yards
off, and its owner, with a brother of the craft who had been a passenger
on the train, was attending to the injured. There were fourteen of these
altogether, mostly suffering from burns. These were made as comfortable
as possible in sleeping berths their owners had vacated.

"Take your seats, please!" said the surviving guard in a subdued voice.
He spoke at the direction of a big man in a heavy overcoat, who appeared
to have taken charge of the salvage operations. The passengers clambered
up into the train.

Only one hesitated. He was a long, lean young man, black from head to
foot with soot and oil. His left arm was badly burned; and seeing a
doctor disengaged at last, he came forward to have it dressed.

The big man in the heavy overcoat approached him.

"My name is Caversham," he said. "I happen to be a director of the
company. If you will give me your name and address I will see to it
that your services to-night are suitably recognized. The way you got
those two children out of the first coach was splendid, if I may be
allowed to say so. We did not even know they were there."

The young man's teeth suddenly flashed out into a white smile against
the blackness of his face.

"Neither did I, sir," he said. "Let me introduce you to the responsible
party."

He whistled. Out of the gray dawn loomed an eerie monster, badly singed,
wagging its tail.

"Scally, old man," said the curate, "this gentleman wants to present you
with an illuminated address. Thank him prettily!" Then, to the doctor:
"I'm ever so much obliged to you; it's quite comfortable now."

He began stiffly to pull on his coat and waistcoat. Lord Caversham,
lending a hand, noted the waistcoat and said quickly:--

"Will you travel in my compartment? I should like to have a word with
you if I may."

"I think I had better go and have a look at those poor folks in the
sleeper first," replied the curate. "They may require my services
professionally."

"At the Junction, then, perhaps?" suggested Lord Caversham.

At the Junction, however, the curate found a special waiting to proceed
north by a loop line; and, being in no mind to receive compliments or
waste his substance on a hotel, he departed forthwith, taking his
charred confederate, Excalibur, with him.

VIII

Fortune, once she takes a fancy to you, is not readily shaken off,
however, as most successful men are always trying to forget. A fortnight
later Lord Caversham, leaving