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Like lightning John shut off the steam and at the same instant touched his whistle several sharp shrieks, which was the alarm to the guard to turn on his brakes. No men could have been more prompt or cool. Joe Turner and Will Garvie had on full brake-power in a second or two. At the same time John Marrot instantly reversing the engine, let on full steam but all in vain.
Poor Mrs Tipps was among the rescued, and, along with the others, was sent on to the Clatterby station by the special train. While the people were being placed in this train, John Marrot observed Edwin Gurwood in the crowd. He chanced to be at Clatterby when the telegram of the accident arrived, and ran down in the special train to render assistance.
The late passenger plunged in she might, as far as appearances went, be said to have taken a header into the carriage and the door was shut. The guard's whistle sounded. The engine-driver's whistle gave prompt reply, and next instant the train moved. No one could conceive of such a thing as a train starting when John Marrot drove!
"Moreover," continued Bob, waxing enthusiastic on his favourite topic, "I'm told, for I haven't seen 'em yet, that they've got a pair o' scissors there as can cut cold iron as easy as you can cut paper they could cut through," said Bob, pausing and looking round, "they could cut through the poker and tongs and shovel, all at one go, as easy as if they was straws." "Gammon!" said Mrs Marrot.
In the wreck and confusion, it was difficult to find out the carriage, in which Mrs Marrot had travelled, and the people about were too much excited to give very coherent answers to questions. John, therefore, made his way to a knot of people who appeared to be tearing up the debris at a particular spot. He found Joe Turner, the guard, there, with his head bandaged and his face covered with blood.
"Of course," he said, with a bland smile, "I do not refer to a matrimonial proposal." Mrs Marrot felt and looked surprised, but waited for more in silence.
The sensibilities of some were stunned, so that they moved calmly about and gave directions in a quiet solemn voice, as if the great agony of grief were long past, though it was painfully evident that it had not yet begun, because the truth had not yet been realised. Among those who were calm and collected, though heart-stricken and deadly pale, was Loo Marrot.
"Nonsense!" repeated Mrs Marrot; "w'y, what would be the use of a hammer as no one could lift?" "Steam lifts it, mother," said Bob, "as easy yes, as easy as you lift the rollin' pin." The unbelieving woman still shook her head, smiled, and said, "Nonsense!"
Night had begun to descend before the train left the station, and as the lowering clouds overspread the sky, the gloom rapidly increased until it became quite dark. "We are going to have a bad night of it," observed John Marrot as his mate examined the water-gauge. "Looks like it," was Garvie's curt reply.
"It's like a lot of people as I knows of," observed Mrs Marrot, "very busy about nothin'." "It'll have somethin' to do soon, mother," said Bob, who was already beginning to think himself very knowing. Bob was right.
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