Lister's Great Adventure

by Harold Bindloss

  CHAPTER IV

  THE GIRL ON THE PLATFORM

  The Vancouver express was running in the dark through the woods west ofFort William. After the rain of early summer, wash-outs that underminethe track are numerous and the express had been delayed. Now, however,the road was good and the engineer drove his big locomotive withthrottle wide open. Black smoke blew about the rocking cars, cindersrattled on the roofs, and showers of sparks sped past the windows. Thewheels roared on shaking trestles and now and then awoke an echoingclang of steel, for the company was doubling the track and replacing thewooden bridges by metal.

  This was George Lister's business, and he lounged in a corner of asmoking-compartment, and rather drowsily studied some calculations. Hewas bound West from Montreal, and in the morning would resume his laborsat a construction camp. There was much to be done and the constructionbosses who had sent for him were getting impatient.

  Lister's thoughts wandered from the figures. He liked his occupation andadmitted that he had been lucky, but began to see he had gone as far ashe could expect to go. The trouble was, he had not enjoyed thescientific training that distinguished the men who got important posts.His mechanical career began in the engine-room of a wheat-boat on thelakes, and he had entered the railroad company's service when shippingwas bad and steamers were laid up. Although he had studied for a term ortwo at McGill University, he knew his drawbacks. Sometimes promotion wasgiven for merit, but for the most part the men who made progress camefrom technical colleges and famous engineering works.

  An accident in the ranges on the Pacific slope, when a mountainlocomotive jumped the track and plunged down a precipitous hillside,gave Lister his first chance. He got the locomotive back to the line,and being rewarded by a better post, stubbornly pushed himself nearerthe front. Now, however, it looked as if he must stop. Rules were notoften relaxed in favor of men who had no highly-placed friends. YetLister wondered.

  Not long since, a gentleman whose word carried some weight at thecompany's office had visited the construction camp with his indulgeddaughter. The girl was clever, adventurous, and interested by pioneerwork, and Lister had helped her to some thrills she obviously enjoyed.She had, with his guidance, driven a locomotive across a shaking,half-braced bridge, fired a heavy blasting shot, and caught big graytrout from his canoe. Although Lister used some reserve, theirfriendship ripened, and when she left she hinted she had some power shemight be willing to use on his behalf.

  All the same, Lister was proud. The girl belonged to a circle he couldnot enter, and if he got promotion, it must be by his merits. He was notthe man to get forward by intrigue and the clever use of a woman'sinfluence; he had no talent for that kind of thing. He let it go, andtried to concentrate on his calculations.

  By and by the colored porter stopped to tell him his berth was fixed andthe passengers were going to bed. Lister nodded, put up his papers, andthen lighted a cigarette. The smoking-compartment was hot, the light therocking lamp threw about had hurt his eyes, and he thought he would goout on the platform for a few minutes.

  He went. The draught that swept the gap between the cars was bracing andcool. There was a moon, he saw water shine and dark pines stream past.The snorting of the locomotive broke in a measured beat through the rollof wheels; the rocks threw back confused echoes about the clanging cars.Then the gleam among the trees got wider and Lister knew they werenearing a trestle that crossed an arm of a lake. In fact, he hadwondered whether he would be sent to pull down the bridge and rebuild itwith steel.

  He sat down on the little box-seat, with his back against the door. Theplatform had not the new guards the company was then fitting; there wasan opening in the rails, and one could go down the steps when the trainwas running. The moonlight touched the back of the car in front, butLister was in the gloom, and when the vestibule door opposite opened hewas annoyed. If somebody wanted to go through the train, he must get up.

  A girl came out of the other car and seizing the rails looked down. Shewas in the light, and Lister remarked that she did not wear travelingclothes; he thought her small, knitted cap, short dress, and loosejacket indicated that she had come from a summer camp. Then she turnedher head and he saw her face was rather white and her look was strained.It was obvious that something had disturbed her.

  The girl did not see him, and while he wondered whether he ought to getup she put her foot on the step and leaned out, as if she weighed thepossibility of jumping off. She swung back when the cars lurched round acurve, and the measured roll of wheels changed to a sharp, broken din.The train was running on to the trestle and Lister saw the water shinebelow the platform. He got up, and moving quietly, seized the girl's armand pulled her from the rails.

  "A jolt might throw you off," he said.

  She looked up with a start and the blood came to her skin, but she gavehim a quick, searching glance. Lister was athletic, his face was bronzedby frost and sun, and his look was frank. She lowered her eyes and hercolor faded.

  "Does the train stop soon?" she asked.

  "If the engineer's lucky, we won't stop until he makes the nextwater-tank, and it's some distance."

  She turned with a quick, nervous movement and glanced at the door.Lister imagined she was afraid somebody might come out.

  "Could one persuade or bribe the conductor to pull up?"

  Lister hesitated. He knew the train gang and was a railroad boss, butthe company was spending a large sum in order to cut down thetime-schedule and somebody must account for all delay.

  "I think not. You see, unless there's a washout or the track is blocked,nothing is allowed to stop the Vancouver express."

  The girl glanced at the door again and then gave him an appealing look.

  "But I must get off! I oughtn't to have come on board. I want to goEast, towards Montreal, and not to Winnipeg."

  Although he was not romantic, Lister was moved. She was very young andher distress was obvious. Somehow he felt her grounds for wanting toleave the train were good. Indeed, he rather thought she had meant tojump off had they not run on to the bridge. Yet for him to stop theexpress would be ridiculous; the conductor and engineer would pay forhis meddling. With quiet firmness he pulled the girl farther from theopening of the rails.

  "We stop long before we get to Winnipeg," he said soothingly. "Then it'spossible we'll be held up by a blocked track. Wash-outs are prettynumerous on this piece of line. However, if we do stop and you get down,you'll be left in the woods."

  "Oh!" she said, "that's not important! All I want is to get off."

  "Very well," said Lister. "If we are held up, I'll look for you. But Idon't know if the jolting platform is very safe. Hadn't you better goback to your car?"

  She gave him a quick glance and he thought she braced herself.

  "I'm not going back. I can't. It's impossible!"

  Lister was curious, but hesitated about trying to satisfy his curiosity.The girl was afraid of somebody, and, seeing no other help, she trustedhim.

  "Then, you had better come with me and I'll find you a berth where youwon't be disturbed," he said.

  She followed him with a confidence he thought moving, and when they metthe conductor he took the man aside.

  "That's all right," said the other. "Nobody's going to bother her whileI'm about."

  Lister returned to the smoking-compartment, but the adventure had givenhim a pleasant thrill and he did not feel sleepy. He got out hiscalculations and tried to interest himself until a man entered the car.The fellow was rather handsome and his clothes were good, but Listerthought he looked perplexed. He gave Lister a keen glance and went onthrough the car. Some minutes afterwards, he came back, frowningsavagely, stopped in front of Lister, as if he meant to speak,hesitated, and went out by the vestibule.

  It was plain the fellow had gone to look for the girl and had not foundher. The conductor had seen to that. Lister smiled, but admitted thatthe thing was puzzling. The man was older than the girl, although he wasnot old enough to be her father. If he were
her husband, she would nothave run away from him, and it did not look as if he were her lover.Lister saw no light, but since it was obvious she feared the man heresolved, if possible, to help her to escape.

  Some time afterwards, the whistle pierced the roll of wheels, andLister, going to the platform, saw a big electric head-lamp shine like astar. The cars were slowing and he imagined the operator had tried torun a construction train across the section before the express came up.They would probably stop for a minute at the intersection of the mainand side tracks. Hurrying through the train, Lister found the conductor,who look him to a curtained berth, and the girl got down. She wasdressed and wore her knitted cap.

  "If you are resolved to go, I may be able to help you off," Lister said.

  "I must go," she replied, and although Lister remarked that her handstrembled as she smoothed her crumpled dress, her voice was steady.

  "Very well," he said. "Come along."

  When he opened the vestibule door the train was stopping and the beamfrom a standing locomotive's head-lamp flooded the track with dazzlinglight. For a moment the girl hesitated, but when Lister went down thesteps she gave him her hand and jumped. Lister felt her tremble and washimself conscious of some excitement. He did not know if he was rash ornot, but since she meant to go, speed was important, because the manfrom whom she wanted to escape might see them on the line. He went tothe waiting engine in front of a long row of ballast cars, on which abig gravel plough loomed faintly in the dark.

  "Who's on board?" he asked.

  A man he knew looked out from the cab window.

  "Hallo, Mr. Lister! I'm on board with Jake. We're going to Malcolm cutfor gravel. Washout's mixed things; operator reckoned he could rush usthrough--"

  "Then you'll stop and get water at the tank," Lister interrupted. "Willyou make it before the East-bound comes along?"

  "We ought to make it half-an-hour ahead. Wires all right that way.Nothing's on the road."

  Lister turned to the girl. "If you're going East you must buy a newticket at Malcolm. Have you money?"

  "I have some--" she said and stopped, and Lister imagined she had notuntil then thought about money and had not much.

  "You'll take this lady to Malcolm, Roberts, and put her down where shecan get to the station," he said to the engineer. "Nobody will see youhave a passenger, but if the agent's curious, I'll fix the thing withhim."

  It was breaking rules, but the man knew Lister, and Lister knew he couldbe trusted. He took some bills from his wallet, and as he helped thegirl up the steps pushed the paper into her hand.

  She turned to the cab door, and Lister imagined she was hardly consciousof the money he had given her. Her color was high but her look indicatedkeen relief.

  "Oh!" she said, "I owe you much! You don't know all you have done. Iwill not forget--"

  Somebody waved a lantern, a whistle shrieked, and the locomotive bellbegan to toll. Lister jumped back and seized the rails above theplatform steps as the car lurched forward. They moved faster, the beamof the head-lamp faded, and the train rolled on into the dark.