anyone else's. He shook
hands with them and then everybody sat down on chairs, and a gentleman
in spectacles--they found out afterwards that he was the District
Superintendent--began quite a long speech--very clever indeed. I am not
going to write the speech down. First, because you would think it dull;
and secondly, because it made all the children blush so, and get so hot
about the ears that I am quite anxious to get away from this part of the
subject; and thirdly, because the gentleman took so many words to say
what he had to say that I really haven't time to write them down. He
said all sorts of nice things about the children's bravery and presence
of mind, and when he had done he sat down, and everyone who was there
clapped and said, "Hear, hear."

And then the old gentleman got up and said things, too. It was very like
a prize-giving. And then he called the children one by one, by their
names, and gave each of them a beautiful gold watch and chain. And
inside the watches were engraved after the name of the watch's new
owner:--

"From the Directors of the Northern and Southern Railway in grateful
recognition of the courageous and prompt action which averted an
accident on --- 1905."

The watches were the most beautiful you can possibly imagine, and each
one had a blue leather case to live in when it was at home.

"You must make a speech now and thank everyone for their kindness,"
whispered the Station Master in Peter's ear and pushed him forward.
"Begin 'Ladies and Gentlemen,'" he added.

Each of the children had already said "Thank you," quite properly.

"Oh, dear," said Peter, but he did not resist the push.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said in a rather husky voice. Then there
was a pause, and he heard his heart beating in his throat. "Ladies and
Gentlemen," he went on with a rush, "it's most awfully good of you, and
we shall treasure the watches all our lives--but really we don't deserve
it because what we did wasn't anything, really. At least, I mean it
was awfully exciting, and what I mean to say--thank you all very, very
much."

The people clapped Peter more than they had done the District
Superintendent, and then everybody shook hands with them, and as soon as
politeness would let them, they got away, and tore up the hill to Three
Chimneys with their watches in their hands.

It was a wonderful day--the kind of day that very seldom happens to
anybody and to most of us not at all.

"I did want to t