He was going to steal the packet, and he would know that I should
complain at the first station we reached; and he would prevent this, I
felt sure. But how?
There was only one way. He had threatened me with a pistol, but I did
not think he would use that. No; there was only one way, and it was
this--he would rob me and throw me out of the train.
My legs shook under me as I thought this, and the light in the carriage
seemed to be dancing up and down, as I put my right arm out of the
window and hung to the side to keep myself up.
All this was a matter of moments, and it seemed to be directly after my
fellow-passenger had spoken first that he roared out, "Do you hear, sir?
Come here!"
I did not move, and he made a dash at me, but, as he did, my right hand
rested on the fastening of the door outside, turned the handle, and
clinging to it, I swung out into the rushing wind, turning half round as
the door banged heavily back, when, by an instinctive motion, my left
hand caught at anything to save me from falling, grasped the bar that
ran along between door and door, and the next moment, how I know not, I
was clinging to this bar with my feet on the foot-board, and my eyes
strained back at the open door, out of which my fellow-passenger leaned.
"You young idiot, come back!" he roared; but the effect of his words was
to make me shrink farther away, catching at the handle of the next door,
and then reaching on to the next bar, so that I was now several feet
away.
The wind seemed as if it would tear me from the foot-board, and I was
obliged to keep my face away to breathe; but I clung to the bar tightly,
and watched the fierce face that was thrust out of the door I had left.
"Am I to come after you?" he roared. "Come back!"
My answer was to creep past another door, to find to my horror that this
was the last, and that there was a great gap between me and the next
carriage.
What was I to do? Jump, with the train dashing along at such a rate
that it seemed as if I must be shaken down or torn off by the wind.
I stared back horror-stricken and then uttered a cry of fear, as the
window I had just passed was thrown open and a man leaned out.
"I'll swear I heard someone shout," he said to a travelling companion,
and he looked back along the train. "Yes," he continued, "there's
someone three compartments back looking out. Oh, he's gone in now.
Wonder what it was!"
Just then he turned his head in my direction, and saw my white face.
I saw him start as I clung there just a little way below him to his
right, and within easy reach, and, for I should think a minute, we
stared hard at each other.
Then he spoke in a quiet matter-of-fact way.
"Don't be scared, my lad," he said; "it's alright. I can take hold of
you tightly. Hold fast till I get you by the arms. That's it; now
loose your right hand and take hold of the door; here pass it in.
That's the way; edge along. I've got you tight. Come along; now the
other hand in. That's the way."
I obeyed him, for he seemed to force me to by his firm way, but the
thought came over me, "Suppose he is that man's companion." But even if
he had been, I was too much unnerved to do anything but what he bade me,
so I passed one hand on to the window-frame of the door, then edged
along and stood holding on with the other hand, for he had me as if his
grasp was a vice, and then his hands glided down to my waist. He
gripped me by my clothes and flesh, and before I could realise it he had
dragged me right in through the window and placed me on the seat.
Then dragging up the window he sank back opposite to me and cried to a
gentleman standing in the compartment:
"Give me a drop of brandy, Jem, or I shall faint!"
I crouched back there, quivering and unable to speak. I was so
unnerved; but I saw the other gentleman hand a flask to the
bluff-looking man who had saved me, and I saw him take a hearty draught
and draw long breath, after which he turned to me.
"You young scoundrel!" he cried; "how dare you give me such a fright!"
I tried to speak, but the words would not come. I was choking, and I
believe for a minute I literally sobbed.
"There, there, my lad," said the other kindly, "You're all right. Don't
speak to him like that now, Jordan. The boy's had a horrible scare."
"Scare!" said the big bluff man; "and so have I. Why, my heart was in
my mouth. I wouldn't go through it again for a hundred pounds. How did
you come there, sir?"
"Let him be for a few minutes," said the other gently. "He'll come
round directly, and tell us."
I gave him a grateful look and held out my wet hand, which he took and
held in his.
"The boy has had a terrible shock," he said. "He'll tell us soon.
Don't hurry, my lad. There, be calm."
I clung to his hand, for he seemed to steady me, my hand jerking and
twitching, and a curious sensation of horror that I had never felt
before seeming to be upon me; but by degrees this passed off, the more
quickly that the two gentlemen went on talking as if I were not there.
"I'm so much obliged," I said at last, and the big bluff man laughed.
"Don't name it," he said, nodding good-humouredly. "Five guineas is my
fee."