Calling All Narrow Gauge Engines!

Part 3: Searching the Hills

Skarloey was still working at the Blue Mountain Quarry. He and Rheneas were taking the last load of gravel up to the gravel crusher. But they were worried. 

"Duncan still hasn't come back, has he?" said Rheneas. 

"The Thin Controller has gone to find him at the Steamworks," said Skarloey. 

"I was keen to visit there and catch up with Victor," grumbled Luke. 

It was supposed to be his turn to visit the Steamworks for his repaint. And he was most fond of Victor, since their reunion some years ago. 

"I'll tell you what, Luke," said Skarloey, "why don't you go on ahead to the Steamworks? It may not be busy now, but you can always spend the night there and get your repaint done bright and early to save time tomorrow, what with Duncan's delay." 

"Good idea, Skarloey!" chuffed Luke. "I'll go right now!" 

Luke did so, as Rheneas and Skarloey finished the work. 

"I just hope Duncan hasn't gotten himself into trouble," said Skarloey. 

"If I know Duncan, he most certainly has," replied Rheneas. 

"And I also wonder why the Thin Controller was looking for Duke." 

"Well, have you actually seen him since he left for his repaint?" 

"No..." 

Just then, Mr Percival rang in on his bicycle. He looked very worried. 

"Duke, Duncan and Victor have all gone missing!" he cried. 

The engines were worried. 

"You must both go straight to your sheds!" ordered Mr Percival. "We will be starting a search party first thing in the morning! If you're not all repainted soon, the engine rally may be cancelled. We can't have a rally with dirty engines!" 

"I quite agree, sir!" said Skarloey. "Let's go, Rheneas!" 

"What about Luke, sir?" asked Rheneas. "He went on to the Steamworks to spend the night." 

"He'll find that Victor isn't there, and Kevin will take care of him, in the meantime," said Mr Percival. 

Soon, Skarloey and Rheneas were with the other engines in their shed. Sir Handel and Peter Sam were both really worried. 

"Where could Granpuff have gone?" said Peter Sam. 

"I checked every siding to see if he was having a snooze," added Sir Handel, "and he's nowhere." 

"Everyone is somewhere," said Rusty kindly. "He, Duncan and Victor will soon turn up." 

"We felt grumpy with Duncan for increasing our workload," said Mighty. 

"But now we're worried about him," added Mac. 

"Let's all get some sleep," suggested Freddie. 

"Things will be better in the morning," said Bertram wisely. 

And so all the engines fell asleep in their sheds. 

All except Luke. 

He was still en route to the Steamworks, and he was heading down the woodland way track. He didn't realize that he was being followed. The engine soon sidled up to just behind Luke, and then he suddenly biffed him. 

"Ouch!" cried Luke. 

His buffers were bent and he was forcibly coupled up to the engine. 

"Stop! What are you doing?!" shouted Luke. 

The engine ignored Luke and shunted him up the overgrown siding towards the run down shed where his friends were being kept. 

The next morning, the engines were ready to rise early for a search party for their missing friends. The Thin Controller arrived on his bicycle. He looked worse for wear than ever. 

"The Steamworks manager has telephoned! Luke didn't show up to spend the night! It is possible that he has vanished too!" 

All the Narrow Gauge Engines were getting more and more worried. 

"Sir, there must be a connection between our missing friends and the route to the Steamworks!" huffed Skarloey. 

"He's right, sir," said Freddie. 

"Each engine disappeared coming to or returning from the Steamworks. We need to figure out why this is happening," added Bertram. 

Mr Percival considered. 

"Very well. While you all search, I shall go and see the Fat Controller. I might need Harold's help to survey the land in the Hills from above." 

The plans were made and the engines set off in different directions. 

Bertram was the last engine to leave, and he had an idea. 

"I must go to the line where the engines must travel to go to the Steamworks. If there's any clue that says where the engines are, it's there!" 

Bertram wasn't in the least bit scared of what he might find. They didn't call him 'The Old Warrior' for nothing. 

Bertram soon reached the wooded line and traversed, looking around each side of the line with care. But then he saw the mysterious engine ahead. He looked confused, but angry. 

"Dukey?! How did you get away?!" 

"You made Duke and the other engines vanish?" confronted Bertram crossly. 

The engine now realized it wasn't Duke.

"That's right, and you're next!" sneered the engine. 

Bertram reversed quickly. He had to warn the other engines of the 'mad little green engine in the woods.' 

"Come back here!" shouted the engine, but then he sputtered and groaned and stopped. 

Bertram could see that the engine was in bad shape. He thought that he had now broken down, so he went to confront him again. 

"Who are you and what have you done with the other engines?" he asked. "If you tell me, we can set this right and get you repaired!" 

"Never! I'll be scrapped!" cried the engine. 

Then, he quickly roared back into life and coupled up to Bertram, then shoved him into some buffers, breaking them and derailing his tender. 

"HOW DARE YOU?!" raged Bertram. 

"Easily." 

The engine pulled Bertram to the overgrown line and to the shed, where the damaged engines, Duke, Duncan, Victor and Luke were sat, sad and solitary. 

"Soon, all of you will know the pain of being lost, left and forgotten!" 

The engine slinked away once more. 

"Just who does he think he is? Thinking he can just derail and damage us all and keep us here?" fumed Duncan. 

"He has his reasons," said Duke sadly. 

"Who is he?" asked Bertram. "He certainly seemed to know you, Duke." 

Duke sighed gravely. 

"He used to work with me at the Old Station on the Mid-Sodor Railway. His name is Smudger!" 

(End scene!)