Excuse me, madam, but you've the
track .... She's stuck on a dead-centre again - bein' specially
designed not to."
The Compound crawled across the tracks on a long slant, groaning
horribly at each switch, and moving like a cow in a snow-drift.
There was a little pause along the yard after her tail-lights had
disappeared; switches locked crisply, and every one seemed to be
waiting.
"Now I'll show you something worth," said Poney. "When the Purple
Emperor ain't on time, it's about time to amend the Constitution.
The first stroke of twelve is - "
"Boom!" went the clock in the big yard-tower, and far away .007 heard
a full, vibrating " Yah! Yah! Yah!" A headlight twinkled on the
horizon like a star, grew an overpowering blaze, and whooped up the
humming track to the roaring music of a happy giant's song:
"With a michnai - ghignai - shtingal! Yah! Yah! Yah!
Ein - zwei - drei - Mutter! Yah! Yah! Yah!
She climb upon der shteeple,
Und she frighten all der people.
Singin' michnai - ghignai - shtingal! Yah! Yah!"
The last defiant "yah! yah!" was delivered a mile and a half beyond
the passenger-depot; but .
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