nable it to run its seventy-seven
miles, was 800 gallons of cold water. He also gave it a good feed to
begin with, and laid in for its sustenance on the trip one ton of coals.
Its power to act vigorously may be gathered from the fact that one
morning, some years before, John had got the fire up with unwonted
rapidity, and no sooner had the minimum of steam necessary to move it
been created, than it quietly advanced and passed out of its shed
through a brick wall fourteen inches thick with as much ease as it would
have gone through a sheet of brown paper. This being its power when
starting at what we may regard as a quiet walk, some conception may be
formed of its capacity when flying down an incline at sixty-five miles
an hour with a heavy train of carriages at its back. In such
circumstances it would go through an ordinary house, train and all, as a
rifle-bullet would go through a cheese. It was an eight-wheeled engine,
and the driving-wheels were eight feet in diameter. The cylinder was
eighteen inches, with a piston of two feet stroke, and the total weight
of engine and tender was fifty-three tons. The cost of this iron horse
with its tender was about 3000 pounds.

Having fairly started, John took his stand opposite his circular window
in the protecting screen or weather-board and kept a sharp look-out
ahead. Will Garvie kept an eye chiefly on the rear to note that all was
well in that direction. And much cause was there for caution! To rush
through space at such a rate, even on a straight line and in clear
weather, was trying enough, but when it is remembered that the day was
wet, and that their course lay through sundry deep cuttings and tunnels,
and round several curves where it was not possible to foresee
obstruction, the necessity for caution will be more apparent.

All went well, however, as usual. After clearing the first thirty-six
miles John Marrot consulted his watch, and observed to Will that they
had done it in thirty-eight and a half minutes. He then "put on a
spurt," and went for some time at a higher rate of speed. Observing
that something at the head of the engine required looking after, Will
Garvie went out along the side of it, and while doing this piece of work
his hair and jacket were blown straight back by the breeze which the
engine had created for itself. He resembled, in fact, a sailor going
out to work on the sails in a stiff breeze.

This artificial breeze, sweeping round the