1. THE ISLAND OF SODOR
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2. HAD MANY VISITORS
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3. AND SIR TOPHAM HATT
HAD SCHEDULED MORE TRAINS.
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4. GORDON, THE BIG ENGINE,
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5. HAD TO WORK HARDER
THAN EVER BEFORE.
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6. "COME ON,"
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7. HE CALLED
TO THE COACHES.
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8. "COME ON, COME ON,
COME ON.
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9. THE PASSENGERS RELY ON ME
TO BE ON TIME."
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10. WHENEVER GORDON FINISHED
ONE JOURNEY,
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11. IT WAS TIME
FOR ANOTHER TO BEGIN.
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12. "NEVER MIND,"
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13. HE PUFFED.
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14. "I LIKE A GOOD LONG RUN
TO STRETCH MY WHEELS."
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15. EVEN SO,
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16. SIR TOPHAM HATT DECIDED
THAT GORDON NEEDED A REST.
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17. "JAMES SHALL DO
YOUR WORK,"
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18. HE SAID KINDLY.
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19. JAMES WAS DELIGHTED.
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20. HE LIKED TO SHOW OFF
HIS SMART RED PAINT
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21. AND WAS DETERMINED
TO BE AS FAST AS GORDON.
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22. "YOU KNOW,
LITTLE TOBY,"
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23. HE BOASTED,
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24. "I'M AN IMPORTANT ENGINE;
EVERYONE KNOWS IT.
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25. "I'M AS REGULAR
AS CLOCKWORK.
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26. "NEVER LATE,
ALWAYS ON TIME.
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27. THAT'S ME."
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28. "SEZ YOU,"
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29. REPLIED TOBY.
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30. JUST THEN
SIR TOPHAM HATT ARRIVED.
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31. "YOUR PARTS
ARE WORN, TOBY,
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32. "SO YOU MUST
GO TO THE WORKS
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33. TO BE MENDED."
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34. "CAN I TAKE
HENRIETTA, SIR?"
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35. "NO.
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36. WHAT WOULD THE PASSENGERS
DO WITHOUT HER?"
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37. TOBY SAW PERCY
BY THE WATER TOWER.
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38. "DON'T WORRY, TOBY.
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39. I'LL TAKE CARE OF HENRIETTA
UNTIL YOU GET BACK."
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40. SOON TOBY WAS
OUT ON THE MAIN LINE.
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41. HE CLANKED
AS HE TRUNDLED ALONG.
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42. HE'S A LITTLE ENGINE
WITH SMALL WHEELS.
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43. HIS TANKS
DON'T HOLD MUCH WATER.
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44. HE HAD COME A LONG WAY
AND BEGAN TO FEEL THIRSTY.
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45. IN THE DISTANCE
WAS A SIGNAL.
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46. "GOOD,"
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47. HE THOUGHT.
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48. "THERE'S A STATION AHEAD.
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49. "I CAN HAVE
A NICE DRINK AND A REST
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50. UNTIL JAMES HAS PASSED."
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51. TOBY WAS ENJOYING HIS DRINK
WHEN THE SIGNALMAN CAME UP.
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52. HE HAD NEVER
SEEN TOBY BEFORE.
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53. TOBY'S DRIVER
TRIED TO EXPLAIN,
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54. BUT THE NEW SIGNALMAN
WOULDN'T LISTEN.
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55. "WE MUST CLEAR THE LINE
FOR JAMES WITH THE EXPRESS.
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56. YOU'LL HAVE TO GET MORE WATER
AT THE NEXT STATION."
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57. HURRYING USED A LOT OF WATER
AND HIS TANKS WERE SOON EMPTY.
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58. POOR TOBY WAS OUT OF STEAM
AND STRANDED ON THE MAIN LINE!
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59. "WE MUST WARN JAMES,"
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60. SAID THE FIREMAN.
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61. THEN HE SAW
PERCY AND HENRIETTA.
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62. "PLEASE, TAKE ME
BACK TO THE STATION,
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63. IT'S AN EMERGENCY."
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64. HENRIETTA HATED LEAVING TOBY.
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65. "NEVER MIND,"
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66. SAID PERCY,
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67. "YOU'RE TAKING THE FIREMAN
TO WARN JAMES,
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68. THAT'S A BIG HELP."
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69. HENRIETTA FELT MUCH BETTER.
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70. JAMES WAS FUMING
WHEN HE HEARD THE NEWS.
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71. "I'M GOING TO BE LATE."
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72. "MY FAULT,"
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73. SAID THE SIGNALMAN.
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74. "I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
ABOUT TOBY."
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75. "NOW, JAMES,"
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76. SAID HIS DRIVER,
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77. "YOU'LL HAVE TO PUSH TOBY."
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78. "WHAT? ME?"
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79. SNORTED JAMES.
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80. "ME, PUSH TOBY
AND PULL MY TRAIN TOO!"
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81. GRUMBLING DREADFULLY,
JAMES SET OFF TO FIND TOBY.
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82. HE CAME UP BEHIND TOBY
AND GAVE HIM A BUMP.
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83. "GET ON, YOU."
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84. JAMES HAD TO WORK
VERY HARD.
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85. WHEN HE REACHED
THE WORKS STATION,
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86. HE FELT EXHAUSTED.
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87. SOME CHILDREN
WERE ON THE PLATFORM.
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88. "COO!
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89. "THE EXPRESS IS LATE
AND IT'S GOT TWO ENGINES.
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90. "I THINK JAMES COULDN'T
PULL IT ON HIS OWN
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91. SO TOBY HAD TO HELP HIM."
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92. "NEVER MIND, JAMES,"
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93. WHISPERED TOBY.
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94. "THEY'RE ONLY JOKING."
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95. "HAH!"
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96. SAID JAMES.
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97. TOBY JUST SMILED.
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98. IT WAS AN IMPORTANT DAY
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99. IN THE YARD.
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100. EVERYONE WAS BUSY
AND EXCITED,
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101. MAKING NOTES
AND TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS.
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102. A SPECIAL VISITOR HAD ARRIVED
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103. AND WAS NOW
THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.
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104. "WHO IS THAT?"
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105. WHISPERED THOMAS TO DUCK.
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106. "THAT,"
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107. SAID DUCK PROUDLY,
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108. "IS A CELEBRITY."
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109. "A WHAT?"
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110. ASKED PERCY.
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111. "A CELEBRITY
IS A VERY FAMOUS ENGINE,"
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112. REPLIED DUCK.
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113. "DRIVER SAYS WE CAN
TALK TO HIM SOON."
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114. "OH,"
SAID THOMAS.
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115. "HE'S PROBABLY TOO FAMOUS
TO EVEN NOTICE US."
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116. JUST THEN GORDON ARRIVED.
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117. "PUH,"
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118. SAID GORDON.
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119. "WHO CARES.
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120. A LOT OF FUSS ABOUT NOTHING
IF YOU ASK ME."
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121. AND HE STEAMED AWAY.
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122. LATER THAT NIGHT,
THE ENGINES FOUND
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123. THAT THE VISITOR
WASN'T CONCEITED AT ALL.
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124. HE ENJOYED TALKING
TO THE OTHER ENGINES
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125. TILL LONG AFTER
THE STARS CAME OUT.
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126. HE LEFT
EARLY NEXT MORNING.
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127. GORDON WAS STILL COMPLAINING.
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128. "GOOD RIDDANCE,"
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129. HE GRUMBLED.
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130. "CHATTERING ALL NIGHT...
WHO IS HE ANYWAY?"
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131. "DUCK TOLD YOU,"
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132. REPLIED THOMAS.
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133. "HE'S FAMOUS."
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134. "AS FAMOUS AS ME?
NONSENSE!"
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135. "HE'S 'FAMOUSER' THAN YOU!
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136. "HE WENT 100 MILES AN HOUR
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137. BEFORE YOU WERE
EVEN THOUGHT OF."
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138. "HUH! SO HE SAYS!"
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139. HUFFED GORDON.
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140. "BUT I DIDN'T LIKE
HIS LOOKS."
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141. "HE'S GOT NO DOME.
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142. "NEVER TRUST
DOMELESS ENGINES,
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143. "THEY'RE NOT RESPECTABLE.
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144. "I'D NEVER BOAST,
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145. "BUT I'D SAY 100 MILES AN HOUR
WOULD BE EASY FOR ME.
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146. GOOD-BYE!"
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147. DUCK TOOK SOME FREIGHT CARS
TO EDWARD'S STATION.
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148. "HELLO,"
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149. CALLED EDWARD.
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150. "THAT FAMOUS ENGINE
CAME THROUGH THIS MORNING.
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151. "HE WHISTLED TO ME,
WASN'T HE KIND?"
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152. "HE'S THE FINEST ENGINE
IN THE WORLD,"
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153. REPLIED DUCK.
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154. THEN HE TOLD EDWARD
WHAT GORDON HAD SAID.
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155. "TAKE NO NOTICE,"
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156. SOOTHED EDWARD.
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157. "HE'S JUST JEALOUS.
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158. "HE THINKS NO ENGINE
SHOULD BE FAMOUS BUT HIM.
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159. "LOOK,
HE'S COMING NOW."
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160. GORDON WAS RUNNING VERY FAST.
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161. HIS WHEELS
POUNDED THE RAILS.
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162. "HE DID IT,
I'LL DO IT!
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163. "HE DID IT,
I'LL DO IT!"
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164. GORDON'S TRAIN ROCKETED
PAST AND WAS GONE.
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165. "HE'LL KNOCK HIMSELF TO BITS,"
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166. CHUCKLED DUCK.
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167. GORDON'S DRIVER EASED HIM OFF.
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168. "STEADY, GORDON,
WE AREN'T RUNNING A RACE!"
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169. "WE ARE THEN,"
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170. SAID GORDON,
BUT HE SAID IT TO HIMSELF.
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171. SUDDENLY GORDON BEGAN
TO FEEL A LITTLE STRANGE.
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172. "THE TOP OF MY BOILER
SEEMS FUNNY,"
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173. HE THOUGHT.
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174. "IT FEELS AS IF
SOMETHING IS LOOSE.
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175. I'D BETTER GO SLOWER,"
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176. BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
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177. ON THE VIADUCT,
THEY MET THE WIND.
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178. IT WAS A TEASING WIND
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179. WHICH BLEW SUDDENLY
IN HARD PUFFS.
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180. GORDON THOUGHT IT WANTED
TO PUSH HIM OFF THE BRIDGE.
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181. "NO, YOU DON'T,"
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182. HE SAID FIRMLY.
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183. BUT THE WIND HAD OTHER IDEAS.
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184. IT CURLED AROUND HIS BOILER,
CREPT UNDER HIS LOOSE DOME
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185. AND LIFTED IT OFF
AND AWAY INTO THE VALLEY BELOW.
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186. GORDON WAS MOST UNCOMFORTABLE.
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187. THE COLD WIND WAS
WHISTLING THROUGH THE HOLE
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188. WHERE HIS DOME SHOULD BE
AND HE FELT SILLY WITHOUT IT.
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189. AT THE BIG STATION,
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190. THE FREIGHT CARS
LAUGHED AT HIM.
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191. GORDON TRIED TO "WHEESH"
THEM AWAY,
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192. BUT THEY CROWDED 'ROUND
NO MATTER WHAT HE DID.
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193. ON THE WAY BACK TO THE SHED,
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194. HE WANTED HIS DRIVER TO STOP
AND FETCH HIS DOME.
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195. "WE'LL NEVER FIND IT NOW,"
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196. SAID THE DRIVER.
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197. "YOU'LL HAVE TO GO
TO THE WORKS FOR A NEW ONE."
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198. GORDON WAS VERY CROSS.
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199. "I HOPE THE SHED
IS EMPTY TONIGHT,"
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200. HE HUFFED TO HIMSELF.
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201. BUT ALL THE ENGINES
WERE THERE WAITING.
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202. "'NEVER TRUST
DOMELESS ENGINES,'"
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203. SAID A VOICE
FROM SOMEWHERE BEHIND HIM.
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204. "'THEY AREN'T RESPECTABLE.'"
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