means of a wheel and crank in the centre turned by hand, on the same principle as a velocipede. He sprang upon it, deposited his precious burden, and began turning the crank with[Pg 129] feverish energy. To his joy, the car at once started forward, and under his well-directed pressure went rattling out of the station, shooting by his three astonished pursuers as they rounded the corner of the woodshed. Two minutes later he arrived in triumph at the potato-patch, being warmly welcomed by his admiring companions, who forthwith fell to and made a satisfying, if frugal, meal. [Pg 129] Just as they were finishing, the station-master came up, and, being rendered thoroughly amiable by a liberal recompense for the stolen viands, so far forgot himself, in his appreciation of Banborough's pluck, as to admit that there was no objection to their taking the flat car on to the next station, provided they could square it with the superintendent on arrival, as there were no trains due either way. "How far is the next station?" asked Cecil, as the party clambered on to the car. "About twelve miles," said Miss Arminster. "Do you know it?" asked Banborough,[Pg 130] still glowing under her praises of his prowess. [Pg 130] "Oh, yes," she replied softly. "I was married there last June." The Englishman, muttering something under his breath, seized the handles and, giving them a vicious turn, sent the car spinning northwards.[Pg 131] [Pg 131] CHAPTER VIII. IN WHICH A LOCKET IS ACCEPTED AND A RING REFUSED. Something over a week after the events narrated in the last chapter, Banborough was lounging in the office of the Windsor Hotel at Montreal. The course of events had run more smoothly for the party since the day they arrived in the city, weary and travel-stained with their adventurous trip. Montreal in general, and the manager of the Windsor in particular, were accustomed to see travellers from the States appear in all sorts of garbs and all kinds of conditions incident to a hasty departure, so their coming occasioned little comment;
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