The  girl  did  not  see  him,  and  while  he  wondered
whether  he  ought  to  get  up  she  put  her  foot  on  the
step  and  leaned  out,  as  if  she  weighed  the  possibility
of  jumping  off.  She  swung  back  when  the  cars
lurched  round  a  curve,  and  the  measured  roll  of  wheels
changed  to  a  sharp,  broken  din.  The  train  was  run-
ning on  to  the  trestle  and  Lister  saw  the  water  shine
below  the  platform.  He  got  up,  and  moving  quietly,
seized  the  girl's  arm,  and  pulled  her  from  the  rails.
"  A  jolt  might  throw  you  off,"  he  said.
She  looked  up  with  a  start  and  the  blood  came  to  her
skin,  but  she  gave  him  a  quick,  searching  glance.  Lis-
ter was  athletic,  his  face  was  bronzed  by  frost  and  sun,
and  his  look  was  frank.  She  lowered  her  eyes  and  her
color  faded.
"  Does  the  train  stop  soon?  "  she  asked.
"If  the  engineer's  lucky,  we  won't  stop  until  he
makes  the  next  water-tank,  and  it's  some  distance."

She  turned  with  a  quick,  nervous  movement  and
glanced  at  the  door.  Lister  imagined  she  was  afraid
somebody  might  come  out.
"  Could  one  persuade  or  bribe  the  conductor  to  pull
up?"

Lister  hesitated.  He  knew  the  train  gang  and  was
a  railroad  boss,  but  the  company  was  spending  a  large
sum  in  order  to  cut  down  the  time-schedule  and  some-
body must  account  for  all  delay.
"  I  think  not.  You  see,  unless  there's  a  washout  or
the  track  is  blocked,  nothing  is  allowed  to  stop  the
Vancouver  express."


36       LISTER'S  GREAT  ADVENTURE

The  girl  glanced  at  the  door  again  and  then  gave
him  an  appealing  look.
