Дети железной дороги

           "Aren’tyouafraidtoleaveit?"saidPeter.

           "Lor’loveyou,no,"saidthewoman;"who’dhurtalittlethinglike’im?Besides,Spot’sthere.Solong!"

           Thewomanwentaway.

           "Shallwegohome?"saidPhyllis.

           "Youcan.I’mgoingtofish,"saidPeterbriefly.

           "IthoughtwecameupheretotalkaboutPerks’sbirthday,"saidPhyllis.

           "Perks’sbirthday’llkeep."

           Sotheygotdownonthetowing-pathagainandPeterfished.Hedidnotcatchanything.

           Itwasalmostquitedark,thegirlsweregettingtired,andasBobbiesaid,itwaspastbedtime,whensuddenlyPhylliscried,"What’sthat?"

           Andshepointedtothecanalboat.Smokewascomingfromthechimneyofthecabin,hadindeedbeencurlingsoftlyintothesofteveningairallthetime—butnowotherwreathsofsmokewererising,andthesewerefromthecabindoor.

           "It’sonfire—that’sall,"saidPeter,calmly."Servehimright."

           "Oh—howCANyou?"criedPhyllis."Thinkofthepoordeardog."

           "TheBABY!"screamedBobbie.

           Inaninstantallthreemadeforthebarge.

           Hermooringropeswereslack,andthelittlebreeze,hardlystrongenoughtobefelt,hadyetbeenstrongenoughtodrifthersternagainstthebank.Bobbiewasfirst—thencamePeter,anditwasPeterwhoslippedandfell.