for a moment that the little man in civilian's clothes, whose name appeared on the passenger-list as Mr. Banborough, was the Bishop of Blanford. His thirty days of grace allowed him but two weeks in the States, and here fortune seemed to have deserted him, for, on his arrival, he learned that his son had gone South. A wild-goose chase to Washington consumed much valuable time, and, with only forty-eight hours to spare, he arrived at Cecil's quarters in New York on the day when that young[Pg 100] gentleman was madly driving a Black Maria out of the city. [Pg 100] Discouraged and disheartened at his lack of success, the Bishop took a train for Montreal, and found himself, about ten o'clock on that evening, owing to faulty orders and a misplaced switch, stranded at a little station just on the dividing line between Canada and the United States. "And when can I proceed on my journey to Montreal?" he queried of the station-master. "Sure I don't know," responded that individual briefly. "We're bound to get things cleared for the White Mountain Express if possible." "And when is it due?" asked his Lordship. "Eleven forty-five a.m., if she's on time." a.m. "I think," said the Bishop, "that I'll remain for the night, and go on at a more seasonable hour to-morrow. Is there any one here who can put me up?" The station-master scratched his head in perplexity, glancing off to the horizon where[Pg 101] glimmered a few lights from scattered farmhouses. [Pg 101] "I dunno what to say," he replied. "I reckon Deacon Perkins would have put you up," pointing to the nearest light, some mile and a half distant, which at that moment disappeared, "but," added the official, "it looks as if he'd gone to bed. Folks don't stay up late round here. There ain't much to do." "But," protested his Lordship, "there's a story over this office. Surely you can arrange something for me." "Well, you see it's this way," said the man. "There's two police officers and a journalist has reserved it for to-night, 'cause they's on the lookout for a batch of prisoners 'scaping to Canada.
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