The four protagonists of this narrative are overseeing the construction of the British Raj's new railroad. They are serving the empire in their own individual roles, but their experience is collective. The extreme heat and dry, dusty environment cause them misery everyday. This image shows a railroad in west India and serves as an example of what the landscape would have been similar to.

Wikimedia Commons Contributors. File:KITLV 92185 - Unknown - Railway lines at Karli in India - Around 1870.tif. Wikimedia Commons, Around 1870, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:KITLV_92185_-_Unknown_-_Railway_lines_at_Karli_in_India_-_Around_1870.tif&oldid=871307826. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025

Featured in Exhibit

1. "At the End of the Passage," Kipling ~ Gallery Exhibit
Artist Unknown
Copyright
© Image in the Public Domain. Reproduced in accordance with the Doctrine of Fair Use, as per 17 USC 107.
Vetted?
No