Acton's Feud: A Public School StorySwainson, Frederick
History
Acton's Feud: A Public School Story
Swainson, Frederick
Schools -- Juvenile fiction
It was a weary business lifting the unconscious fireman into an empty
compartment, and still more weary work to bring him round, but at last
this was done. Acton tore up his handkerchief, and with melted snow
washed clean the ugly cut on his forehead, and then left the fireman in
charge of his mate.
"We'll have to roost here, sir, all night. There's no getting out of
this cutting, nohow. Thank you, sir; I'll see to Tom."
Acton and the guard made their way back to the rear of the train, where
the Amorians were awaiting their schoolfellow with impatience and
anxiety.
"The engine is off the rails and the stoker is damaged above a bit,"
said Acton, seriously, "and we're fixtures here until the company comes
and digs us out. There's only one thing to do: we must make ourselves as
comfy as possible for the night. I must see that lady, though, before we
do anything for ourselves. Back in a moment."
Acton sallied out once more and devoted a good ten minutes to explaining
matters to the very horrified and nervous lady and her tearful little
twelve-year-old girl.
"I'll bring you some cushions, and I'll steal Dick Worcester's pillow
for the little girl," he explained cheerfully. "You have one rug, I see.
We can spare you a couple more. No danger at all, really, But isn't it
really horrid? We have not a morsel of food to offer you, but I dare say
you can, if you don't worry over it, put up with a makeshift bed--only
for one night, I'm sure."
Acton relieved Dick Worcester--who plumed himself on his pillow--of
that article, and one of Senior's rugs.
On his return he confronted the dubious looks of his chums with his
invincible cheerfulness.
"Now, you fellows! we're to sleep here. Two on a seat is the order, and
one on the floor, that's me. Dicky, darling, please don't roll off your
perch. We've plenty of rugs and overcoats: enough to stock Nansen, Grim,
so we shan't all wake up frozen to death."
Gus Todd smiled dutifully at this bull.
The guard came with a modest request.
"Can you roost with us? Oh! certainly. Bag another cushion for the
floor, and then you're all right. More, the merrier; and let the
ventilation go hang. If Mr. Worcester doesn't fall on you, guard, I dare
say you'll live to tell the tale."
The Amorians, who trusted to Acton as they would have trusted to no one
else on earth, entered into the fun of the thing, and the last joke of
the night was a solemn warning to Grim from Dick Worcester to avoid
snoring, as he valued his life.
"We can manage like this for one night, anyhow," whispered Acton to the
guard, "for we really keep each other warm. We'll get out of this
to-morrow."
The guard did not reply to this for fully a minute. He whispered back,
"Listen to the wind, sir. The storm isn't half over yet. I've got my
doubts about to-morrow. We're snowed up for more'n a day."
II
OVER THE FELLS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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