Two o'clock
A few minutes after one o'clock , the telegraph instrument , which had been silent for some time , suddenly woke to life and commenced imperiously ticking the call of our station . My friend answered , and received from the dispatcher at Winnipeg a crossing order for a west-bound passenger train and an east-bound engine . Our station signal was displayed , and once more we commenced our weary wait for the two iron horses , which were ploughing their way across the wild prairie to meet and cross each other at our station , and then continue their wild journey . Two o'clock . Still no sign of the trains . We both fell asleep in our chairs . I seemed scarcely to have closed my eyes when I was startled by the shriek of the east-bound locomotive .