Semen Ivanov serves as a watchman on the railway. He is a seasoned man, but not too lucky. Nine years ago, in 1878, he went to war, fought with the Turks. He was not injured, but lost his health.

He returned to his native village - the farm was not successful, the little son died, and he and his wife went to new places of happiness to look for. Not found.

Semen met during the wanderings of a former officer of his regiment. He recognized Semyon, sympathized and found him a job at the railway station, over which he was in charge.

Semyon received a new booth, as much as you want firewood, a garden, a salary - and they and his wife began to acquire an economy. Work Semyon was not a burden, and he kept his entire section of the path in order.

Semyon also got acquainted with his neighbor Vasily, who looked after an adjacent site. When they met on the rounds, they began to interpret.

Semyon suffers all his troubles and failures stoically: "God did not give happiness." Vasily, however, believes that his life is so poor, because others - rich people and bosses, profit from his work, all of them are bloodsuckers and flayers, and he fiercely hates all of them.

Meanwhile, an important revision comes from St. Petersburg. Semyon at his site brought everything in order ahead of time, he was praised. And on Vasily’s site everything turned out differently. He has long been in a quarrel with a road foreman. According to the rules, this master had to ask permission for the garden, and Vasily neglected, planted cabbage without permission - he ordered to be dug up. Vasily became angry and decided to complain to the master to the big boss. Yes, he not only did not accept the complaint, but shouted at Vasily and hit him in the face.

Vasily threw a booth to his wife - and went to Moscow to look for a council now for this boss. Yes, apparently I didn’t find it. Four days passed, Semyon met Vasily’s wife on the circuit, his face was swollen from tears, and she did not want to talk to Semyon.

Just at that time, Semyon went to cut the talnik forest: he made pipes for sale from it. Returning, he heard strange sounds near the railway embankment - as if iron tinkled against iron. He crept closer and sees: Vasily forged the rail with a crowbar and turned the path. Saw Seeds - and run away.

Semen is standing over the torn rail and does not know what to do. You can’t put it in its place with your bare hands. Vasily's key and crowbar - but no matter how much Semyon did not call him to return - did not get through. Soon the passenger train should go.

“Here, on this rounding, he’ll go off the rail,” Semen thinks, “and the embankment is very tall, eleven fathoms, the wagons will tumble down, and there are small children ...” Semyon rushed to run to the booth for the tool, but he realized that he wouldn’t have time . I ran back - there was already a distant whistle heard - soon the train.

Then his head seemed to shine with light. He took off his cap, took a headscarf out of it, crossed himself, hit him in the right hand with a knife higher than his elbow, and a stream of blood sprayed. He wet his handkerchief in it, put it on a stick (the talnik that he brought from the forest came in handy) - and raised a red flag - a signal to the driver that the train should be stopped.

But, apparently, Semyon’s hand was too deeply wounded - blood is whipping without restraint, his eyes are getting dark and only one thought in his head: “Help, Lord, send a shift”.

Semyon could not stand it and lost consciousness, fell to the ground, but the flag did not fall - the other hand grabbed it and lifts it high to meet the train. The driver manages to slow down, people jump out onto the embankment and see a man in blood, lying without memory, and next to another, with a bloody rag in his hand ...

This is Vasily. He looks around the audience and says: "Tie me up, I turned the rail."