Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Lost Special
"AstoJohnSlater,thereisnocluetobegatheredfromhisappearanceorinjuries.Wecanonlysaythat,sofaraswecansee,hemethisendbyfallingoffhisengine,thoughwhyhefell,orwhatbecameoftheengineafterhisfall,isaquestionuponwhichIdonotfeelqualifiedtoofferanopinion."Inconclusion,theinspectorofferedhisresignationtotheBoard,beingmuchnettledbyanaccusationofincompetenceintheLondonpapers.
Amonthelapsed,duringwhichboththepoliceandthecompanyprosecutedtheirinquirieswithouttheslightestsuccess.Arewardwasofferedandapardonpromisedincaseofcrime,buttheywerebothunclaimed.Everydaythepublicopenedtheirpaperswiththeconvictionthatsogrotesqueamysterywouldatlastbesolved,butweekafterweekpassedby,andasolutionremainedasfaroffasever.Inbroaddaylight,uponaJuneafternooninthemostthicklyinhabitedportionofEngland,atrainwithitsoccupantshaddisappearedascompletelyasifsomemasterofsubtlechemistryhadvolatilizeditintogas.Indeed,amongthevariousconjectureswhichwereputforwardinthepublicPress,thereweresomewhichseriouslyassertedthatsupernatural,or,atleast,preternatural,agencieshadbeenatwork,andthatthedeformedMonsieurCaratalwasprobablyapersonwhowasbetterknownunderalesspolitename.Othersfixeduponhisswarthycompanionasbeingtheauthorofthemischief,butwhatitwasexactlywhichhehaddonecouldneverbeclearlyformulatedinwords.
