In Which Many Things Happen: Old Tom Topsail Declares Himself the Bully to Do It, Mrs. Skipper William Bounds Down the Path With a Boiled Lobster, the Mixed Accommodation Sways, Rattles, Roars, Puffs and Quits on a Grade in the Wilderness, Tom Topsail Loses His Way in the Fog and Archie Armstrong Gets Despairing Ear of a Whistle At Ruddy Cove, that night, when Archie was landed from the Wind and Tide, a turmoil of amazement instantly gave way to the very briskest consultation the wits of the place had ever known. “There’s no punt can make Burnt Bay the night,” Billy Topsail’s father declared. “Nor the morrow night if the wind changes,” old Jim Grimm added. “Nor the next in a southerly gale,” Job North put in. “There’s the Wind an’ Tide,” Tom Topsail suggested. “She’s a basket,” said Archie; “and she’s slower than a paddle punt.” “What’s the weather?” “Fair wind for Burnt Bay an’ a starlit night.” “I’ve lost the express,” said Archie, excitedly. “I must––I must, I tell you!––I must catch the mixed.” The Ruddy Cove faces grew long. “I must,” Archie repeated between his teeth. The east-bound cross-country express would go through the little settlement of Burnt Bay in the morning. The mixed accommodation would crawl by at an uncertain hour of the following day. It was now the night of the twenty-ninth of August. One day––two days. The mixed accommodation would leave Burnt Bay for St. John’s on the thirty-first of August. “If she doesn’t forget,” said Job North, dryly. “Or get tired an’ rest too often,” Jim Grimm added. Archie caught an impatient breath. “Look you, lad!” Tom Topsail declared, jumping up. “I’m the bully that will put you aboard!” Archie flung open the door of Mrs. Skipper William’s kitchen and made for the Topsail wharf with old Tom puffing and lumbering at his heels. Billy Topsail’s mother was hailed The mixed accommodation, somewhere far back in the Newfoundland wilderness, came to the foot of a long grade. She puffed and valiantly choo-chooed. It was desperately hard work to climb that hill. A man might have walked beside her while she tried it. But she Even the engineer was astonished. “Doin’ fine,” thought the fireman, proud of his head of steam. “She’ll make up them three hours afore mornin’,” the engineer hoped. On the next grade the mixed accommodation lagged. It was a steep grade. She seemed to lose enthusiasm with every yard of puffing progress. She began to pant––to groan––to gasp with horrible fatigue. Evidently she fancied it a cruel task to be put to. And the grade was long––and it was outrageously steep––and they had overloaded the little engine with freight cars––and she wasn’t yet half-way up. It would take the heart out of any engine. But she buckled to, once more, and trembled and panted and gained a yard or two. It was hard work; it was killing work. It was a ghastly outrage to demand such And then she quit. “What’s the matter now?” a passenger asked the conductor, in a coach far in the rear. “Looks to me as if we’d have to uncouple and run on to the next siding with half the train,” the conductor replied. “But it may be the fire-box.” “What’s the matter with the fire-box?” “She has a habit of droppin’ out,” said the conductor. “We’ll be a day late in St. John’s,” the passenger grumbled. The conductor laughed. “You will,” said he, “if the trouble is with the fire-box.” While the mixed accommodation was panting on the long grade, Tom Topsail’s punt, Burnt Bay bound, was splashing through a choppy sea, humoured along by a clever hand and a heart that understood her whims. It was blowing smartly; but the wind was none too much for the tiny craft, and she was making the best of it. At this With the most favourable weather there was a day’s sailing and more yet to be done. “How’s the weather?” was Archie’s first question. “Broodin’,” Tom Topsail drawled. Archie could find no menace in the dawn. “Jus’ broodin’,” Topsail repeated. Towards night it seemed that a change and a gale of wind might be hatched by the brooding day. The wind fluttered to the east and blew up a thickening fog. “We’ve time an’ t’ spare,” said Topsail, in the soggy dusk. “Leave us go ashore an’ rest.” They landed, presently, on a promising island, and made a roaring fire. The hot tea and the Morning came––it seemed to Archie Armstrong that it never would come––morning came in a thick fog to Tom Topsail and the lad. In a general way Tom Topsail had his bearings, but he was somewhat doubtful about trusting to them. The fog thickened with an easterly wind. It blew wet and rough and cold. The water, in so far as it could be seen from the island, was breaking in white-capped waves; and an easterly wind was none of the best on the Burnt Bay course. But Tom Topsail and Archie put confidently out. The mixed accommodation was not due at Burnt Bay until 12:33. She would doubtless be late; “Man,” Tom Topsail declared, at last, “I don’t know where I is!” “Drive on, Tom,” said Archie. The punt went forward in a smother of water. “Half after eleven,” Archie remarked. Tom Topsail hauled the sheet taut to pick up another puff of wind. An hour passed. Archie had lost the accommodation if she were on time. “They’s an island dead ahead,” said Tom. “I feels it. Hark!” he added. “Does you hear the breakers?” Archie could hear the wash of the sea. “Could it be Right-In-the-Way?” Tom Topsail wondered. “Or is it Mind-Your-Eye Point?” There was no help in Archie. “If ’tis Right-In-the-Way,” said Tom, “I’d Mind-Your-Eye is a point of the mainland. “I’m goin’ ashore t’ find out,” Tom determined. Landed, however, he could make nothing of it. Whether Right-In-the-Way, an island near by Burnt Bay, or Mind-Your-Eye, a long projection of the main-shore, there was no telling. The fog hid all outlines. If it were Right-In-the-Way, Tom Topsail could land Archie in Burnt Bay within half an hour; if it were Mind-Your-Eye point––well, maybe. “Hark!” Tom exclaimed. Archie could hear nothing. “Did you not hear it?” said Tom. “What, man? Hear what?” “That!” Tom ejaculated. Archie heard the distant whistle of a train. “I knows this place,” Tom burst out, in vast excitement. “’Tis Mind-Your-Eye. They’s a cut road from here t’ the railway. ’Tis but half a mile, lad.” Followed by Archie, Tom Topsail plunged into the bush. They did not need to be told that the mixed accommodation was labouring on |