but at last they reached Newcastle, and pulled up in the
station.

"Twenty minutes' wait here, sir," said the guard, putting his head in
through the window. "You can get something to eat on the platform if
you like."

Jack jumped out at once, bought a bag of buns, and drank a glass of
milk. Then he walked out of the station and into the town, thinking he
would like to have a glimpse of it. But it was getting dusk, and lights
were already appearing. Still, he went for some distance, forgetful of
the fact that the minutes were rapidly flying, and that the moment for
the departure of his train was getting very close.

Suddenly he looked at his watch, and found with a start that in three
minutes it would leave. Darting through the street, he ran towards the
station at his fastest pace, only to find, when he reached it, that the
outside door was closed and to hear the guard's whistle sounding.

It was an awkward dilemma, but Jack was not to be beaten. Running along
towards the front part of the platform, he climbed some rails, crossed a
siding full of coal wagons, between which he dived, and rushed up the
incline on to the platform only to see the train steaming off. More
than half the carriages had already passed him, and the first of the
trucks at the tail of the train was abreast of him.

Jack determined not to be beaten, and, calmly judging the time, he
grasped the hand-rail in the centre of the last van of all, and swung
himself on to the narrow step which was secured along the side. Next
moment he was carried on into the darkness without a soul having seen
him join the train.

"Well, I caught it after all!" he murmured to himself with an
exclamation of satisfaction; "but I shall never be able to hold on here
for long. Besides, there's no saying when I may be jerked off, or
smashed against a signal-post. There's a door along there, and I'll see
whether I cannot open it and get into the van."

Climbing along the footboard, with his body held as close against the
van as possible, he was not long in reaching the door and in wrenching
it open. The rest was easy, and in a few moments he was safely inside,
with the door closed.

To his surprise he found that there was a dim oil-lamp burning at the
end, not that he could see it very well, for a wall of small cases was
built between him and it. But, by climbing on to this and peeping over,
he was able to see that it was a small lantern slung from the roof,