Діти залізниці
Peter’s coal-mine.
"
"Youneedn’tthreaten,"saidBobbie,"andIdothinkyoumightletushelp."
"IfIfindacoal-mine,youshallhelpcartthecoal,"Petercondescendedtopromise.
"Keepyoursecretifyoulike,"saidPhyllis.
"KeepitifyouCAN,"saidBobbie.
"I’llkeepit,rightenough,"saidPeter.
Betweenteaandsupperthereisanintervaleveninthemostgreedilyregulatedfamilies.AtthistimeMotherwasusuallywriting,andMrs.Vineyhadgonehome.
TwonightsafterthedawningofPeter’sideahebeckonedthegirlsmysteriouslyatthetwilighthour.
"Comehitherwithme,"hesaid,"andbringtheRomanChariot."
TheRomanChariotwasaveryoldperambulatorthathadspentyearsofretirementintheloftoverthecoach-house.Thechildrenhadoileditsworkstillitglidednoiselessasapneumaticbicycle,andansweredtothehelmasithadprobablydoneinitsbestdays.
"Followyourdauntlessleader,"saidPeter,andledthewaydownthehilltowardsthestation.
Justabovethestationmanyrockshavepushedtheirheadsoutthroughtheturfasthoughthey,likethechildren,wereinterestedintherailway.
Inalittlehollowbetweenthreerockslayaheapofdriedbramblesandheather.
Peterhalted,turnedoverthebrushwoodwithawell-scarredboot,andsaid:—
"Here’sthefirstcoalfromtheSt.
