“I got no order whatever.”
The engineer, his face very red, produced from his pocket a soiled piece of tissue-paper.
“Read that,” he said, and handed it to the trainmaster.
Mr. Schofield opened it, his face very stern.
“’Engine 618,’” he read, "’will run extra from West Junction to Byers Junction and will keep clear of special passenger-train west, engine 315, after 7.08 P. M.’"
“We’d have got here all right at 7.06,” went on the engineer, truculently. “We had three minutes.”
“What time did the special pass?” asked Mr. Schofield.
“At 7.05,” answered Allan.
The trainmaster nodded, and handed the order back to the engineer.