CHAPTER NINETEEN.
A RUN-AWAY LOCOMOTIVE.
Being, as we have had occasion to remark before, a communicative andconfiding little woman, Netta Tipps told the secret of the ring instrict confidence to her old nurse. Mrs Durby, in a weak moment as ona former occasion, related the history of it to Gertie, who of coursetold Loo. She naturally mentioned it to her lover, Will Garvie, and heconveyed the information to John Marrot. Thus far, but no further, thething went, for John felt that there might be danger in spreading thematter, and laid a strict injunction on all who knew of it to keepsilence for a time.
While at the station the day following, just after having brought in the"Flying Dutchman," he was accosted by the superintendent of police, whochanced to be lounging there with, apparently, nothing to do. Never wasthere a man who was more frequently called on to belie his truecharacter. It was a part of Mr Sharp's duty to look lazy at times, andeven stupid, so as to throw suspicious men off their guard.
"A fine day, John," he said, lounging up to the engine where John wasleaning on the rail, contemplating the departure of the passengers whoselives had been in his hands for the last hour and a half, while WillGarvie was oiling some of the joints of the iron horse.
John admitted that it was a fine day, and asked what was the noos.
"Nothing particular doing just now," said Mr Sharp. "You've heard, Isuppose, of the mad fellow who caused such a confusion among MissTipps's Sunday-school children last night?"
"Oh yes, I heard o' that."
"And did you hear that he turns out to be the man who jumped out of yourtrain on the day of the attempted robbery?"
"Yes, I've heard o' that too. They haven't got him yet, I believe?"
"No, not yet; but I think we shall have him soon," said Mr Sharp with aknowing glance; "I've heard rumours that lead me to think it would notbe very surprising if we were to see him hanging about this stationto-day or to-morrow. I've got a sort of decoy-duck to attract him,"continued Mr Sharp, chuckling, "in the shape of a retired East Indiadoctor, who agrees to hang about on the condition that we keep a sharpeye on him and guard him well from any sudden attack."
"You don't mean _that_?" said the engine-driver in an earnest undertone.
Instead of replying, the superintendent suddenly left him and saunteredleisurely along the platform, with his eyes cast down and softly humminga popular air.
The act was so brusque and unlike Mr Sharp's naturally polite characterthat John knew at once, as he said, that "something was up," and lookedearnestly along the platform, where he saw Thomson himself walkingsmartly about as if in search of some one. He carried a heavy-headedstick in his hand and looked excited; but not much more so than ananxious or late passenger might be.
Mr Sharp went straight towards the madman--still sauntering with hishead down, however; and John Marrot could see that another man, whom heknew to be a detective, was walking round by the side of the platform,with the evident intention of taking him in rear. The moment Thomsonset eyes on the superintendent he recognised him, and apparently divinedhis object in approaching, for he started, clenched his teeth, andgrasped his stick. Mr Sharp instantly abandoned all attempt atconcealment and ran straight at him. Thomson, probably deemingdiscretion the better part of valour, turned and fled. He almost raninto the arms of the detective, who now made sure of him, but he doubledlike a hare and sprang off the platform on to the rails. Here one ortwo of the men who were engaged in washing or otherwise looking afterempty carriages, seeing what was going on, at once sought to interceptthe madman, but he evaded two or three, knocked down another, and,finding himself alongside of a detached engine which stood there withsteam up ready to be coupled to its train, he leaped upon it, felled thedriver who was outside the rail, oiling some of the machinery, seizedthe handle of the regulator and turned on full steam.
The driving-wheels revolved at first with such tremendous rapidity thatthey failed to "bite" and merely slipped on the rails. Thomson wasengineer enough to understand why, and at once cut off part of thesteam. Next moment he shot out of the station, and, again letting onfull steam, rushed along the line like an arrow!
It chanced that the passenger-superintendent was on the platform at thetime. That gentleman had everything connected with the traffic byheart. He saw that the points had been so set as to turn the run-awayengine on to the down line, and in his mind's eye saw a monsterexcursion train, which had started just a few minutes before, labouringslowly forward, which the light engine would soon overtake. A collisionin a few minutes would be certain. In peculiar circumstances men arebound to break through all rules and regulations, and act in a peculiarway. Without a moment's hesitation he ran to John Marrot and said in anearnest hurried voice--
"Give chase, John! cross over to the up-line, but don't go too far."
"All right, sir," said John, laying his hand on the regulator.
Even while the superintendent was speaking Will Garvie's swift mind hadappreciated the idea. He had leaped down and uncoupled the _Lightning_from its train. John touched the whistle, let on steam and off theywent crossed to the up-line (which was the wrong line of rails for anyengine to run in _that_ direction), and away he went at forty, fifty,seventy miles an hour! John knew well that he was flying towards apassenger-train, which was running towards him at probably thirty-fiveor forty miles an hour. He was aware of its whereabouts at that time,for he consulted his watch and had the time-table by heart. A collisionwith it would involve the accumulated momentum of more than a hundredmiles an hour! The time was short, but it was sufficient; he thereforeurged Will to coal the furnace until it glowed with fervent heat andopened the steam valve to the uttermost. Never since John Marrot haddriven it had the _Lightning_ so nearly resembled its namesake. Thepace was increased to seventy-five and eighty miles an hour. It wasawful. Objects flew past with flashing speed. The clatter of theengine was deafening. A stern chase is proverbially a long one; but inthis case, at such a speed, it was short. In less than fifteen minutesJohn came in view of the fugitive--also going at full speed, but, notbeing so powerful an engine and not being properly managed as to thefire, it did not go so fast; its pace might have been forty orforty-five miles an hour.
"Will," shouted John in the ear of his stalwart fireman, "you'll have tobe sharp about it. It won't do, lad, to jump into the arms of a madmanwith a fire-shovel in his hand. W'en I takes a shot at 'im with a lumpof coal, then's yer chance--go in an' win, lad--and, whatever--ye do,keep cool."
Will did not open his compressed lips, but nodded his head in reply.
"You'll have to do it all alone, Bill; I can't leave the engine,"shouted John.
He looked anxiously into his mate's face, and felt relieved to observe alittle smile curl slightly the corners of his mouth.
Another moment and the _Lightning_ was up with the tender of therun-away, and John cut off steam for a brief space to equalise thespeed. Thomson at that instant observed for the first time that he waspursued. He looked back with a horrible glare, and then, uttering afierce cheer or yell, tugged at the steam handle to increase the speed,but it was open to the utmost. He attempted to heap coals on the fire,but being inexpert, failed to increase the heat. Another second andthey were abreast John Marrot opened the whistle and let it blowcontinuously, for he was by that time drawing fearfully near to thetrain that he knew was approaching.
Seeing that escape was impossible, Thomson would have thrown the engineoff the rails if that had been possible, but, as it was not, hebrandished the fire-shovel and stood at the opening between the engineand tender, with an expression of fiendish rage on his countenance thatwords cannot describe.
"Now, Bill, look out!" said John.
Will stood like a tiger ready to spring. John beside him, with a hugemass of coal in one hand concealed behind his back. There was a spaceof little more than two feet between the engines. To leap that in theface of a madman seemed impossible.
Suddenly John Marrot hurled the mass
of coal with all his might. Hisaim was to hit Thomson on the head, but it struck low, hitting him onthe chest, and driving him down on the foot-plate. At the same instantWill Garvie bounded across and shut off the steam in an instant. Heturned then to the brake-wheel, but, before he could apply it, Thomsonhad risen and grappled with him. Still, as the two strong men swayed toand fro in a deadly conflict, Will's hand, that chanced at the moment tobe nearest the brake-wheel, was seen ever and anon to give it a slightturn.
Thus much John Marrot observed when he saw a puff of white steam on thehorizon far ahead of him. To reverse the engine and turn full steam onwas the work of two seconds. Fire flew in showers from the wheels, andthe engine trembled with the violent friction, nevertheless it still ranon for a considerable way, and the approaching train was within acomparatively short distance of him before he had got the _Lightning_ torun backwards. It was not until he had got up speed to nigh forty milesan hour that he felt safe, looked back with a grim smile and breathedfreely. Of course the driver of the passenger-train, seeing an engineon the wrong line ahead, had also reversed at full speed and thusprevented a collision, which would inevitably have been very disastrous.
John now ran back to the crossing, and, getting once more on the downline, again reversed his engine and ran cautiously back in the directionof the run-away locomotive. He soon came in sight of it, reversedagain, and went at such a pace as allowed it to overtake him gradually.He saw that the steam was still cut off, and that it had advanced thatlength in consequence of being on an incline, but was somewhat alarmedto receive no signal from his mate. The moment the buffers of the_Lightning_ touched those of the other engine's tender he applied thebrakes and brought both engines to a stand. Then, leaping off, he ranto see how it had fared with Will Garvie.
The scene that met his eyes was a very ghastly one. On the floor-platelay the two men, insensible and covered with blood and coal-dust. Eachgrasped the other by the throat but Will had gained an advantage fromhaving no neckcloth on, while his own strong hand was twisted into thatof his adversary so firmly, that the madman's eyes were almost startingout of their sockets. John Marrot at once cut the 'kerchief with hisclasp-knife, and then, feeling that there was urgent need for haste,left them lying there, ran back to his own engine, coupled it to theother, turned on full steam, and, in a short space of time, ran intoClatterby station.
Here the men were at once removed to the waiting-room, and a doctor--whochanced to be Dr Noble--was called in. It was found that although muchbruised and cut as well as exhausted by their conflict, neither Will norThomson were seriously injured. After a few restoratives had beenapplied, the former was conveyed home in a cab, while the latter, underthe charge of Mr Sharp and one of his men, was carried off and safelylodged in an asylum.