Page:The Wreck of a World - Grove - 1890.djvu/141

Rh "There was no time to be lost, so I shouted, "Run for the boats, children, run," and the little crowd at once set off for the shore, with the two monsters in hot pursuit. I saw that the poor little weary feet could never escape unless the attention of the foe was diverted. So I waved my arms and shouted and ran close up to the engines and succeeded in drawing the pursuit on myself."

"My brave girl!" murmured William pressing her hand.

"The two creatures turned on me, and I doubled back to the wood, thinking I should soon be able to double back again and get down to the water in spite of them. But I found these engines quite different from our own, which can only turn round on turntables, or by making immense sweeps of many yards' radius. No, they turned round almost as quickly as I could; and in straight runs, even over uneven ground, their pace was much greater than mine. Still had I not been tired with two hours running and racing I think I should have got safe away. As it was I made for the wood, which was an open one consisting of great pine trunks with no undergrowth between, and