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on a slightly rising gradient, until it reached the top of the future tunnel. After 702 feet had thus been driven the hot springs proved so copious that work had to cease, and an iron door, which had been fixed in the heading some 200 or 300 yards back was finally closed, and the gallery filled with hot water. Advance now could only be made from the Italian 'face,' but even there the difficulties from hot water were very great, so much so that for a time one of the galleries had to be abandoned and access obtained to it by driving the parallel gallery ahead and then returning and taking the hot springs in the rear. The only way in which these hot springs, sometimes as high as 125° Fahrenheit, could be grappled with was by throwing jets of cold water under high pressure into the fissures, and thus diluting them down to a temperature which the miners could stand.

At the right moment, at 7 A.M. on February 24, 1905, a heavy charge was exploded in the roof of the Italian heading, which blew a hole into the floor of the Swiss gallery and released the impounded hot water. It was here that a truly sad incident occurred: two visitors to the tunnel who, it appears, had entered the gallery with a desire to witness the actual junction, were overcome by the heat and probably the carbonic-acid gas from the pent-up hot water, and died. As illustrative of the very serious risks to which the officials and workmen are exposed in tunnel work, only on May 22 last in the Bosruck Tunnel, on the Austrian Alpine Railway, sixteen men and a foreman, who were at work at the end of the gallery, were all killed by an explosion.

By means of jets and spray of high-pressure cold water the air of the tunnel is reduced many degrees in temperature, and it is very noticeable how rapidly the heat of the rocks cools off when the gallery has been driven past them. Doubtless when the permanent ventilation for the traffic is established, and ali the arrangements are installed, the air of the tunnel will be as fresh as it has always been, and will not be at all disagreeably

warm.

On April 2, 1905, the visitors and officials from the Italian side, travelling in a miners' train, arrived within 250 yards of the 'Porte de fer,' in the middle of the mountain, six miles or more from either entrance, and completed their journey on foot up to that point. Meanwhile the officials and visitors from the Swiss entrance had travelled up to the other side of the door. At the right moment this was opened by Col. Locher-Freuler, and the two parties met and

fraternised, embracing one another. A religious dedication service, conducted by the Bishop of Sion, was then held on the spot, and the Divine blessing was invoked on the tunnel, the officials, the workmen, and the trains, and touching reference was made to those who had lost their lives in the execution of this great work-some forty or fifty in number. Thus was the 'Fête de Percement' of the greatest tunnel in the world celebrated, and it was felt that the service was an appropriate recognition of the injunction, In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.'

To commemorate this fête of 1905 a handsome medal was designed by the Swiss Federal Railway Department and struck off for distribution; of these, four in gold were presented to the four partners, others in silver to the engineers and officials connected with the enterprise, whilst the actual workmen each received one in bronze. It is an interesting coincidence that in 1805, exactly a century ago, a similar medal was issued by Napoleon I. in commemoration of the construction of the Simplon Pass, and on it are given his profile, while on the obverse is shown a figure of Hercules, and in the background the zigzags of the roadway, with teams of mules and carts passing over the mountain.

It was hoped and intended that the tunnel should have been publicly opened towards the end of 1905, but again fresh difficulties presented themselves. In certain parts of the work, in consequence of great pressure on the arch and side walls, the floor was forced up, necessitating the provision of an inverted granite arch in order to prevent a recurrence at a future time. This was satisfactorily accomplished, but again a postponement was decided upon to enable electric traction to be installed. On February 25 last a train of fourteen vehicles traversed the tunnel several times, the highest temperature encountered being only 66.2° Fahrenheit. The inauguration of the tunnel is officially announced for May 30th, accompanied by great rejoicings and probably with State ceremony. The formal opening for public traffic is to take place on June 1st.

FRANCIS FOox.

VOL. XX.-NO. 119, N.S.

41

LORD CRAVEN AND CLAVERHOUSE.

AN IMAGINARY CONVERSATION.

IN these days of fear and of wavering loyalty, when the Dutch usurping invader hath set foot upon English soil, I have been moved oftentimes to doubt if any such gallant spirits yet remain to us as those which rallied round the standard of King Charles of Blessed Memory, well-nigh two generations agone. For the men of to-day have learned to smile on much that we held sacred, and to look coldly on that the which we loved; and meseems, sometimes, that I followed to the grave, seven years since, the last leader which could have rallied men's hearts to the service of their King.1 Yet perchance for that I am an old man, and have seen mine own world perish round me, I do misjudge this present time; at least I have of late spoke with one man which might play no small nor unworthy part in that strife which lieth before us.

'Twas a sennight since, and even in this press of anxious thought and hurrying of mischance upon mischance I have not forgot his face or voice or the least word which he said, and that although when we spoke together I knew not who he might be nor that he had ever done notable service to his Majesty. It was on the eve of All Souls, I mind me, and I had been at the palace until late night, busied there with my duties. The King was at prayer in his closet, while outside men came and went, stealthily, and spoke together in doubtful tones, asking often concerning this great person or that which had withdrawn himself from his Sovereign's nearness. Everywhere was a mutter of dismay or a worse-boding silence, and I, for all that I made semblance to take no heed thereof, yet I remembered how the palace stirred and murmured when his Sacred Majesty Charles II. lay there suddenly death-stricken. And there were yet earlier and darker memories about Whitehall for me, albeit most other men have forgotten such matters, which mayhap at such a time is not amiss. At length I got me forth of the place and mounted my horse to ride back unto Drury House

Prince Rupert, son of Elizabeth of Bohemia, the Queen of Lord Craven's lifelong devotion,

I bade my fellows go before me, for that I had a mind to be unattended, and so I turned to come past Westminster, as is indeed grown my custom, for there rests-but of that no matter. A faithful allegiance hath no need to be set down in words even to myself.

As I rode out where I could see the gleam of the river past the houses of Palace Yard, a man came slowly into a space of cloudy moonlight from the shadow beyond. He swung about at sound of my horse's bridle chain-I had made halt, so as there was no beat of hoofs-and by the little shifting of his cloak I saw that he laid hand on sword-hilt or pistol-butt, not with any show of haste, but a composed readiness. Whereby I judged him a soldier, no Court idler, but one which had known perilous doings. Without more ado he came past me, glancing quickly from under the shadow of his hat, not more on me, I thought, than on my horse; at which I smiled, for my good white charger is known to the folk of London and is indeed a noble beast.

'You walk late, sir,' I said, whereas he would have gone by. 'Twas a greeting or a challenge as he might take it, for the times were watchful ones, God knows.

He came to a stand beside me and doffed hat in courteous fashion. By what I discerned of his habit beneath the loose cloak, I took him to be one of the Scots officers newly arrived in London; but as he stood the moon was behind him and his face well-nigh in shadow, though mine must have been clear to see. I felt him read it as he answered my words lightly enow.

'You are the wiser, sir, which ride late,' and with the words my charger reached his head sidewise to the stranger's hand as whoso divines a friend, as is the wise manner of some horses.

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He had put back mine own question on me, and I gave it a half reply. These are days to keep men waking,' said I, and wondered the while whether he walked the night with thoughts of loyalty or treason.

He glanced up at the flying wrack of cloud.

'Ay,' he returned with a strange coldness in his voice, 'the wind sets fair from Holland.'

'Fair!' I cried, 'fair-if it serve rebellion, treason?'

'Why not, my lord,' he answered with composure, if it will serve to bring men to the test the sooner? 'Tis not proven yet that all are weather-vanes.'

'You know me?' I put in, having noted his address.

'I have had the honour,' he replied, to see my Lord Craven more than once at Whitehall, though I be not considerable enough to have claimed his notice.'

'Zounds, never was humility so mocking. I was moved to curiousness, and dismounted that I might both speak and see the easier. Truly I was fain of escape from mine own thoughts that night.

'You knew my horse, 'tis like,' I said, and clapped Pfalzgrat on the neck.

"And his rider,' concludes the officer.

'The mad little lord,' quoth I, laughing. I was wont in earlier times to trouble for my low stature, but that is past now, and God wot I have never taken shame for that allegiance which some counted madness.

He answered to the thought beneath my words.

'In truth, my lord, if loyalty be madness, his Majesty may find he hath over many reasonable men to his subjects.'

arm.

I was walking on at his side, Pfalzgraf's bridle over mine

'You think then-' I began and broke off. What folly was I about, to question his Majesty's chances to a stranger!

Why yes, my lord, I think there will be a purging of the wheat from the chaff, as the godly are wont to say.' His voice took on, never so faintly, the whine of the conventicle.

I thought of the civil strife of long ago, and my heart grew sick within me, and then in a moment it was fire.

'Why then,' I cried, 'let the King but give me leave, and old as I am, I will draw out my guards and die before his palace if all else fail him.'

'Yet that, craving your lordship's pardon, might be more valiant than wise,' he answered.

I was angered to feel myself checked like any hot and heedless lad, and moved to a sharp mistrust of his faithfulness.

'What, then, would your wisdom counsel ?' I questioned.

He paid no heed to my chafe, but stood for a moment looking out before him. The light was full on him by then, and I could see his face-fine featured as a woman's, yet all a man's for purpose and with the eyes of a leader. Should I not know that look, which have known so many a great soldier in victory and defeat and in that stillness of waiting which is harder yet?

'If it were come to that--which God avert he said, slow and

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