Oh, why does not the engineer remember it too, and put an end to the terrible contest?
But still ever on, tearing, whirling, rushing, plunging, go engine and cars, horses and sleigh, neither gaining on the other.
To Percy it seemed as if the race had lasted all his life-time. But in reality it had only continued a moment or two, when the engine slowed up, the horses were allowed to dash on ahead, and the sleigh flew victoriously over the crossing just in front of the iron monster, that, puffing forth great clouds of steam and smoke, waited for it to pass.
Another narrow escape; but how long could this go on? Percy's hands were becoming numb from the cold, his head was beginning to swim from the long-sustained excitement, and— Here is a sharp turn in the road, the point thickly grown with trees, and the sound of bells coming from the other side.
A brief instant of suspense, and the corner is reached. There are shouts of warning, cries of horror, and then it seemed to Percy as if he had suddenly gone to sleep.
At that same moment, in the loft of Mr. Harley's barn, two figures were stretched upon the hay, face downward.
"Oh, Ted," one of them is saying, in a hoarse whisper, "Percy Vance hasn't any father, you know!"
"And I remember now," replied the other, in equally dismal tones, "somebody's telling me his mother was always so afraid something would happen to him."
Then both boys lay quiet in their misery until it grew dark, when, under cover of the night, Dan hurried off to his own home, and Ted went in to eat his supper, feeling as if every mouthful would choke him.