2
And slept again before daylight;
But when we got to Wateree,
Where two rails so rarely agree,
Timber rotten, we slipp’d a pin,
And the tender wheels dropp’d in;
The engine man and passengers,
With wood and rail rigg’d some shears,
And in a half hour or so,
Got her up and let her go;
The stars this day for railmen
Were not so lucky as my pen,
And when she made the second start,
More started pins slipp’d apart,
Before two wheels, now four went off—
These railmen get trouble enough;
But this time we put on the steam,
And got her on just like a dream;
When to Kingville we had got,
And look’d around that lovely spot,
The grandee rails had rigg’d a car,
And left us alone this time of war,
So after them in quicken’d speed,
We roll’d along to help their need;
But, as their stars would have it,
We got to town the same minute;
Cars and engines block’d the way,
At the new shops we had to stay
Until the tracks could be clear’d;
I could’nt wait, for to town I steer’d—
Had had no breakfast ten o’clock—
Walk’d to the house own’d by a frock,