CHAPTER THREE.
HOW MY MASTER AND I REACH RANDLEBURY IN STATE, AND OF A GREAT CALAMITY.
My master and I had nearly an hour to wait on the platform at Gunborough before the Randlebury train came up.

Part of this interval Charlie, for fear he might forget to do it at night, devoted to winding me up; an experiment which nearly closed my career for ever, for he first began to turn the key the wrong way; then, when he had discovered his mistake, he started in the other direction with a sudden dash, and finally overwound me to such an extent that I expected every second to hear my heart break with the strain.
Then he sat on his boxes, whistling to himself and drumming his heels on the platform.

The train came up at last, and in he jumped, finding himself and a grave elderly gentleman in joint possession of the carriage.
Charlie was too busy staring out of the window, whistling, and brushing the dust off his new hat, to take much notice of his companion until the train was fairly started; then, observing the gentleman look at his watch, the boy at once recognised a bond of sympathy and pulled out me.
"I wonder if I'm the same as you ?" he said eagerly.
"I hope you are not," said the gentleman, "for I'm a quarter of an hour fast." "Are you though ?" said the boy, in astonishment.
"Why don't you put it right?
I would." "It's a bad thing to put a watch back, my boy; besides, I rather like keeping mine a little fast." "Do you?
I say, do you think my watch is a good one ?" said Charlie, thrusting me into the hands of his astonished travelling companion.
"I can't say, my boy.

I know nothing about watches.

It looks a nice one." "Yes, father gave it me.