"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.




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