And he handed him the small bright object.
"But I must come back. I can't possibly go without the trunk. All my things are in it."
"I know that, man. But perhaps you'll have to go without it. Hurry!"
Arthur ran. He encountered the senior porter at the gate of the station.
"Where's Merrith?" he began. "He was to have—"
"Merrith's mother is dead—died at five o'clock," said the senior porter. "And I'm here all alone."
Arthur stopped as if shot.
"Well," he recovered himself. "Lend me a barrow."
"I shall lend ye no barrow. It's against the rules. Since they transferred our stationmaster to Clegg there's been an inspector down here welly [well nigh] every day."
"But I must have a barrow."