136 NEWFOUNDLAND 



on a biscuit box and allowed the door to stand open a 

 minute although it was freezing slightly. Soon a man from 

 outside came and shut it. Then I opened it again, and 

 then a passenger shivered, shook himself, got up and shut 

 it. This went on for some time until there really was a 

 little fresh air in the car, and I tried to get to sleep sitting 

 on my biscuit tin. We remained four hours at Glenwood 

 killing time and doing nothing in particular, then we were 

 all thrown endways by the engine coupling on. All the 

 men in the carriage woke up and swore. Then another 

 fearful jolt, which put out the light and sent me into the 

 arms of a perfectly innocent old lady, and off we went. 

 These fearful shocks are caused by the engine's playful way 

 of coupling on ; this is effected apparently by adhesion, and 

 it has to make a run at the train to make sure of sticking. 

 This happened whenever the engine was required to detach 

 for wood, coal, or water, or the driver went to gossip with 

 the section man or the stationmaster. 



After swinging, creaking, and swaying round the marvellous 

 curves of the line I became sleepy, and so spread two weekly 

 editions of the Times on the floor of the carriage, placed my 

 ulster above these, and, lying flat out, had a very nice nap 

 for several hours. When I woke up it was broad daylight, 

 and somehow I imagined we had got on splendidly and were 

 nearly at Port Blandford. I said as much to a pleasant- 

 looking man sitting close to me, and the humour of the 

 remark, quite unintentional, was received with roars of laughter 

 by all the other men in the carriage. 



"Why, we're nowhere near Gambo yet," replied my 

 neighbour. (Gambo is about thirty-six miles from Glenwood.) 



Quite as tiresome a feature as the train itself was the 

 fact that it is well nigh impossible to get any provisions en 



