The Adventures of a Three-Guinea Watch | Page 7

the middle of an island.
CHAPTER THREE.
HOW MY MASTER AND I REACH RANDLEBURY IN STATE, AND OF A GREAT CALAMITY.
My master and I had nearly an hour to wait on the platform at Gunborough before the Randlebury train came up. Part of this interval Charlie, for fear he might forget to do it at night, devoted to winding me up; an experiment which nearly closed my career for ever, for he first began to turn the key the wrong way; then, when he had discovered his mistake, he started in the other direction with a sudden dash, and finally overwound me to such an extent that I expected every second to hear my heart break with the strain.
Then he sat on his boxes, whistling to himself and drumming his heels on the platform. The train came up at last, and in he jumped, finding himself and a grave elderly gentleman in joint possession of the carriage.
Charlie was too busy staring out of the window, whistling, and brushing the dust off his new hat, to take much notice of his companion until the train was fairly started; then, observing the gentleman look at his watch, the boy at once recognised a bond of sympathy and pulled out me.
"I wonder if I'm the same as you?" he said eagerly.
"I hope you are not," said the gentleman, "for I'm a quarter of an hour fast."
"Are you though?" said the boy, in astonishment.
"Why don't you put it right? I would."
"It's a bad thing to put a watch back, my boy; besides, I rather like keeping mine a little fast."
"Do you? I say, do you think my watch is a good one?" said Charlie, thrusting me into the hands of his astonished travelling companion.
"I can't say, my boy. I know nothing about watches. It looks a nice one."
"Yes, father gave it me. I say, are you going to Randlebury?"
"Yes."
"Do you know the school? I'm going there."
"Oh, yes; I know the school. And you are going there, are you?" inquired the gentleman, with interest.
"Yes, I'm a new boy, you know."
"And how do you like going to school?"
"Oh, all right; only I don't know what it'll be like. Eat I say, I don't suppose there's many of the boys my age have got watches, do you?"
The gentleman laughed. "I dare say not," he said. Charlie was silent for a time, and then asked,--
"I say, what sort of fellow's the head master; do you know?"
"I've seen him now and then," said the gentleman.
"Is he awfully stuck-up and strict?" asked the boy anxiously.
"I really don't know," said the gentleman, biting his lips; "I hope not."
"So do I. I wish my father was the head master," said Charlie, the tears for a moment starting to his eyes at the bare thought of such happiness.
The gentleman looked at him very kindly, and said,--
"Cheer up, my little man; perhaps it won't be so bad after all."
Charlie smiled again as he said,--
"Oh, yes, I've got to be brave, you know, because I promised father. But I say, if you ever come to the school, ask for me--my name's Charlie Newcome--will you? because I don't know any of the fellows; and besides," added he, brightening at the idea, "we can see if our watches are going the same, you know."
The gentleman promised, and soon after this the train arrived at Randlebury. The boy bid his companion farewell, and went off as before to look after his belongings.
As he was standing surrounded by his baggage, a man in the dress of a coachman came up to him and said,--
"Are you the young party from London for the school?"
"Yes," replied the boy.
"It's all right," said the man; "give us hold of these things, and jump inside my trap."
"How far is it?" he asked of the man.
"Better of three miles."
"Is it, though? I say, can't you put the things inside, and then I can ride on the box?"
"All square," said the man; "hop up, my young bantam."
The young bantam did hop up, and they were soon on their way to the school.
I need hardly say it was not long before Charlie and the driver were on confidential terms. The boy duly produced first me and then his six- bladed knife to the admiring eyes of his new companion, insisting on his taking both into his hands, and demanding his candid opinion on their merits.
Presently a wholly new idea seemed to strike him.
"I say, driver, what's your name?"
"Jim, if you want to know," replied that public servant.
"Well, Jim, I wish you'd just get inside and look after the luggage, and let me drive; will you?"
The man opened his eyes and his mouth at the proposition, and then bursting out laughing.
"Hark at him!" he exclaimed; "did you ever hear the like? Me get inside and let a young shaver like