ucceed in pulling out, we'll just have to jump off and sprint for
it."

"Go ahead," said Banborough. "I'll have my boots on by the time I want
them."

The actor took a cautious look round the sleeper. Quiet reigned, except
for their own little party, who were by this time all gathered together,
the ladies having joined them.

"Now!" said Friend Othniel. And Spotts, reaching up, gave two sharp
jerks to the cord which swung from the centre of the car.

Instantly the air-brakes were relaxed, the engine gave forth a series of
mighty exhausts, the great driving-wheels spun round for a second on the
rails, then caught their grip, and the train began to move out of the
station.

A perfect pandemonium at once arose without. Shouts, gesticulations, and
the waving of a multitude of lights, but the train still kept on moving,
and the last car, in which the fugitives were, was sweeping past the
station building, when the conductor, capless, but lantern in hand,
emerged from the ticket-office and sprang for the rear platform of the
train. A second later the quick jerk of the bell-cord and an answering
whistle from the engine told them that he had succeeded in boarding the
train and signalling it to stop.

The Quaker, forgetful of his cloth, swore lustily.

"Come on!" cried Spotts, "we'll have to run for it. They'll back into
the station in a minute, and then we're done for." And suiting the
action to the word, he rushed down the car towards the front of the
train. The rest followed him with the best speed they could muster,
falling over boxes and bundles, getting entangled in stray shoes, and
running foul of swinging portieres. Fortunately the cars were
vestibuled, so the platforms offered no impediment. The train seemed
absolutely interminable, for as they dashed through sleeper after
sleeper, one more always appeared ahead, and Banborough could not help
feeling as he ran, hatless and in his shirt-sleeves, with his coat under
his arm and one shoe-string untied, that the whole thing must after all
be some wildly improbable dream from which he would awake in due
course.

Now they felt the train stand still and then begin slowly to move
backwards, which only hastened their flight. But there is an end to
everything, and presently the last sleeper had been passed through, and
they emerged, hot and breathless, into the baggage-car, immediately
behind the engine. Here for the first time they found an open door, the
vestibules h