He stuck to his work, and had a talent for handling men.

Nobody was at all afraid of him; but his sympathetic forbearance with his helpers' weaknesses and his whimsical humor seemed to pay much better than bullying.

He made a joke where Festing frowned, but the latter felt thoughtful as he went down-hill.

One must make allowance, but Bob was something of a responsibility.
A week later, he got a jar as he stood with Charnock beside a part of the track they had laboriously underpinned.

The ballast train was coming down, filling the valley with its roar, and the beaten snow heaved among the ties as the big cars rolled by.