except coming and waking you up, and that was right, as it
happens."

Then Peter told how the boy came to be in the tunnel.

"Well," said the man, "I don't see as I can do anything. I can't leave
the box."

"You might tell us where to go after someone who isn't in a box,
though," said Phyllis.

"There's Brigden's farm over yonder--where you see the smoke a-coming
up through the trees," said the man, more and more grumpy, as Phyllis
noticed.

"Well, good-bye, then," said Peter.

But the man said, "Wait a minute." He put his hand in his pocket and
brought out some money--a lot of pennies and one or two shillings and
sixpences and half-a-crown. He picked out two shillings and held them
out.

"Here," he said. "I'll give you this to hold your tongues about what's
taken place to-day."

There was a short, unpleasant pause. Then:--

"You ARE a nasty man, though, aren't you?" said Phyllis.

Peter took a step forward and knocked the man's hand up, so that the
shillings leapt out of it and rolled on the floor.

"If anything COULD make me sneak, THAT would!" he said. "Come, Phil,"
and marched out of the signal-box with flaming cheeks.

Phyllis hesitated. Then she took the hand, still held out stupidly, that
the shillings had been in.

"I forgive you," she said, "even if Peter doesn't. You're not in your
proper senses, or you'd never have done that. I know want of sleep sends
people mad. Mother told me. I hope your little boy will soon be better,
and--"

"Come on, Phil," cried Peter, eagerly.

"I give you my sacred honour-word we'll never tell anyone. Kiss and be
friends," said Phyllis, feeling how noble it was of her to try to make
up a quarrel in which she was not to blame.

The signalman stooped and kissed her.

"I do believe I'm a bit off my head, Sissy," he said. "Now run along
home to Mother. I didn't mean to put you about--there."

So Phil left the hot signal-box and followed Peter across the fields to
the farm.

When the farm men, led by Peter and Phyllis and carrying a hurdle
covered with horse-cloths, reached the manhole in the tunnel, Bobbie
was fast asleep and so was Jim. Worn out with the pain, the Doctor said
afterwards.

"Where does he live?" the bailiff from the farm asked, when Jim had been
lifted on to the hurdle.

"In Northumberland," answered Bobbie.

"I'm at school at Maidbridge," said Jim. "I suppose I've got to get back
there, somehow."

"Seems to me the Doctor ought to have a