Being, as we have had occasion to remark before, a communicative and
confiding little woman, Netta Tipps told the secret of the ring in
strict confidence to her old nurse. Mrs Durby, in a weak moment as on
a former occasion, related the history of it to Gertie, who of course
told Loo. She naturally mentioned it to her lover, Will Garvie, and he
conveyed the information to John Marrot. Thus far, but no further, the
thing went, for John felt that there might be danger in spreading the
matter, and laid a strict injunction on all who knew of it to keep
silence 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, who
chanced to be lounging there with, apparently, nothing to do. Never was
there a man who was more frequently called on to belie his true
character. It was a part of Mr Sharp's duty to look lazy at times, and
even stupid, so as to throw suspicious men off their guard.
"A fine day, John," he said, lounging up to the engine where John was
leaning on the rail, contemplating the departure of the passengers whose
lives had been in his hands for the last hour and a half, while Will
Garvie 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, I
suppose, of the mad fellow who caused such a confusion among Miss
Tipps'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 your
train 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 a
knowing glance; "I've heard rumours that lead me to think it would not
be very surprising if we were to see him hanging about this station
to-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 India
doctor, who agrees to hang about on the condition that we keep a sharp
eye 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 sauntered
leisurely along the platform, with his eyes cast down and softly humming
a popular air.
The act was so brusque and unlike Mr Sharp's naturally polite character
that John knew at once, as he said, that "something was up," and looked
earnestly along the platform, where he saw Thomson himself walking
smartly about as if in search of some one. He carried a heavy-headed
stick in his hand and looked excited; but not much more so than an
anxious or late passenger might be.
Mr Sharp went straight towards the madman--still sauntering with his
head down, however; and John Marrot could see that another man, whom he
knew to be a detective, was walking round by the side of the platform,
with the evident intention of taking him in rear. The moment Thomson
set eyes on the superintendent he recognised him, and apparently divined
his object in approaching, for he started, clenched his teeth, and
grasped his stick. Mr Sharp instantly abandoned all attempt at
concealment and ran straight at him. Thomson, probably deeming
discretion the better part of valour, turned and fled. He almost ran
into the arms of the detective, who now made sure of him, but he doubled
like a hare and sprang off the platform on to the rails. Here one or
two of the men who were engaged in washing or otherwise looking after
empty carriages, seeing what was going on, at once sought to intercept
the madman, but he evaded two or three, knocked down another, and,
finding himself alongside of a detached engine which stood there with
steam up ready to be coupled to its train, he leaped upon it, felled the
driver who was outside the rail, oiling some of the machinery, seized
the handle of the regulator and turned on full steam.
The driving-wheels revolved at first with such tremendous rapidity that
they failed to "bite" and merely slipped on the rails. Thomson was
engineer enough to understand why, and at once cut off part of the
steam. Next moment he shot out of the station, and, again letting on
full steam, rushed along the line like an arrow!
It chanced that the passenger-superintendent was on the platform at the
time. That gentleman had everything connected with the traffic by
heart. He saw that the points had been so set as to turn the run-away
engine on to the down line, and in his mind's eye saw a monster
excursion train, which had started just a few minutes before, labouring
slowly forward, which the light engine would soon overtake. A collision
in a few minutes would be certain. In peculiar circumstances men are
bound to break through all rules and regulations, and act in a peculiar
way. Without a moment's hesitation he ran to John Marrot and said in an
earnest 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 had
appreciated the idea. He had leaped down and uncoupled the _Lightning_
from its train. John touched the whistle, let on steam and off they
went crossed to the up-line (which was the wrong line of rails for any
engine to run in _that_ direction), and away he went at forty, fifty,
seventy miles an hour! John knew well that he was flying towards a
passenger-train, which was running towards him at probably thirty-five
or 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 collision
with it would involve the accumulated momentum of more than a hundred
miles an hour! The time was short, but it was sufficient; he therefore
urged Will to coal the furnace until it glowed with fervent heat and
opened the steam valve to the uttermost. Never since John Marrot had
driven it had the _Lightning_ so nearly resembled its namesake. The
pace was increased to seventy-five and eighty miles an hour. It was
awful. Objects flew past with flashing speed. The clatter of the
engine was deafening. A stern chase is proverbially a long one; but in
this case, at such a speed, it was short. In less than fifteen minutes
John came in view of the fugitive--also going at full speed, but, not
being so powerful an engine and not being properly managed as to the
fire, it did not go so fast; its pace might have been forty or
forty-five miles an hour.
"Will," shouted John in the ear of his stalwart fireman, "you'll have to
be sharp about it. It won't do, lad, to jump into the arms of a madman
with a fire-shovel in his hand. W'en I takes a shot at 'im with a lump
of 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 a
little smile curl slightly the corners of his mouth.
Another moment and the _Lightning_ was up with the tender of the
run-away, and John cut off steam for a brief space to equalise the
speed. Thomson at that instant observed for the first time that he was
pursued. He looked back with a horrible glare, and then, uttering a
fierce 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 and
they were abreast John Marrot opened the whistle and let it blow
continuously, for he was by that time drawing fearfully near to the
train that he knew was approaching.
Seeing that escape was impossible, Thomson would have thrown the engine
off the rails if that had been possible, but, as it was not, he
brandished the fire-shovel and stood at the opening between the engine
and tender, with an expression of fiendish rage on his countenance that
words cannot describe.
"Now, Bill, look out!" said John.
Will stood like a tiger ready to spring. John beside him, with a huge
mass of coal in one hand concealed behind his back. There was a space
of little more than two feet between the engines. To leap that in the
face of a madman seemed impossible.
Suddenly John Marrot hurled the mass of coal with all his might. His
aim was to hit Thomson on the head, but it struck low, hitting him on
the chest, and driving him down on the foot-plate. At the same instant
Will Garvie bounded across and shut off the steam in an instant. He
turned then to the brake-wheel, but, before he could apply it, Thomson
had risen and grappled with him. Still, as the two strong men swayed to
and fro in a deadly conflict, Will's hand, that chanced at the moment to
be nearest the brake-wheel, was seen ever and anon to give it a slight
turn.
Thus much John Marrot observed when he saw a puff of white steam on the
horizon far ahead of him. To reverse the engine and turn full steam on
was the work of two seconds. Fire flew in showers from the wheels, and
the engine trembled with the violent friction, nevertheless it still ran
on for a considerable way, and the approaching train was within a
comparatively short distance of him before he had got the _Lightning_ to
run backwards. It was not until he had got up speed to nigh forty miles
an hour that he felt safe, looked back with a grim smile and breathed
freely. Of course the driver of the passenger-train, seeing an engine
on the wrong line ahead, had also reversed at full speed and thus
prevented a collision, which would inevitably have been very disastrous.
John now ran back to the crossing, and, getting once more on the down
line, again reversed his engine and ran cautiously back in the direction
of the run-away locomotive. He soon came in sight of it, reversed
again, 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 that
length in consequence of being on an incline, but was somewhat alarmed
to receive no signal from his mate. The moment the buffers of the
_Lightning_ touched those of the other engine's tender he applied the
brakes and brought both engines to a stand. Then, leaping off, he ran
to see how it had fared with Will Garvie.
The scene that met his eyes was a very ghastly one. On the floor-plate
lay the two men, insensible and covered with blood and coal-dust. Each
grasped the other by the throat but Will had gained an advantage from
having no neckcloth on, while his own strong hand was twisted into that
of his adversary so firmly, that the madman's eyes were almost starting
out of their sockets. John Marrot at once cut the 'kerchief with his
clasp-knife, and then, feeling that there was urgent need for haste,
left them lying there, ran back to his own engine, coupled it to the
other, turned on full steam, and, in a short space of time, ran into
Clatterby station.
Here the men were at once removed to the waiting-room, and a doctor--who
chanced to be Dr Noble--was called in. It was found that although much
bruised and cut as well as exhausted by their conflict, neither Will nor
Thomson were seriously injured. After a few restoratives had been
applied, the former was conveyed home in a cab, while the latter, under
the charge of Mr Sharp and one of his men, was carried off and safely
lodged in an asylum.