Hush! Stop! What's that sound?

It's a sort of rustling... whispering... Look! The tree over there!

It's moving!

So are the others. It's like the woods in Macbeth.

They're falling down the cutting on to the line!

Look what a great mound it's made

And there is so much dust. (With a sense of urgency) Oh, Bobbie. The 11.29 down hasn't gone by yet. We must let them know at the station, or there'll be a most frightful accident.

Let's run... (She begins to run off)

Come back! There's no time. It's two miles away and it's past eleven.

Couldn't we climb up a telegraph post and do something to the wires. They do it in wars.

They only cut them, silly. And that doesn't do any good. If we only had something red, we could get down on the line and wave it.

They'd only think it was just US as usual. We've waved so often before. (Excitedly) Peter! What about our flannel petticoats - Phyl's and mine! (Lifting up her skirt) Look! They're red. (Wriggling out of her petticoat, and starting to rip it into strips)

Come on Phyl, tear it into little bits, like Bobbie. You do it too.

If we can't stop the train, there'll be a real live accident, with people killed.

(Leaving the tearing to BOBBIE and Phyllis, and scrambling in the undergrowth) Here are some twigs. If we make holes in the flags we can run the sticks through the holes. (BOBBIE and PETER scramble down to the track to set two of the flags between piles of stones between the sleepers. They then scramble away from the track and wait in silence)

It feels as if we've been standing here for hours and hours.

It's only a few minutes but it certainly seems a long time.

No one will ever notice these silly little red flannel flags. The train won't care. It will go rushing by them and tear round the corner and go crashing into that awful mound. And everyone will be killed. Oh Peter, what else can we do?

I just don't know. I can't think of anything else. All we can do is wait here for the train and try to stop it. It's the only thing we can do to warn them. We just haven't time to run and alert anyone or go and get help... and there is no way that we can move the mound. It's much too big

It's the waiting that's the worst.

Do keep still, Phyl. (To BOBBIE) It's hard to keep Phyl from running off too.

Sssh. Peter... Phyl... Keep quiet! Listen! I can hear the distant rumble and hum of the metals. Look, I can see a puff of white steam in the distance. It's far away along that stretch of line but it's coming.

Stand firm and wave like mad! When it gets to that big furze bush step back, but go on waving. Don't stand on the line, Bobbie! Don't worry about Phyl. I'll hold on to her.

They don't see us! They won't see us! It's all no good!

The train is shaking so much, it has loosened the stones where we've stuck our flags. They're falling down already. It's coming too quickly. That was a useless idea.

Then I'll just have to hold them, won't I? (Jumping forward, picking them up in her hands and starting to wave the flags)

Bobbie, come back! The train's getting nearer. It's hurtling along. Keep off the line!

It's no good.

Stand back

Not yet, not yet! (Waving her two flags right over the line) The front of the engine looks so enormous. Oh, stop, stop, stop!

Bobbie. No one will hear you. (Grabbing hold of his younger sister, and pushing her to the ground) Keep down Phyl. Hold on to me! (In despair) Bobbie! (BOBBIE bravely continues waving the flags in front of the oncoming train. The train finally comes to a halt just in front of where BOBBIE is standing)

Peter! It's stopped. It's stopped. The engine itself must have heard me. (Crying out) I can't stop waving the flags!

(Dragging Phyllis with him down the bank, as the driver gets out of the train and comes towards them.) Sir! Sir! It's a landslide just around the corner. You wouldn't have seen it in time. The train would have been derailed.

(Finally collapsing on the ground) We had to stop you!