The gallop quickly slowed and a man’s voice called from the mist Is that the Dover mail Never you mind the guard retorted Why do you want to know I want a passenger if it is What passenger Mr Jarvis Lorry One passenger showed in a moment that was his name The guard the coachman and the two other passengers looked at him full of distrust Keep where you are the guard called to the voice in the mist Gentleman named Lorry answer straight What is the matter asked the passenger Is it Jerry Yes Mr Lorry A bulletin sent you from over yonder T and Company I know this messenger guard said Mr Lorry He climbed down onto the road He may come close There’s nothing wrong I hope there ain’t said the guard Hello you Come close slowly 6
A horse and rider came carefully through the mist to the passenger The rider stooped and handed him a small folded paper Lorry opened the paper in the light of the coach lamp and read aloud Wait at Dover for Mam’selle Jerry say my answer was recalled to life Jerry started in his saddle That’s a blazing strange answer Take that message back and they will understand The passenger opened the coach door and got in The coach lumbered on again with wreaths of mist closing around it as it began to head downhill Jerry dismounted his spent horse and turned to walk it down the other side of the hill He muttered to himself Recalled to life Blazing strange message You’d be in a blazing bad way if recalling to life was to come into fashion Jerry 8
chapter 2 Night Shadows The mail coach lumbered jolted rattled and bumped its way toward Dover In the shadows the three passengers gave in to dozing The passenger from the bank dreamed all night that he was on his way to dig someone out of a grave A hundred times the dozing passenger asked the spirit Buried how long The answer was always the same Almost eighteen years You know you are recalled to life They tell me so After these words were spoken the passenger would dig and dig When the wretched man was out of the grave at last he would suddenly fall away to dust The weary passenger finally awoke and found the shadows of the night were gone 9
