I managed to get through the first night very well, because all I
had to do was to take a few "red" commercial messages, "O. S." the
trains and load ten big sample trunks on No. 2. The trains were all on
time and consequently there were no orders. I was proud of my success
and went off duty at seven o'clock in the morning with a feeling that my
services were well nigh indispensable to the road, and if anything were
to happen to me, receivers would surely have to be appointed.
The second night everything went smoothly until towards eleven o'clock,
when the despatcher began to call "MN," and gave the signal "9." Now
the signal "9" means "Train Orders," and takes precedence over
everything else on the wire. The situation was anything but pleasant for
me, because I had never yet, on my own responsibility, taken a train
order, and I stood in a wholesome fear of the results that might accrue
from any error of mine. So I didn't answer the despatcher at once as I
should have done because I hoped he would get tired of calling me and
would tackle "OG," and give him the order.
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