Going over into
Arizona with an outfit,” he added huskily.
CHAPTER X
WHAT TOOK PLACE AT RED HILLS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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