"Not at all," jerked Bones, "not at all. I am going to show 'em just
how this----"
He felt a touch on his arm, and looked down at the diminutive stoker.
"There's a lot of sand round here," said the melancholy child; "it
won't hurt you to jump I'm going to."
"Jump!" gasped Bones. "What do you mean? Hey! Don't do that, you
silly young----"
But his black-visaged assistant was already poised on the step of the
engine, and Bones, looking back, saw him performing somersaults down a
sandy slope. Bones looked at the girl in amazement.
"Suicide, dear old miss!" he said in an awed voice. "Terrible!"
"Isn't that a station?" said the girl, more interested for the moment
in her own future.
Bones peered through the windows ahead.
"That's the junction, dear old thing," he said. "This is where we stop
her."
He tugged at the lever, but the lever was not to be moved. He tugged
desperately, but it seemed the steel bar was riveted in position. The
"Mary Louisa" was leaping along at an incredible speed, and less than
five hundred yards away was the dead-end of the Bayham platform, into
which the Lynhaven train was due to run.
Bones went white and looked at the girl with fearful eyes. He took a
swift scrutiny to the left and right, but they had passed out of the
sandy country, and any attempt to leave the train now would mean
certain destruction.
* * * * * The Right Honourable Mr. Parkinson Chenney had concluded a very
satisfactory morning's work of inspection at Tolness, and had secured
all the information he needed to answer any question which might be put
to him in Parliament by the best-informed of questioners.
He was lunching with the officers of the small garrison, when a
telephone message was brought to him. He read it and smiled.
"Good!" he said. "Gentlemen, I am afraid I have to leave you a little
earlier than I expected. Colonel Wraggle, will you see that my special
train is ready! I must leave in ten minutes. The Chinese Commission
has arrived," he said impressively, "or, rather, it arrives in London
this afternoon, and I am deputed by the Prime Minister----"
He explained to his respectful audience just what part he had played in
securing Chinese Coal Concessions. He made a little speech on the
immense value to the Empire in particular and the world in general of
these new coalfields which had been secured to the country through the
acumen, genius, forethought, and patriotic disinterestedness of the
Cabinet.
He would not claim to set any particular merit on his own action, and
went on to claim it. By which time his train was ready. It was indeed
vital that he should be in London to meet a commission which had shown
such reluctance to trade with foreign devils, and had been, moreover,
so punctilious in its demand for ceremonious receptions, but he had not
the slightest doubt about his ability to reach London before the boat
train arrived. He had two and a half hours, and two and a half hours
gave him an ample margin of time.