"Nonsense! Do," he cried. "Do you good. Come, have a drink."
He grew more persistent, but the more persistent he was the more I
shrank from the cup he held in his hand; and at last I felt sorry, for
he seemed so kind that it was ungracious of me to refuse him so simple a
request.
"Oh, very well!" he said, "just as you like. There will be the more for
me."
He laughed, nodded, and drank the contents of the cup before putting the
screw-top on the flask, thrusting it in his breast-pocket, and then
making a cushion of his railway wrapper he lay at full length upon the
cushion, and seemed to compose himself to sleep.
It was such a good example that, after a few minutes' silence, I did the
same, and lay with my eyes half-closed, listening to the dull rattle of
the train, and thinking of the works at Arrowfield, and what a good job
it was that I spoke to Uncle Bob about the trap.
Then I hoped he would not be incautious and hurt himself in letting off
the spring.
I looked across at my fellow-traveller, who seemed to be sleeping
soundly, and the sight of his closed eyes made mine heavy, and no
wonder, for every other night I had been on guard at the works, and that
seemed to shorten my allowance of sleep to a terrible degree.
I knew there could be no mistake, for I was going as far as the train
went, and the guard would be sure to wake me up if I was fast asleep.
And how satisfactory it seemed to be lying there on the soft cushions
instead of walking about the works and the yard the previous night. I
was growing more and more sleepy, the motion of the train serving to
lull me; and then, all at once, I was wide-awake staring at the bubble
of glass that formed the lamp in the ceiling, and wondering where I was.
I recollected directly and glanced at my fellow-traveller, to see that
he was a little uneasy, one of his legs being off the seat; but he was
breathing heavily, and evidently fast asleep.
I lay watching him for a few minutes, and then the sweet restful feeling
mastered me again, and I went off fast asleep. One moment there was the
compartment with its cushions and lamp with the rush and sway of the
carriage that made me think it must be something like this on board
ship; the next I was back at the works keeping watch and wondering
whether either of the men would come and make any attempt upon the
place.
I don't know how long I had been asleep, but all at once, without
moving, I was wide-awake with my eyes closed, fully realising that I had
a valuable packet of some kind in my breast-pocket, and that my
fellow-traveller was softly unbuttoning my overcoat so as to get it out.
I lay perfectly still for a moment or two, and then leaped up and
bounded to the other side of the carriage.
"There, it is of no use," said my fellow-traveller; "pull that letter
out of your pocket and give it to me quietly or--"
He said no more, but took a pistol out of his breast, while I shrank up
against the farther door, the window of which was open, and stared at
him aghast.
"Do you hear?" he said fiercely. "Come; no nonsense! I want that
letter. There, I don't want to frighten you, boy. Come and sit down; I
sha'n't hurt you."
The train was flying along at forty miles an hour at least, and this man
knew that the packet I had was valuable. How he knew it I could not
tell, but he must have found out at Arrowfield. He was going to take it
from me, and if he got it what was he going to do?