him, and while he wondered whether he ought to get
up she put her foot on the step and leaned out, as if she weighed the
possibility of jumping off. She swung back when the cars lurched round a
curve, 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 shine
below the platform. He got up, and moving quietly, seized the girl's arm
and 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 gave
him a quick, searching glance. Lister was athletic, his face was bronzed
by frost and sun, and his look was frank. She lowered her eyes and her
color faded.

"Does the train stop soon?" she asked.

"If the engineer's lucky, we won't stop until he makes the next
water-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, but
the company was spending a large sum in order to cut down the
time-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 go
East, towards Montreal, and not to Winnipeg."

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

"We stop long before we get to Winnipeg," he said soothingly. "Then it's
possible we'll be held up by a blocked track. Wash-outs are pretty
numerous 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 I
don't know if the jolting platform is very safe. Hadn't you better go
back to your car?