1. THOMAS AND PERCY
ARE GOOD FRIENDS,
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2. BUT SOMETIMES PERCY TEASES
THOMAS ABOUT BEING FRIGHTENED,
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3. AND HE DOESN'T LIKE THAT
AT ALL.
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4. ONE EVENING
HE WAS DOZING HAPPILY,
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5. BUT PERCY WANTED TO TALK.
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6. "WAKE UP, THOMAS.
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7. ARE YOU DREAMING ABOUT THE TIME
YOU THOUGHT I WAS A GHOST?"
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8. "CERTAINLY NOT.
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9. "ANYWAY, I WAS ONLY PRETENDING
TO BE SCARED.
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10. I KNEW
IT WAS YOU REALLY."
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11. PERCY WENT ON TEASING HIM.
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12. "I HOPE THE GUARD LEAVES
THE LIGHT ON FOR YOU TONIGHT."
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13. "WHY?"
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14. ASKED THOMAS.
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15. "I QUITE LIKE THE DARK."
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16. "OH, REALLY!"
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17. EXCLAIMED PERCY.
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18. "I AM SURPRISED.
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19. "I ALWAYS THOUGHT
YOU WERE AFRAID OF THE DARK.
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20. I WONDER WHY?"
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21. THOMAS DECIDED TO SAY NOTHING
AND WENT TO SLEEP INSTEAD.
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22. NEXT DAY, SIR TOPHAM HATT
CAME TO SEE HIM.
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23. "I WOULD LIKE YOU TO GO
TO THE HARBOR TONIGHT.
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24. YOU HAVE TO COLLECT
SOMETHING RATHER UNUSUAL."
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25. "WHAT SORT OF 'SOMETHING?'"
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26. ASKED THOMAS.
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27. "WAIT AND SEE,"
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28. REPLIED SIR TOPHAM HATT.
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29. MEANWHILE,
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30. PERCY WAS MOVING FREIGHT CARS
INTO A SIDING.
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31. HENRY ARRIVED
WITH HIS GOODS TRAIN.
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32. THE SIGNALMAN
CHANGED THE SWITCHES
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33. AND PERCY WAITED ON THE SIDING
UNTIL HENRY HAD STEAMED BY.
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34. THEN, THERE WAS TROUBLE.
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35. "THE SWITCHES ARE JAMMED,"
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36. CALLED THE SIGNALMAN.
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37. "I CAN'T SWITCH THEM BACK
FOR PERCY.
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38. "THE WORKMEN WILL HAVE TO
MEND THEM IN THE MORNING.
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39. IT'S TOO LATE NOW."
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40. "HMM,"
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41. SAID PERCY'S DRIVER.
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42. "I'M SORRY, PERCY,
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43. BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO STAY HERE
FOR THE NIGHT."
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44. "WHERE ARE YOUGOING?"
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45. ASKED PERCY.
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46. "HOME FOR TEA,"
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47. REPLIED THE FIREMAN.
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48. PERCY WAS SPEECHLESS.
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49. HE WATCHED AS THE OTHER ENGINES
WENT HOME TO THE SHED.
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50. NIGHTTIME CAME
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51. AND PERCY BEGAN TO FEEL
VERY LONELY.
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52. "OH DEAR,"
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53. HE MURMURED.
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54. "IT'S VERY DARK."
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55. "OH-OHH!
WHAT'S THAT?"
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56. IT WAS ONLY AN OWL,
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57. BUT PERCY DIDN'T REALIZE THIS.
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58. "OH, I WISH
THOMAS WERE HERE TOO,"
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59. HE SIGHED.
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60. THOMAS WAS WAITING
FOR HIS MYSTERIOUS LOAD
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61. AT THE HARBOR.
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62. SUDDENLY, THERE IT WAS!
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63. "CINDERS AND ASHES!"
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64. CRIED THOMAS.
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65. "IT'S A DRAGON!"
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66. "DON'T WORRY,"
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67. LAUGHED HIS DRIVER.
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68. "THIS DRAGON
IS MADE OF PAPER.
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69. IT'S FOR THE CARNIVAL
TOMORROW."
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70. WORKMEN LIFTED THE DRAGON
ONTO THOMAS' LOW LOADER
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71. AND PUT LIGHTS ALL AROUND IT
FOR PROTECTION.
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72. THEN THOMAS SET OFF
INTO THE MISTY NIGHT.
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73. PERCY WAS ASLEEP
ON HIS SIDING
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74. AND HAD NO IDEA THAT
THOMAS WAS APPROACHING HIM.
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75. PERCY WOKE UP
WITH A START.
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76. "HELP!"
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77. CRIED PERCY.
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78. "I'M NOT GOING TO OPEN MY EYES
UNTIL MY DRIVER COMES!"
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79. NEXT MORNING
THE SWITCHES WERE MENDED
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80. AND PERCY PUFFED
BACK TO THE JUNCTION.
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81. GORDON WAS JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE
WITH THE EXPRESS.
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82. "YOU'LL NEVER GUESS
WHAT I SAW LAST NIGHT."
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83. GORDON WAS IN NO MOOD
FOR PUZZLES.
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84. "I'M A BUSY ENGINE.
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85. I DON'T HAVE TIME
FOR YOUR GAMES."
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86. "I'VE SEEN A HUGE DRAGON.
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87. IT WAS COVERED IN LIGHTS."
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88. GORDON SNORTED.
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89. "YOU'VE BEEN IN THE SUN
TOO LONG.
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90. YOUR DOME HAS CRACKED."
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91. WHEN THE OTHER ENGINES
HEARD THE NEWS,
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92. THEY LAUGHED TOO.
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93. "LOOK OUT,
PERCY,"
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94. CHUCKLED JAMES,
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95. "OR THE DRAGON
MAY GOBBLE YOU UP!"
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96. "NO ONE BELIEVES ME,"
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97. HUFFED PERCY.
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98. "MAYBE I DID IMAGINE
THE DRAGON AFTER ALL."
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99. BUT PERCY SOON FOUND OUT
THAT HE HADN'T.
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100. "HELP! SAVE ME!"
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101. CRIED PERCY.
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102. "IT'S ALL RIGHT,"
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103. WHISTLED THOMAS,
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104. AND HE EXPLAINED
ABOUT THE CARNIVAL.
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105. "BY THE WAY,
HOW WAS YOUR NIGHT OUT?"
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106. PERCY DECIDED
TO TELL THOMAS THE TRUTH.
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107. "WELL, PERCY,"
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108. SAID THOMAS.
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109. "MAYBE WE DO GET SCARED
SOMETIMES,
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110. "BUT IF WE'RE NOT AFRAID
TO TELL EACH OTHER,
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111. THEN THAT MEANS
WE'RE QUITE BRAVE TOO!"
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112. DUCK AND PERCY
ENJOY THEIR WORK AT THE HARBOR,
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113. PULLING AND PUSHING
CARS FULL OF CARGO
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114. TO AND FROM THE QUAY.
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115. BUT ONE MORNING
THE ENGINES WERE EXHAUSTED.
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116. THE HARBOR WAS
BUSIER THAN EVER.
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117. SIR TOPHAM HATT PROMISED
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118. THAT ANOTHER ENGINE
WOULD BE FOUND TO HELP THEM.
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119. "HUH!
IT'S ABOUT TIME,"
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120. SAID PERCY.
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121. "I ACHE SO MUCH I CAN HARDLY
GET MY WHEELS TO MOVE,"
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122. AGREED DUCK.
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123. THEY WAITED
FOR THE ENGINE TO ARRIVE.
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124. IT CAME AS A SHOCK
WHEN HE DID.
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125. "GOOD MORNING,"
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126. SQUIRMED DIESEL
IN HIS OILY VOICE.
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127. THE TWO ENGINES
HAD NOT WORKED WITH DIESEL
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128. FOR A LONG TIME.
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129. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
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130. GASPED DUCK.
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131. "YOUR WORTHY TOP—
UH, SIR TOPHAM HATT SENT ME.
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132. "I HOPE YOU ARE PLEASED
TO SEE ME AGAIN.
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133. I AM TO SHUNT SOME
DREADFULLY TIRESOME CARS."
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134. "SHUNT WHERE?"
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135. SAID PERCY SUSPICIOUSLY.
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136. "WHERE?
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137. WHY FROM HERE TO THERE,"
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138. PURRED DIESEL,
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139. "AND THEN AGAIN
FROM THERE TO HERE.
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140. EASY,
ISN'T IT?"
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141. WITH THAT, DIESEL,
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142. AS IF TO MAKE HIMSELF
QUITE CLEAR,
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143. BUMPED SOME CARS HARD.
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144. "OOOOH!"
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145. SCREAMED THE CARS.
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146. "GRRRRRH,"
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147. GROWLED DIESEL.
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148. PERCY AND DUCK
WERE HORRIFIED.
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149. THEY DID NOT TRUST
DIESEL AT ALL.
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150. THEY REFUSED TO WORK
AND WOULD NOT LEAVE THEIR SHED.
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151. SIR TOPHAM HATT WAS ENJOYING
HIS TEA AND ICED BUN
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152. WHEN THE TELEPHONE RANG.
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153. "SO THERE'S TROUBLE
IN THE HARBOR YARD?
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154. I'LL BE THERE
RIGHT AWAY!"
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155. DIESEL WAS WORKING
LOUDLY AND ALONE.
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156. CARGO LAY ON THE QUAY.
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157. SHIPS AND PASSENGERS
WERE DELAYED.
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158. EVERYONE WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT
SIR TOPHAM HATT'S RAILWAY.
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159. PERCY AND DUCK WERE SULKING
IN THEIR SHED.
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160. "WHAT'S ALL THIS?"
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161. DEMANDED SIR TOPHAM HATT.
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162. "WE'RE ON STRIKE, SIR,"
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163. SAID PERCY NERVOUSLY.
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164. "YES,"
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165. ADDED DUCK.
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166. "BEG PARDON, SIR, BUT WE
WON'T WORK WITH DIESEL, SIR.
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167. YOU SAID
YOU SENT HIM PACKING, SIR."
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168. "I HAVE TO GIVE DIESEL
A SECOND CHANCE."
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169. REPLIED SIR TOPHAM HATT.
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170. "I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU
BY BRINGING DIESEL HERE.
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171. "NOW YOU MUST HELP ME.
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172. HE WAS
THE ONLY ENGINE AVAILABLE."
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173. PERCY AND DUCK
WENT SADLY BACK TO WORK.
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174. NEXT MORNING,
THINGS WERE NO BETTER.
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175. DIESEL'S DRIVER HAD NOT
PUT HIS BRAKES ON PROPERLY
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176. AND DIESEL STARTED TO MOVE.
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177. HE WENT "BUMP"
STRAIGHT INTO PERCY!
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178. "WAKE UP THERE, PERCY,"
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179. SCOWLED DIESEL,
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180. "YOU HAVE WORK TO DO."
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181. HE DIDN'T EVEN
SAY HE WAS SORRY TO PERCY.
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182. LATER, DIESEL BUMPED
THE CARS SO HARD
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183. THAT THE LOADS
WENT EVERYWHERE.
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184. "WHAT WILL
SIR TOPHAM HATT SAY?"
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185. GASPED PERCY.
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186. "HE WON'T LIKE IT,"
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187. SAID DUCK.
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188. "SO, WHO'S GOING TO
TELL HIM I WONDER?
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189. TWO GOODY-GOODY TATTLETALES
LIKE YOU I SUPPOSE."
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190. PERCY AND DUCK DID NOT
WANT TO BE "TATTLETALES,"
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191. SO THEY SAID NOTHING.
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192. DIESEL, THINKING HE COULD
GET AWAY WITH HIS BAD BEHAVIOR
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193. WAS RUDER THAN EVER.
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194. NEXT DAY,
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195. HE WAS SHUNTING FREIGHT CARS
FULL OF CHINA CLAY.
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196. HE BANGED THE CARS HARD
INTO THE BUFFERS
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197. BUT THE BUFFERS
WEREN'T SECURE.
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198. THE SILLY CARS
WERE SUNK.
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199. SIR TOPHAM HATT
HEARD THE NEWS.
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200. THE CARS WERE HOISTED SAFELY
FROM THE SEA
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201. BUT THE CLAY WAS LOST.
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202. SIR TOPHAM HATT
SPOKE SEVERELY TO DIESEL.
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203. "THE HARBORMASTER
HAS TOLD ME EVERYTHING.
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204. "THINGS WORKED MUCH BETTER HERE
BEFORE YOU ARRIVED.
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205. "I SHALL NOT
BE INVITING YOU BACK.
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206. "NOW, DUCK AND PERCY,
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207. "I HOPE YOU WON'T MIND
HAVING TO HANDLE THE WORK
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208. BY YOURSELVES AGAIN."
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209. "OH, NO SIR."
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210. "YES, PLEASE, SIR,"
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211. REPLIED THE ENGINES.
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212. WHISTLING CHEERFULLY
THEY PUFFED BACK TO WORK
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213. WHILE DIESEL
SULKED SLOWLY AWAY.
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