apped continuously on the
ground glass of the back door until Cook opened it.

"Whatever's the matter?" said Cook.

Michael did not stop to answer, but ran upstairs, until breathless he
reached the schoolroom.

"Please, Miss Carthew, may we have Stella's mail-cart? Rodber wants
it--for trains. Do let me. Rodber's the boy I told you about who's at
school. Oh, do let us have the cart. Rodber's got three, but he wants
ours. May I, Miss Carthew?"

She nodded.

Michael rushed downstairs in a helter-skelter of joy and presently, with
Cook's assistance in getting it up the steps, Michael stood proudly by
the mail-cart which was of the dogcart pattern, very light and swift
when harnessed to a good runner. Rodber examined it critically.

"Yes, that's a fairly decent one," he decided.

Michael was greatly relieved by his approval.

"Look here," said Rodber, "I don't mind telling you, as you'll be a new
kid, one or two tips about school. Look here, don't tell anybody your
Christian name and don't be cocky."

"Oh, no, I won't," Michael earnestly promised.

"And don't, for goodness' sake, look like that when chaps speak to you,
or you'll get your head smacked."

This was the sum of Rodber's advice, and presently Michael was stationed
as signalman by the junction which was a pillar-box, while Rodber went
off at express speed, bound for the next station which was a lamp-post.
A signalman's life on the Carlington Road line was a lonely one, and it
was also a very tiring one, when any obstruction caused the signals to
be up. Michael's arm ached excruciatingly when Rodber's train got
entangled with Garrod's train and Macalister's train had to be kept from
running into them. Moreover, the signalman's life had none of the
glories of controlling other people; a signalman on the Carlington Road
line was dependent on the train for his behaviour. He was not allowed to
interfere with the free running of any freight, but if the engine-driver
insisted he had to let him go past, and if there was an accident, he was
blamed. A signalman's life was lonely, tiring, humiliating and
dangerous.

These few fine days of mid-September went quickly by and one evening
Rodber said casually, almost cruelly it seemed to Michael:

"Well, see you to-morrow in the break, young Fane."

Michael wondered what on earth a 'break' was; he longed to ask Rodber,
but he dared not display at the very beginning of his career what would
evidently be a disgrac