The Narrow Gauge saga

Duncan gets spooked

It was a busy day on the narrow gauge railway. A storm hit last night, and the engines were busy clearing tree parts off the line. Peter Sam and Rusty often worked together. After they had cleared part of the track, Rusty pushed Peter Sam to the Water tower. 

"Haaaaah. A good ol' drink. Just what I need." Peter Sam felt better, but the freight cars were bored. 

"Let's break away." Their loads were heavy and their couplings were old. One snapped. "WHEEEEEEEEEE!!!" screamed the trucks.

 "Oh no!" yelped Peter Sam. 

"Faster! Faster!" screamed the freight cars. 

Up ahead, a sign read "Slow! Steep bends and ravine ahead."

 "Hey! can you read that?" "Nope." Then, it was too late. "WAAAAAAAAAH!!!! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" wailed the freight cars.

 Peter Sam arrived at the scene of the disaster. "Of all the places for them to crash--" 

"This was our fault," sighed his driver, "we didn't secure them properly. We have to get help to pull them out. Sir Topham Hatt will be very annoyed." And he was. 

"You will work in the yards until I can trust you again."

 Duncan liked Peter Sam getting punished. "Fancy not securing your freight cars on a hill," he bragged, "they'll come back to spook you and your special funnel. WOOOOOOOOO!!"

 "Oh yeah?" snapped Rusty "then who's to say you're not afraid of ghosts?"

 "Wha, me? Afraid of ghosts?" retorted Duncan, "Things that make noise in the night? Rubbish!" 

"Well I'll tell you a story that will make your funnel quiver," said Rusty, "A long time ago, a little engine was coming home from the quarry. Suddenly, he lost control of his wheels and fell over the side into the swamp below. He was never found again. But many a workman will tell you that during the full moon, they have seen the little engine trying to get home, but he never reaches the other side. So wuddaya think of that, Duncan?"

 "Rubbish!" replied Duncan, "That was as frightening as a sack of potatoes." And he puffed away.

 "Never mind, Peter Sam," said Rusty, "He'd be frightened if he really saw a ghost." 

"Uh, Rusty?" moaned Peter Sam, "that was a good story, but I'm still suffering, here."

 "From your punishment or Duncan's teasing?"

 "Both," complained Peter Sam.

 Suddenly, his driver had an idea. "Let's play a trick on Duncan." The next day, he spoke to Duncan's crew, who heartily agreed. "We'll do it tonight."

 Duncan had to take coal cars to the slate mines and bring the empty ones back. Duncan's driver had decided that crossing the old iron bridge would be part of their plan. "Haunted bridge. Rubbish!" snorted Duncan, "It's as tame as a pet rabbit." But he started to think of Rusty's story. When dusk fell, he wanted to leave. "If we don't go now, Skarloey will take my favorite place in the sheds."

 "Don't be impatient Duncan," reminded his driver, "we have to collect our cars, first." The crew could see that their plan was working because Duncan was nervous. When night fell, they set off. The moon was full, and the mists were rising around the old iron bridge. Duncan whistled, and the sound echoed everywhere as he moved cautiously onto the bridge.

 "Allright," he whimpered, "Let's cross this dingy and get it over with." Suddenly, he saw flickering lights ahead. "Huh?" he gasped, "what's that?" His crew new they were only fireflies that form different shapes every week, but to Duncan, they looked like "Sir Handel? Is that you?"

 Next his driver secretly threw a rock from the cab into the ravine below. Duncan screamed! "It's the ghoooost! Gemme outa here!! I WANT ME BLANKYYYYY!!!!" When they reached the safety of the shed, he closed his eyes tightly. 

"Oh dear me, spooked are ya, Duncan?" asked the Driver.

 "No. I'm asleep." and Duncan refused to open his eyes. He did though, when he thought they weren't looking. Just to see if they were still there. 

The next day, Peter Sam was put on probation. After he heard about what happened last night, he felt as cheerful as a songbird. 

"Hello, PS," said Skarloey, "what's with the grin?"

 "Duncan got pranked!" laughed Peter Sam.

 Sir Handel came in with a train. "What's all the hubub?" he groused. Peter Sam couldn't contain himself. "Rusty told a story to Duncan about a little engine who fell over a bridge and whose ghost crosses it every full moon, and Duncan's crew played a trick on him."

Skarloey started laughing, but Sir Handel looked stoic. "That wasn't a ghost, that was me."

 Peter Sam and Skarloey gawked their jaws. "What?"

 "A long time ago," said Sir Handel, "I was crossing the old iron bridge. I didn't notice the rails had been eaten away until it was too late. Luckily, I landed on a big rock elevation. But my firebox was soaked. Duke pulled me out, and I went to work for him. You know the rest." 

Skarloey and Peter Sam made extreme faces. They didn't know what to feel.

 "Well, I must go," said Sir Handel, "Percy is coming to pick up my passengers." and he chugged away.

 Skarloey and Peter Sam looked at each other. "Should we tell Rusty?" the former asked. Peter Sam remained silent.