all, Ralph did say the fellow's shoes were mucky, and I don't expect the railroad will have had time to clean the floors yet."
"We may also get some information from the stationmaster. He might know where the Colombian intended to leave the train. Then we could ask people at that stop if they have seen him," I said, trying to ignore the crunching coming from Uncle's corner, next to me.
"Capital idea!" exclaimed James. Then his magnificent brow darkened. "But I shall do the asking. It is all very well for the two of you to collect clues in the safety of the countryside, but quite another matter for you to brave the dangers of the unsavory side of London."
Jane and I did not deign to answer him. We merely glanced at each other, one eyebrow raised. If James only knew of some of the escapades his exemplary sister and I had experienced in the safety of the countryside, he might not be so complacent about our going into London, after all. I was reminded especially of the time Jane and I had loosed a large number of garden snakes among the participants in the village sack race. The resulting race times were admirable, although the number of people who saw the end of the race was much diminished from what it had been at the beginning. I do not believe that the record set that day has been bested since.
The carriage slowed enough for me to hear the familiar midday village sounds of Upper Middle Totley-on-Wode. Just as I had predicted, a train rested in front of the station, with clouds of steam rising, pointed in the direction of London. We ascended the platform, where the stationmaster rushed to greet us.
"Why, Miss Arbuthnot. Mr. Percival. Lord Sinclair. Miss Sinclair. What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Mr. Drake. Do you recall a foreign gentleman in a slouch hat who bought a ticket to London this morning?" asked James.
"Very well. Don't get many foreigners in these parts."
"Then you'd remember where he was going?"
"Bought a ticket to Charing Cross Station, he did."
James produced some money. "Thank you. We'd like four tickets to Charing Cross Station."
The train was mostly empty, as was normal for a midday run to London, so we had our choice of compartments and ample opportunity to search.
Since we had chosen a compartment in the middle of the train, I said to Jane, "Would it be all right if Uncle and I search from here to the rear of the train, and would you and James search the front?"
"Certainly," said Jane, and James nodded agreement.
I would have enjoyed having James as my partner no end, or even Jane, but I also felt responsible for Uncle's safety and decorum. The last part of the train it would have to be, since I had to be my Uncle's warden. At least, the rear of the train was usually more sparsely occupied, so there would be less chance for him to publicly misbehave.
After searching three compartments, one thing became profoundly clearâBritish trains are by no means insect free. Uncle and I did not find remnants of Tou-eh-mah-mah butterflies or beetles, but we did find a surfeit of spiders, flies, ants, and all sorts of other insects. I concluded that I would never be able to travel in public transport again without checking corners and crevices. In one compartment, in particular, a large number of ants that were blithely feasting on the remnants of someone's sack lunch became picnic fare for Uncle.
The next two compartments produced nothing more interesting than additional prospective sustenance for Uncle and a morning London newspaper. However, when I stepped from the rear platform of our carriage into the next, I was surprised to find a disheveled and sweaty Georgie Grimsley.
"Why, Mr. Grimsley. Whatever are you doing here?" I asked as I circled around the young man and peered into the first compartment.
"Didn't know I had a bicycle, did you?" he said. "Thought you'd get away."
"Get away? I don't understand your meaning." I lifted a newspaper from the floor and shook it out. Nothing fell. I moved on
"We may also get some information from the stationmaster. He might know where the Colombian intended to leave the train. Then we could ask people at that stop if they have seen him," I said, trying to ignore the crunching coming from Uncle's corner, next to me.
"Capital idea!" exclaimed James. Then his magnificent brow darkened. "But I shall do the asking. It is all very well for the two of you to collect clues in the safety of the countryside, but quite another matter for you to brave the dangers of the unsavory side of London."
Jane and I did not deign to answer him. We merely glanced at each other, one eyebrow raised. If James only knew of some of the escapades his exemplary sister and I had experienced in the safety of the countryside, he might not be so complacent about our going into London, after all. I was reminded especially of the time Jane and I had loosed a large number of garden snakes among the participants in the village sack race. The resulting race times were admirable, although the number of people who saw the end of the race was much diminished from what it had been at the beginning. I do not believe that the record set that day has been bested since.
The carriage slowed enough for me to hear the familiar midday village sounds of Upper Middle Totley-on-Wode. Just as I had predicted, a train rested in front of the station, with clouds of steam rising, pointed in the direction of London. We ascended the platform, where the stationmaster rushed to greet us.
"Why, Miss Arbuthnot. Mr. Percival. Lord Sinclair. Miss Sinclair. What can I do for you?"
"Hello, Mr. Drake. Do you recall a foreign gentleman in a slouch hat who bought a ticket to London this morning?" asked James.
"Very well. Don't get many foreigners in these parts."
"Then you'd remember where he was going?"
"Bought a ticket to Charing Cross Station, he did."
James produced some money. "Thank you. We'd like four tickets to Charing Cross Station."
The train was mostly empty, as was normal for a midday run to London, so we had our choice of compartments and ample opportunity to search.
Since we had chosen a compartment in the middle of the train, I said to Jane, "Would it be all right if Uncle and I search from here to the rear of the train, and would you and James search the front?"
"Certainly," said Jane, and James nodded agreement.
I would have enjoyed having James as my partner no end, or even Jane, but I also felt responsible for Uncle's safety and decorum. The last part of the train it would have to be, since I had to be my Uncle's warden. At least, the rear of the train was usually more sparsely occupied, so there would be less chance for him to publicly misbehave.
After searching three compartments, one thing became profoundly clearâBritish trains are by no means insect free. Uncle and I did not find remnants of Tou-eh-mah-mah butterflies or beetles, but we did find a surfeit of spiders, flies, ants, and all sorts of other insects. I concluded that I would never be able to travel in public transport again without checking corners and crevices. In one compartment, in particular, a large number of ants that were blithely feasting on the remnants of someone's sack lunch became picnic fare for Uncle.
The next two compartments produced nothing more interesting than additional prospective sustenance for Uncle and a morning London newspaper. However, when I stepped from the rear platform of our carriage into the next, I was surprised to find a disheveled and sweaty Georgie Grimsley.
"Why, Mr. Grimsley. Whatever are you doing here?" I asked as I circled around the young man and peered into the first compartment.
"Didn't know I had a bicycle, did you?" he said. "Thought you'd get away."
"Get away? I don't understand your meaning." I lifted a newspaper from the floor and shook it out. Nothing fell. I moved on
Similar Books
