The advancing train whistled as it ran through the cutting, and, disregarding the girls' remonstrances, the official locked the barrier. He bolted across the line in front of the engine, just in time to take his place at the other gateway before the rush of passengers began, and probably never gave another thought to the three whom he had just excluded. Left shut out on the top of the station steps, the unlucky trio ruefully reviewed the situation.
"What are we to do?" demanded Ingred breathlessly.
"Goodness only knows!" sighed Verity.
"We're in a very awkward fix!" admitted Beatrice.
They were much too far from Grovebury to make walking possible.
"I wonder Miss Giles didn't miss us!" fretted Verity, trying to throw the blame on somebody.
"It isn't her fault—fair play to her!" urged Beatrice. "She wasn't looking after us officially to-day, you know. On Saturdays we're supposed to be on our own."
"I lay the blame on buns!" said Ingred. "We'd have kept with the rest of the school if we hadn't stopped at that confectioner's."
"Well, it's no use crying over spilt milk now! What we've got to do is to find some means of getting home. We can't stay here all day."
"I believe it's not very far to Waverley from Denscourt," ventured Beatrice. "If we can manage to walk, I know some people who live at a house there. I'd ask them to lend us our fares, and we could catch a train at Waverley station."