were sent--a deliriously delightful place, with a shop full of sweets,
games without end, friends galore, and a little work now and then to
prevent one's being bored.

Peter listened most attentively with his head against the Old Gentleman's
very warm coat, and then the warmth and the movement of the train caused
the voice to swim further and further away into distance.

"Bless my soul!" Peter heard as though it had been whispered at the end of
the train.

"Here's Exeter, young man. Your father said you were to change here."

A rubbing of eyes, and behold a stout guard in front of the door and no
sign of the Old Gentleman whatever, but when he felt for his ticket in his
side pocket he found also a glittering sovereign that had certainly not
been there when he went asleep.

All this was very encouraging, and Peter followed the guard across the
Exeter platform hopefully and expectantly. Right down the platform, on a
side line, was a little train that reminded Peter of the Treliss to Truro
one, so helpless and incapable did it look. The guard put him and his
luggage into a carriage and then left him with a last word as to Salton
being his destination. He waited here a very long time and nothing
happened. He must have slept again, because when he next looked out of
the window the platform was full of people.

He realised with terror that they were, many of them, boys--boys with
friends and boys without. He watched them with a great feeling of
desolation and homesickness as they flung themselves into carriages and