“Very far, I should think,” replied Jaques.
They all laughed at this; and unfortunately the guard, in laughing, let his whistle-nose go off.
STEAD IS THE CURE.
This made the driver start the train; just as the pig opened the window of the smoking-carriage again, and handed out another slice, saying, “A rasher individual than this pig would have made his eggsit as a cure at once, but you see I’m no’[3] a ham yet; steady’s the word for a perfect cure.”
This long speech gave time for a tremendous cloud of smoke to escape, so that the train got out of the station under cover of it, before the guard or the porter knew that it was off.
“’Ere’s a go!” said the porter.
“It’s more like there’s a go,” replied Norval.
“Yes, there’s a go, and here’s a stay,” said the guard. “We must get on somehow. What shall we do?”
“Ax old Sammy Fore, ’ee’s your man,” said the porter, pointing to the signal policeman.