"Is he hurt?" said Marion to the chauffeur.
"No, Miss, he's hiding, Miss," said the man, and we swept out of
sight.
I thought it more likely that the creature was in liquor. In
spite of the great country-houses, it was not good hunting-ground
for the criminal class, during the season when everybody was
about. The very number of servants, when a place is open, in a
rather effective way, police it. Besides the young man looked
like a sort of workman. One gets such impressions at a glance.
The motor descended the long hill toward the river and the flat
valley. It hummed into the curves and hollows, through the
pockets of chill air, and out again into the soft September
night.
Then finally it swept out into the flat valley, and stopped with
a grind of the emergency brake that caused the wheels to skid,
ripping up the dust and gravel. For a moment in the jar and
confusion we did not realize what had happened, then we saw a
great locomotive lying on its side, and a line of Pullmans, sunk
to the axles in the soft earth.
The whole "Montreal Express" was derailed, here in the flat land
at the grade crossing.
Pages:
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287