I remembered that the Southampton express was due to start about this time, and I took a short cut across the lines and made for the platform that it starts from.

Just as Badger and I got to the end, about thirty yards from the rear of the train, we saw a man and a woman running in front of us.

Then the guard blew his whistle and the train began to move.

The man and the woman managed to scramble into one of the rear compartments and Badger and I raced up the platform like mad.

A porter tried to head us off, but Badger capsized him and we both sprinted harder than ever, and just hopped on the foot-board of the guard's van as the train began to get up speed.