1. DUCK THE GREAT WESTERN ENGINE
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2. WORKED HARD IN THE YARD
AT THE BIG STATION.
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3. SOMETIMES HE PULLED COACHES,
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4. SOMETIMES HE PUSHED
FREIGHT CARS,
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5. BUT WHATEVER THE WORK,
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6. DUCK GOT THE JOB DONE
WITHOUT FUSS.
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7. ONE DAY DUCK WAS RESTING
IN THE SHED
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8. WHEN SIR TOPHAM HATT ARRIVED.
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9. "YOUR WORK IN THE YARD
HAS BEEN GOOD.
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10. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE
A BRANCH LINE FOR YOUR OWN?"
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11. "YES, PLEASE, SIR"
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12. REPLIED DUCK.
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13. SO DUCK TOOK CHARGE
OF HIS NEW BRANCH LINE.
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14. THE RESPONSIBILITY
DELIGHTED HIM.
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15. THE LINE RUNS ALONG THE COAST
BY SANDY BEACHES
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16. TILL IT MEETS A PORT
WHERE BIG SHIPS COME IN.
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17. DUCK ENJOYED EXPLORING
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18. EVERY CURVE
AND CORNER OF THE LINE.
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19. SEA BREEZES SWIRLED HIS SMOKE
HIGH INTO THE AIR
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20. AND HIS GREEN PAINT GLISTENED
IN THE SUNLIGHT.
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21. "THIS IS JUST LIKE
BEING ON HOLIDAY,"
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22. HE PUFFED.
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23. "WELL, YOU KNOW
WHAT THEY SAY,"
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24. LAUGHED HIS DRIVER.
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25. "A CHANGE IS
AS GOOD AS A REST."
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26. SOON DUCK WAS
BUSIER THAN EVER.
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27. SIR TOPHAM HATT WAS BUILDING
A NEW STATION AT THE PORT.
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28. DUCK PULLED
THE HEAVY FREIGHT CARS
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29. WHEREVER THEY WERE NEEDED.
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30. BERTIE LOOKED AFTER
DUCK'S PASSENGERS
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31. AND THE OTHER ENGINES
HELPED, TOO,
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32. BUT THE WORK
TOOK A LONG TIME.
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33. NOISE AND DUST
FILLED THE AIR.
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34. "DON'T WORRY,"
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35. WHISTLED TOBY.
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36. "THE STATION'S
NEARLY FINISHED."
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37. "AND ON TIME TOO,"
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38. SAID DUCK THANKFULLY.
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39. DUCK FELT
HIS RESPONSIBILITY DEEPLY
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40. AND TALKED ENDLESSLY
ABOUT IT.
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41. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND,
DONALD,
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42. HOW MUCH SIR TOPHAM HATT
RELIES ON ME."
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43. "OCH, AYE,"
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44. MUTTERED DONALD SLEEPILY,
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45. "I'M GREAT WESTERN
AND I—"
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46. "QUACK-QUACK-QUACK."
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47. "WHAT?"
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48. "YE HEARD...
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49. "QUACK-QUACK YE GO.
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50. "SOUNDS LIKE
YE'D AN EGG LAID.
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51. NOW WHEESHT
AND LET AN ENGINE SLEEP."
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52. "QUACK YOURSELF,"
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53. SAID DUCK INDIGNANTLY.
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54. LATER HE SPOKE TO HIS DRIVER.
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55. "DONALD SAYS I QUACK
AS IF I'D LAID AN EGG."
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56. "QUACK, DO YOU?"
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57. PONDERED HIS FIREMAN.
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58. HE WHISPERED SOMETHING
TO DUCK AND HIS DRIVER.
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59. THEY WERE GOING TO
PLAY A JOKE ON DONALD
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60. AND PAY HIM BACK
FOR TEASING DUCK.
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61. THE ENGINES WERE BUSY
FOR THE REST OF THE DAY
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62. AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID...
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63. NOT EVEN A QUACK.
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64. BUT, WHEN AT LAST
DONALD WAS ASLEEP,
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65. DUCK'S DRIVER AND FIREMAN
POPPED SOMETHING
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66. INTO HIS WATER TANK.
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67. NEXT MORNING,
WHEN DONALD STOPPED FOR WATER,
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68. HE FOUND THAT HE HAD
AN UNEXPECTED PASSENGER ABOARD.
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69. A SMALL WHITE DUCKLING POPPED
OUT OF HIS WATER TANK.
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70. "NA DOOT
WHO'S BEHIND THIS,"
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71. LAUGHED DONALD.
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72. THE DUCKLING WAS TAME.
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73. SHE SHARED
THE FIREMAN'S SANDWICHES,
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74. AND RODE IN THE TENDER.
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75. THE OTHER ENGINES ENJOYED
TEASING DONALD ABOUT HER.
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76. PRESENTLY
SHE GREW TIRED OF TRAVELING
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77. AND HOPPED OFF AT A STATION,
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78. AND THERE SHE STAYED.
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79. THAT NIGHT,
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80. DONALD'S DRIVER AND FIREMAN
GOT BUSY,
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81. AND IN THE MORNING
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82. WHEN DUCK'S CREW ARRIVED
TO LOOK HIM OVER,
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83. THEY LAUGHED AND LAUGHED.
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84. "LOOK, DUCK.
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85. "LOOK WHAT'S UNDER
YOUR BUNKER...
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86. IT'S A NEST BOX
WITH AN EGG IN IT."
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87. DONALD OPENED A SLEEPY EYE.
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88. "WELL, WELL, WELL,
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89. "YE MUST HAVE LAID IT
IN THE NIGHT, DUCK,
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90. ALL UNBEKNOWNST."
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91. THEN DUCK LAUGHED TOO.
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92. "YOU WIN, DONALD.
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93. IT'D TAKE A CLEVER ENGINE
TO GET THE BETTER OF YOU!"
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94. THERE'S A POND
NEAR THE DUCKLING'S STATION.
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95. HERE SHE OFTEN SWIMS
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96. AND WELCOMES THE TRAINS
AS THEY PASS BY.
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97. THE STATIONMASTER
CALLS HER DILLY,
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98. TO EVERYONE ELSE
SHE IS ALWAYS DONALD'S DUCK.
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99. EVERY AFTERNOON
THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE
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100. PUFFS ALONG HIS BRANCH LINE
WITH ANNIE AND CLARABEL.
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101. FIRST, THEY PASS
THE WATERMILL.
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102. NEXT, THEY COME
TO A BIG FARM.
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103. THEN, THEY CAN SEE
A BRIDGE
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104. WITH A VILLAGE NESTLED
EITHER SIDE OF IT.
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105. THIS IS A SPECIAL PLACE.
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106. WHENEVER CHILDREN HEAR
THOMAS COMING ALONG,
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107. THEY STAND ON THE BRIDGE WAVING
UNTIL HE IS OUT OF SIGHT.
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108. ONE DAY
THOMAS WAS RUNNING LATE.
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109. HE HAD STOPPED AT THE SIGNAL
BEFORE THE BRIDGE
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110. TO TALK TO
SOME NEW CHILDREN.
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111. PERCY THE GREEN ENGINE
WAS WAITING TOO.
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112. "HURRY UP, THOMAS,"
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113. CALLED PERCY
WHEN THE SIGNAL DROPPED.
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114. "IF YOU'RE LATE,
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115. "SIR TOPHAM HATT
MAY GET A NEW ENGINE
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116. TO REPLACE YOU."
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117. "HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT,"
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118. THOUGHT THOMAS...
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119. BUT HE WAS WORRIED.
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120. NEXT DAY, THOMAS HURRIED
ALONG THE LINE.
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121. JUST AHEAD
WAS THE GOODS YARD.
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122. THERE, ON THE PLATFORM WAS
AN INSPECTOR WAVING A RED FLAG.
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123. NEXT THOMAS SAW SOME CHILDREN;
THEY WERE WAVING TOO.
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124. "SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG,"
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125. THOUGHT THOMAS.
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126. "THIS STATION IS FOR GOODS
NOT PASSENGERS,"
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127. "HELP, THOMAS, HELP.
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128. WE'RE GLAD TO SEE YOU,"
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129. CALLED THE CHILDREN.
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130. "PLEASE,
WILL YOU TAKE US HOME?"
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131. THE STATIONMASTER EXPLAINED
TO THOMAS' DRIVER
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132. THAT THE SCHOOL BUS
HAD BROKEN DOWN
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133. AND THAT ALL THE PARENTS
WOULD BE WORRIED
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134. IF THE CHILDREN
WERE LATE.
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135. THOMAS WAITED AS THE CHILDREN
WALKED DOWN FROM THE BRIDGE.
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136. THEN HE TOOK THE CHILDREN
TO THE NEXT STATION
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137. WHERE BERTIE WAS WAITING
TO TAKE THEM HOME.
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138. WHEN THOMAS FINISHED
HIS JOURNEY HE WAS VERY LATE.
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139. HE WAS WORRIED
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140. THAT SIR TOPHAM HATT
MIGHT BE CROSS WITH HIM.
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141. "I WARNED THOMAS"
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142. PUFFED PERCY TO JAMES.
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143. "HE'S BEEN LATE
ONE TIME TOO MANY.
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144. HE'LL BE IN TROUBLE NOW."
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145. BUT NEXT MORNING
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146. WHEN THOMAS PICKED UP
HIS PASSENGERS
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147. SIR TOPHAM HATT
WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.
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148. "THANK GOODNESS,"
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149. SIGHED THOMAS.
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150. THOMAS KNOWS
EVERY PART OF HIS BRANCH LINE.
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151. JUST AHEAD WAS A STRETCH
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152. WHERE THE HOT SUN HAD BENT
THE RAILS ON THE TRACK.
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153. "CAREFUL, THOMAS,"
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154. CALLED HIS DRIVER.
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155. BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
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156. "THAT'S DONE IT,"
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157. SAID HIS DRIVER.
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158. "WE SHAN'T GET
ANY FURTHER TODAY."
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159. "BUT WHAT ABOUT
MY PASSENGERS?"
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160. ASKED THOMAS.
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161. "DON'T WORRY.
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162. THEY'LL BE LOOKED AFTER,"
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163. REPLIED HIS DRIVER.
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164. WHILE WORKMEN
REPAIRED THE LINE,
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165. THOMAS HAD TO SHUNT
FREIGHT CARS IN THE YARD.
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166. BERTIE CAME TO SEE HIM.
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167. "I UNDERSTAND
YOU NEED MY HELP AGAIN."
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168. "YES, BERTIE,"
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169. REPLIED THOMAS SADLY.
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170. "I CAN'T RUN
WITHOUT MY RAILS."
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171. BERTIE SET OFF
TO COLLECT THOMAS' PASSENGERS.
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172. "HELLO, BERTIE,"
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173. THEY SAID.
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174. "WE'RE GLAD
YOU ARE HERE."
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175. BERTIE DROVE ALONG THE ROAD
THAT RUNS BY THE RAILWAY.
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176. HE STOPPED
AT EACH STATION ALONG THE LINE.
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177. SOMETIMES HE STOPPED
BETWEEN STATIONS
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178. TO LET PEOPLE OFF
CLOSER TO THEIR HOMES.
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179. THOMAS FELT MISERABLE.
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180. "I'VE LOST MY PASSENGERS
TO BERTIE.
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181. THEY'LL LIKE HIM
BETTER THAN ME."
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182. SIR TOPHAM HATT ARRIVED.
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183. "YOUR BRANCH LINE
IS REPAIRED.
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184. "I'M GOING TO CHANGE
YOUR TIMETABLE
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185. SO THAT YOU AND BERTIE
CAN WORK TOGETHER MORE."
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186. WHEN THOMAS
REACHED THE STATION
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187. THERE, TO HIS RELIEF,
WERE ALL HIS PASSENGERS.
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188. "BERTIE IS
A VERY GOOD BUS,
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189. BUT WE MISSED
OUR TRAIN RIDES WITH YOU"
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190. THEY SAID.
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191. LATER, THOMAS SPOKE TO BERTIE.
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192. "THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AFTER
MY PASSENGERS."
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193. "THAT'S ALL RIGHT, THOMAS,
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194. "I LIKE TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS
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195. BUT I'M GLAD
TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU."
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196. "YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND
INDEED,"
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197. REPLIED THOMAS.
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198. "AND ALWAYS WILL BE."
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