288 THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN 



the accident that had befallen my unfortunate 

 fellow-traveller; in imagination I could see his 

 mangled body rolling on the iron track, I could 

 picture the lifeless corpse being cut to pieces by 

 some passing train. My thoughts turned to 

 the widow, the orphan children, that perchance 

 he had left behind him in London, and I selfishly 

 prayed that it would not fall to my lot to break 

 the news to his family. Then, as I pulled myself 

 together and, thrusting aside such sordid reflec- 

 tions, looked wildly round for the communica- 

 tion cord, I realized that the brakes were being 

 appHed, and in another moment the train drew 

 up at Hitchin Station. 



* * * * 



Thinking the matter over afterwards in cold 

 blood I have sometimes wondered whether per- 

 haps I ought not to have taken some immediate 

 steps to report the accident to the railway 

 authorities. But I have always entertained a 

 morbid aversion from being mixed up in afiairs 

 of this kind ; the publicity of inquests is naturally 

 repellent to me. I felt, too, that perhaps in 

 some way or another I might have been held 

 responsible for an occurrence which I certainly 

 could never have prevented. At any rate — 

 whether I was to blame or not I do not know — 

 I held my tongue until it was too late to speak, 

 and it is only to-day that I have at last summoned 



