1. STEPNEY'S VISIT
TO SIR TOPHAM HATT'S RAILWAY
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2. WAS COMING TO AN END.
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3. "WE SHALL MISS YOU,"
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4. SAID SIR TOPHAM HATT.
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5. THEN HE TURNED HIS ATTENTION
TO ALL THE OTHER ENGINES.
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6. "MY RAILWAY IS VERY BUSY
AND I AM PLEASED WITH YOU
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7. "BUT YOU NEED HELP.
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8. "A DIESEL IS ALL
THAT'S AVAILABLE.
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9. PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO AVOID
ANY—AHEM—DISTURBANCES."
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10. "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"
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11. WHISPERED DUCK.
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12. "THAT MEANS
THIS DIESEL IS DIFFICULT,"
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13. SNAPPED JAMES.
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14. AND HE WAS!
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15. THE DIESEL SURVEYED THE SHED.
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16. "NOT BAD.
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17. "I'VE SEEN WORSE.
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18. AT LEAST YOU'RE ALL CLEAN!"
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19. THE ENGINES GLARED.
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20. "IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT,
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21. "BUT SIR TOPHAM HATT
SHOULD SCRAP YOU
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22. "AND GET ENGINES LIKE ME.
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23. "A FILL OF OIL, A TOUCH ON
THE STARTER AND I'M OFF.
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24. "NO BOTHER, NO WAITING.
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25. "THEY HAVE TO FUSS ROUND YOU
FOR HOURS BEFORE YOU'RE READY."
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26. THE ENGINES WERE FURIOUS.
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27. NEXT MORNING THEY HELD
AN INDIGNATION MEETING
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28. ROUND THE TURNTABLE.
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29. "DISGRACEFUL!"
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30. "DISGUSTING!"
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31. "DESPICABLE!"
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32. "TO SAY SUCH THINGS TO US,"
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33. CRIED DONALD AND DOUGLAS.
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34. "IT'S TO TEACH HIM
A LESSON WE'D BE WANTING.
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35. NOW HOW DO WE DO IT?"
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36. THEIR CHANCE CAME
SOONER THAN EXPECTED.
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37. THE DIESEL WAS
PURRING COMFORTABLY.
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38. AN INSPECTOR WATCHED A FITTER
MAKING FINAL ADJUSTMENTS.
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39. THE WIND TUGGED
AT THE INSPECTOR'S HAT.
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40. THE DIESEL WAS READY.
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41. "LOOK AT ME,
DUCK AND STEPNEY.
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42. NOW I'LL SHOW YOU SOMETHING."
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43. HE ROLLED PROUDLY
TOWARDS HIS COACHES.
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44. THEN IT HAPPENED.
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45. SHAKING AND SPLUTTERING
THE DIESEL STOPPED.
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46. MEANWHILE THE INSPECTOR
WAS LOOKING FOR HIS HAT.
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47. THE DIESEL SEETHED WITH FURY
AS DUCK AND STEPNEY
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48. PUSHED HIM BACK TO THE SHED.
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49. "MY HAT!"
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50. EXCLAIMED THE INSPECTOR.
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51. "YOU'VE SUCKED IT
THROUGH YOUR AIR INTAKE!"
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52. "BOTHER YOUR HAT!
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53. "THE HEAVY TRAIN'S DUE OUT.
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54. "YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE IT,
DUCK.
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55. STEPNEY,
WILL YOU HELP PLEASE?"
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56. "THANK YOU, SIR,"
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57. CRIED STEPNEY.
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58. "I'D LIKE A GOOD LONG RUN
ON MY LAST DAY."
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59. THE ENGINES WERE SOON READY.
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60. "GORDON WILL TAKE OVER
FROM HALF WAY,
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61. "SO GET THE TRAIN TO THERE.
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62. GOOD LUCK."
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63. "DON'T WORRY,"
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64. SMILED STEPNEY.
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65. "WE'LL GET THERE
AND BE EARLY TOO."
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66. THE CAVALCADE MOVED
CAREFULLY OVER THE RAILS
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67. AND OUT TO THE OPEN LINE.
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68. "NOW FOR A SPRINT,"
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69. PUFFED STEPNEY.
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70. "I'M READY WHEN YOU ARE,"
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71. REPLIED DUCK.
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72. SOON THEY WERE WHIZZING
THROUGH EDWARD'S STATION.
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73. AND NEXT, THEY CHARGED
AT GORDON'S HILL BEYOND.
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74. THEY FELT THE DRAG
OF THE HEAVY COACHES HERE.
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75. IT WAS HARD WORK.
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76. AT LAST THEY WERE RUNNING
SMOOTHLY ALONG THE LINE
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77. TOWARD THE BIG STATION.
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78. "HELLO, YOU'RE EARLY."
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79. SAID GORDON.
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80. THAT'S ONE IN THE HEADLAMP
FOR OLD DIESEL."
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81. "JAMES SAYS HE'S SICK
AS BOILER SLUDGE
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82. AND SULKING IN THE SHED."
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83. "SERVES HIM RIGHT
FOR SAYING WE'RE OUT OF DATE,"
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84. AND GORDON CHORTLED AWAY.
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85. NEXT DAY, EVERYONE CAME
TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO STEPNEY.
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86. "COME BACK AND SEE US SOON,"
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87. WHISTLED THE ENGINES.
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88. "AND YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
ON MY BLUEBELL RAILWAY TOO,"
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89. REPLIED STEPNEY.
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90. THEN HE PUFFED AWAY.
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91. WHAT ABOUT DIESEL?
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92. HE'D SLIPPED OUT
WHILE NO ONE WAS LOOKING.
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93. BUT HE LEFT TWO THINGS BEHIND...
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94. A RATHER NASTY SMELL
AND A BATTERED BOWLER HAT!
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95. STEPNEY THE BLUEBELL ENGINE
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96. WAS BUSY TALKING
TO THE OTHER ENGINES.
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97. IT WAS HIS FIRST VISIT
TO THEIR RAILWAY
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98. AND HE WAS HAVING
A SPLENDID TIME.
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99. "YOU ARE VERY LUCKY ENGINES,"
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100. HE SAID.
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101. "YOUR LINE HAS GOT EVERYTHING.
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102. "IT'S LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU
A GOOD RUN
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103. "AND YOU HAVE PLENTY
OF PASSENGERS.
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104. "THEN YOU HAVE A QUARRY
AND A MINE
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105. "SO YOU NEED PLENTY OF CARS.
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106. "CARS ARE FUN.
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107. I MISSED THEM ON OUR LINE."
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108. PERCY WAS SURPRISED.
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109. ALL THE ENGINES THOUGHT
CARS WERE TROUBLE.
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110. "YOU'RE WELCOME
TO TAKE SOME OF MINE,"
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111. HE SAID,
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112. "BUT YOU'D BETTER
ASK DRIVER FIRST."
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113. THEIR DRIVERS AGREED
AND THE TWO ENGINES SET OFF.
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114. THOMAS AND TOBY
WERE SPEECHLESS.
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115. STEPNEY TOOK THE CARS
TO THE HARBOR.
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116. THEN HE PICKED UP A LOAD
OF EMPTY ONES AND STARTED BACK.
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117. AHEAD WAS A CRICKET FIELD.
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118. THE GAME HAD JUST BEGUN.
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119. STEPNEY AND HIS DRIVER
HAD TO WAIT AT A SIGNAL.
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120. "GOOD,"
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121. SAID HIS DRIVER.
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122. "WE CAN WATCH THE GAME!"
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123. THEN THERE WAS TROUBLE.
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124. THE BATSMAN HIT THE BALL.
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125. IT FLEW HIGH INTO THE SKY
TOWARDS STEPNEY'S TRAIN.
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126. "CLUNK" WENT THE SIGNAL.
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127. "THUMP" WENT THE BALL
INTO A CAR.
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128. BUT NEITHER DRIVER
NOR FIREMAN HEARD IT.
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129. "STOP!"
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130. YELLED THE PLAYERS.
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131. BUT STEPNEY DIDN'T HEAR THEM.
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132. "COME ALONG, COME ALONG,"
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133. HE PUFFED TO THE CARS.
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134. "OUR ONE AND ONLY BALL,"
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135. CRIED THE PLAYERS.
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136. "WAKE UP, CAROLINE,"
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137. THEY SAID TO THEIR OLD CAR.
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138. "THE CHASE IS ON!"
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139. CAROLINE COUGHED CROSSLY
AND ROLLED DOWN THE ROAD.
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140. STEPNEY WASN'T HURRYING.
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141. CAROLINE SOON CAME UP BEHIND.
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142. "TOOT, TOOT!"
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143. SHE WAILED.
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144. THE PLAYERS SHOUTED
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145. BUT STEPNEY WAS STILL
TOO FAR WAY
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146. FOR HIS DRIVER AND FIREMAN
TO SEE OR HEAR PROPERLY.
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147. THEY COMPLETELY MISUNDERSTOOD.
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148. "IF THOSE JOKERS WANT A RACE,"
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149. SAID THE DRIVER,
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150. "THEY CAN HAVE ONE.
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151. FASTER, STEPNEY, FASTER!"
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152. POOR CAROLINE
WASN'T HAPPY AT ALL.
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153. SHE RATTLED ALONG
AT TWICE HER USUAL SPEED.
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154. "I SHOULDN'T BE TREATED
LIKE THIS,"
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155. SHE GRUMBLED.
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156. "THIS PACE IS TOO HOT
FOR MY SYSTEM.
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157. IT'LL FUSE ALL MY CIRCUITS."
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158. SUDDENLY STEPNEY
WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN.
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159. "YAHOO!
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160. "THAT SILLY TRAIN
HAS RUN INTO A HOLE
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161. "SO I CAN'T CATCH IT.
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162. I CAN GO HOME NOW."
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163. BUT SHE COULDN'T.
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164. HER DRIVER POUNDED CAROLINE ON
UP THE STEEP HILL
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165. AND THEN DOWN THE OTHER SIDE
TOWARD THE STATION.
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166. STEPNEY WAS ALREADY THERE
WHEN CAROLINE CLUTTERED IN.
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167. "WE NEED OUR BALL BACK,"
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168. CRIED THE PLAYERS
AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING.
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169. THE BALL WAS NESTLED
UNDER SOME STRAW
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170. IN THE THIRD CAR FROM THE VAN.
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171. "WE'VE FOUND IT,"
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172. CRIED A PLAYER.
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173. "WE'RE SORRY,"
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174. SIGHED THE DRIVER.
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175. "OH, YOU COULDN'T HELP IT,"
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176. REPLIED THE PLAYER.
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177. "NOW WE MUST GET BACK
QUICKLY."
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178. "YOU'LL BE LUCKY,"
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179. SAID THE DRIVER.
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180. "CAROLINE LOOKS WORN OUT."
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181. AND SHE WAS.
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182. THE DRIVER SPOKE
TO THE STATIONMASTER
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183. AND THE SIGNALMAN
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184. AND THEY ALL AGREED ON A PLAN.
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185. SOON THEY HAD ROLLED CAROLINE
ONTO A FLAT CAR
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186. WITH A BRAKE VAN COUPLED BEHIND.
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187. THE PLAYERS CROWDED INSIDE
AND STEPNEY PULLED THE TRAIN
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188. BACK TO THE PLAYING FIELD.
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189. EVERYONE ENJOYED
WATCHING THE GAME.
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190. EVEN CAROLINE WAS PLEASED.
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191. SHE DOESN'T THINK
TRAINS SILLY NOW.
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192. "THEY HAVE THEIR USES.
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193. THEY CAN SAVE WEAR AND TEAR
ON A POOR CAR'S WHEELS!"
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