‘You’re going to travel with the guard, little fellow,’ she cooed, ferreting in her pocket for the remains of a cheese sandwich which she had decided to save for later. ‘Are you hungry? You can have my sandwich, little man, and I’ll just run along the train and tell my brother and Miss Trent that I shall go the rest of the way with you. I’d love a dog of my own, so perhaps, when I’m given some money for being good, I could buy a puppy.’ The puppy, which had wolfed the cheese sandwich, wagged its plumy tail and cocked its head to one side. The guard, who had been watching indulgently, pointed out the puppy’s empty water bowl, and an equally empty bottle, inside the crate. ‘I’ll fill it,’ Mo said eagerly, extracting the bottle through the slats of the crate. ‘And I’ll tell my auntie that I’m going to travel in the guard’s van from now on to keep my new friend company. Is that all right?’

The guard grinned. He was a short, thick-set man with one yellowing tooth and twinkling little eyes. ‘You make sure your auntie agrees before you come back, cariad,’ he said. ‘You’d best hurry; we’re well behind schedule already and likely to be too late for folk wanting to catch a connection.’

But Mo was already out of hearing, tearing along the platform intent upon reaching the carriage in which she knew Jimmy and Glenys awaited her. Jimmy beckoned her from the window, and she ran over to him. ‘There’s a puppy in the guard’s van what needs water and a friend,’ she gabbled. ‘I’s fetchin’ him a drink, then I’ll stay in the guard’s van till we leave the train. Only you’ll have to fetch me out of the guard’s van, or I shan’t know when to get off.’

‘Right you are,’ Jimmy said, and went back into the compartment to tell Glenys as Mo hurried off to fill the puppy’s bottle at the outside tap. It was only half full when the train gave a warning whistle. Mo cursed softly beneath her breath, turned off the tap, rammed the cork back into the bottle and straightened up. Fortunately the guard’s van was always at the tail of the train and she was sure the friendly guard would make certain that she got in. She started to trot towards it as the train began to creep slowly out of the station, and then her heart went cold, for a tall, heavily built man was walking along the platform peering in at every window as it passed him. Mo realised with a stab of fear that he would be bound to see her if she carried on. For the first time, she looked around her. She had been so intent on the puppy that she had scarcely noticed that the station was in thickly wooded country, ideal for hiding in. She contemplated dashing across the platform full tilt and leaping aboard the guard’s van before the man could react, then dismissed the idea, for the simple reason that the guard had just slid the long door closed. Mo stared, almost unable to believe her eyes, but then remembered that she had promised to get her aunt’s permission before journeying with the puppy. She had done so – well, Jimmy’s anyway – but the guard was not to know that. He was simply doing his duty, and Jimmy, of course, would assume she was safely in the van.