
On a windswept hillside, a fledgling railroad crew faces a flashpoint of violence that threatens to derail more than just tracks. Young assistant engineer Rodney Parker watches as a ragged crowd of laborers, overseen by a ruthless padrone, erupts into chaos, their cries echoing off the freshly‑built embankment. As gunshots crack the air, Parker is thrust into a desperate scramble, forced to choose between his duty to the line and the human cost of the conflict.
The opening chapter thrusts listeners into the gritty world of turn‑of‑the‑century rail construction, where ethnic tensions, hunger, and exploitation simmer beneath the dust. Through vivid dialogue and tense action, the story captures both the raw ambition of building a railroad and the fragile lives caught in its wake. Listeners will be drawn into Parker’s uneasy position, wondering how far he’ll go to keep the line moving while the hillside roars with unrest.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (214K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by David Widger
Release date
2007-09-18
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1865–1935
A lively Maine storyteller, journalist, and filmmaker, he filled his fiction and verse with local speech, North Woods settings, and brisk adventure. His work helped bring regional life in Maine onto the page—and, for a time, onto the silent screen as well.
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