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diff --git a/39051-0.txt b/39051-0.txt index 8a88e67..ac2d755 100644 --- a/39051-0.txt +++ b/39051-0.txt @@ -1,27 +1,4 @@ - RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: Ralph in the Switch Tower - -Author: Allen Chapman - -Release Date: March 04, 2012 [EBook #39051] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER *** - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 39051 *** Produced by Al Haines. @@ -6940,371 +6917,4 @@ And so do we; is that not so, gentle reader? 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: Ralph in the Switch Tower - -Author: Allen Chapman - -Release Date: March 04, 2012 [EBook #39051] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - -[Illustration: RALPH QUICKLY AND DEFTLY ATTENDED TO THE CALL FOR SEVERAL -SWITCHES.] - - ---- - - RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER - - OR - - CLEARING THE TRACK - - BY - - ALLEN CHAPMAN - - NEW YORK - GROSSET & DUNLAP - PUBLISHERS - - Made in the United States of America - - ---- - - COPYRIGHT, 1907 - BY - THE MERSHON COMPANY - _Ralph in the Switch Tower_ - - ---- - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I--DOWN AND OUT - CHAPTER II--UP THE LADDER - CHAPTER III--A CLOSE GRAZE - CHAPTER IV--A MYSTERY - CHAPTER V--THE STOWAWAY - CHAPTER VI--MRS. FAIRBANKS' VISITOR - CHAPTER VII--"YOUNG SLAVIN" - CHAPTER VIII--A BAD LOT - CHAPTER IX--CALCUTTA TOM - CHAPTER X--A MILE A MINUTE - CHAPTER XI--SPOILING FOR A FIGHT - CHAPTER XII--THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OPINION - CHAPTER XIII--SQUARING THINGS - CHAPTER XIV--A BUSY EVENING - CHAPTER XV--A HERO DESPITE HIMSELF - CHAPTER XVI--KIDNAPPED - CHAPTER XVII--A MIDNIGHT VISITOR - CHAPTER XVIII--A DESPERATE CHANCE - CHAPTER XIX--THE DOUBLE WRECK - CHAPTER XX--THE CRAZY ORDERS - CHAPTER XXI--IKE SLUMPS "NUTCRACKER" - CHAPTER XXII--A HEADSTRONG FRIEND - CHAPTER XXIII--IKE SLUMP & CO. - CHAPTER XXIV--FIRE! - CHAPTER XXV--THE LITTLE TIN BOX - CHAPTER XXVI--A CLEW! - CHAPTER XXVII--SLAVIN GETS A JOB - CHAPTER XXVIII--WHAT THE "EXTRA" TOLD - CHAPTER XXIX--GUESSING - CHAPTER XXX--PRECIOUS FREIGHT - CHAPTER XXXI--HALF A MILLION DOLLARS - CHAPTER XXXII--CONCLUSION - - ---- - - RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER - - - - -CHAPTER I--DOWN AND OUT - - -"Get out of here!" said Jack Knight, head towerman of the Great Northern -Railroad, at Stanley Junction. - -"Why, I ain't doing no harm," retorted Mort Bemis, ex-leverman of the -depot switch tower. - -"And stay out. Hear me?" demanded Knight, big as a bear, and quite as -gruff. - -"What's the call for sitting down on a fellow this way, I'd like to -know!" muttered Bemis sullenly. - -"You're a bad lot, that's what," growled the veteran railroader. "You -always were and you always will be. I'm through with you. So is the -railroad company. What's the call, you meddlesome, malicious reprobate? -That's the call!" fairly shouted the towerman, red of face and choleric -of voice. - -He moved one arm as he spoke. It hung in a sling, and the hand was -swathed in bandages. - -"There's some of your fine, Smart-Aleck work," he went on angrily. "Come -now, take yourself out of here! This is a place for workers, not -loafers." - -Mort Bemis gave Jack Knight a revengeful look. Then he moved towards -the trap in the floor. - -The scene was the depot switch tower at Stanley Junction, in sight of -the local passenger depot. It loomed up thirty feet in the air, -glass-windowed on every side. It was neat, light, and airy. In its -center, running nearly its length, was the row of long heavy levers that -controlled the depot and siding switches of the terminus of the Great -Northern Railroad. - -The big-framed, business-faced man who bustled among these, keeping an -angry eye meantime on an unwelcome visitor, was a veteran and a marvel -in local railroad circles. - -When the Great Northern had come to Stanley Junction, ten years back, it -brought old Jack Knight with it, - -He had an eye like an eagle and the muscles of a giant. The inside of -his head was popularly believed to be a vast railroad map. He -controlled the main rails, switches, and sidings, like a woman would the -threads of an intricate knitting piece. He directed the locomotives and -trains up and down that puzzling network of rails, like puppets moved by -strings. In ten years' service he had never been responsible for an -accident or a wreck. - -Old Jack, therefore, having never made a mistake in railroading, had -little patience with the careless, lazy specimen whom he had just -ordered out of the place. - -Mort Bemis had been his assistant in the tower. The fellow's record had -always been full of flaws. He was slow and indifferent at the levers. -He associated with a shiftless crowd outside. He borrowed money and did -not pay it back. He was unreliable, disagreeable, and unpopular. - -Three days previous, old Jack was adjusting a heavy weight bar on the -lower story of the switch tower. - -Mort, upstairs, was supposed to safely hold back a spring-bar apparatus -while his superior was fixing the delicate mechanism below. - -His mind everywhere except on his task, Mort for an instant took his -hand off the bar to wave a recognition to a chosen chum, "flipping" a -passing freight train. - -There was a frightful yell below. Mort, terrified, pulled back the bar. -Then he stuck his head through the trap. There stood old Jack, pale as -death, one hand crushed and mutilated through his helper's outrageous -lapse of duty. - -The old railroader's rage was terrible, as he forgot his pain and hurt -in the realization that for the first time in ten years he was crippled -from active service. - -The frightened Mort made a dive for a window. He slid down the -water-spout outside, got to the nearest switch shanty, telephoned the -depot master about the accident,--and made himself scarce. - -Mort joined some chosen chums in one of the haunts of Railroad Street. -He reported by 'phone "on the sick list" next morning. He did not show -up until two days later, "after a good and easy rest," as he put it, and -then fancying old Jack's "grouch" had cooled down. - -Mort's reception has been related. He was informed that the railroad -company had peremptorily discharged him. As to old Jack himself, Mort -readily discerned that the veteran railroader was aching to give him a -good hiding. - -Mort did not wait to furnish an excuse for this. He now started down -the trap-door ladder, grumbling and growling. - -"Be careful!" rapidly but pleasantly warned someone whom Mort jostled a -few feet from the bottom. - -Mort edged over and dropped to the floor. He gave the speaker a keen -look. - -"Hello! Oh; it's you?" he muttered with a scowl; "Ralph Fairbanks." - -The person addressed responded with a short nod. Then he continued to -mount the ladder in an easy, agile way. - -"Hold on," challenged Bemis. - -He had planted his feet apart, and had fixed a fierce and malignant -glance upon the newcomer. - -Suspicion, disappointment, and rage showed plainly in his coarse, sullen -face. - -There was something in the striking contrast between himself and the -other that galled Mort. - -He was "down and out," he realized, while the neat, cheery, ambitious -lad whom he had hailed, three years his junior, was "going up the -ladder" in more ways than one. - -The latter wore a new, clean working suit, and carried a dinner pail. He -suggested the wholesome, energetic worker from top to toe. - -"I am holding on," he observed to Mort, stopping half-way up the ladder. - -"Thought you was working at the roundhouse?" said Mort. - -"I was," answered Ralph Fairbanks. "I have been promoted." - -"Where to?" - -"Here." - -"What!" flared out Mort. "What do you know about switch-tower duty?" - -"Not much, only what Mr. Knight has shown me for the past two days. But -I'll catch on, I guess." - -Mort Bemis struck a tragic pose and his voice quavered. - -"Oho! that's the game, eh? All cut and dried! My bread and butter -taken away from me, to give to one of the master mechanic's pets. Augh!" - -Mort retreated with a grimace of disgust. He was standing under a floor -grating. Purposely or by accident, Knight, overhead, had dropped a -dipperful of water through the grating. - -Mort jumped outside the lower tower room, growling like a mad catamount. -He shook his fist menacingly at Ralph. - -"Fairbanks," he cried, "I'll fix you for this!" - -Ralph did not even look at his enemy again. He completed his ascent of -the ladder, and came up through the trap with a bright, cheery hail to -old Jack, whom he liked and who liked him. - -"I report for active duty, Mr. Knight," he announced briskly. - -"Oh, do you?" retorted the old railroader, disguising his good nature -under his usual mask of grimness. "Well, you're ahead of time fifteen -minutes, so just sit down and behave yourself till I get those freights -over yonder untangled. Anxious for work, are you?" he pursued -quizzically. "You'll have enough of it. I'm ordered up to the -crossings tower, and you'll have to take the first half-night shift here -alone. Think you can manage it?" - -"I can try, Mr. Knight," was the modest but resolute reply. - - - - -CHAPTER II--UP THE LADDER - - -Ralph Fairbanks was a full-fledged railroader, young as he was. - -Those who have read the preceding volume of this series, will have no -difficulty in recognizing the able and intrepid hero of "Ralph of the -Roundhouse" in the manly young fellow who had just reported for duty to -grim old Jack Knight. - -Ralph had lived at Stanley Junction since childhood. His father had -been a railroad man before him. In fact, John Fairbanks had been -instrumental in bringing the Great Northern to Stanley Junction. He had -in part supervised its construction. - -He had died before reaping the reward of his services. However, Mrs. -Fairbanks and his friends knew that he owned some twenty thousand -dollars' worth of railroad stock besides his home. This stock could not -be located after his death, and Ralph and his mother found themselves -totally unprovided for. - -They knew that in his stock deals Mr. Fairbanks had a partner. This was -Gasper Farrington, a miserly but wealthy magnate of the town. - -To their astonishment, this man now came forward with a mortgage on the -homestead that Mrs. Fairbanks was positive had been paid off before her -husband's death. - -Of this, however, she could furnish no written proof. Farrington -professed great sympathy for the family of his dead partner, but -nevertheless he insisted on collecting the interest on the mortgage. - -He seemed very anxious to get the Fairbanks family away from Stanley -Junction, and even offered them a bribe to go. - -This fact aroused Ralph's suspicions. - -He got thinking things over. He suddenly realized what a sacrifice his -noble mother was making to keep him at school. - -One day he went home with a great resolve in his mind. He announced to -his mother that he had decided to put aside boyish sports for hard work. - -Ralph was a favorite with local railroaders. The freight yards at Acton -caught fire, and Ralph was impressed into temporary service. - -The lad's heroic acts won the attention and friendship of the master -mechanic of the railroad. Next day Ralph found himself an employee of -the Great Northern, as wiper under the foreman of the local roundhouse. - -They had offered him a clerical position in the general offices down the -line at Springfield, but Ralph declined. He announced his intention of -beginning at the very bottom of the railroad ladder and working his way -up. - -How promptly and triumphantly he reached the first rung, "Ralph of the -Roundhouse" has narrated. - -It was a hard experience, but he soon won the reputation of turning out -the cleanest, brightest locomotives in the service. - -Ralph made many friends and some enemies. Among the latter was a -dissolute boy named Ike Slump. This young rascal stole nearly a -wagon-load of valuable brass fittings from the railroad supply shops, -and not a trace of the thief or booty could be discovered by the road -detectives. - -Ralph had in the meantime befriended and practically adopted a poor -waif, named Van Sherwin. The latter had been accidentally struck in the -head by a baseball. His reason seemed gone. Ralph's tender-hearted -mother cared for him as if he was an only son. - -Strange to say, it was through this lone waif whom Ralph had so -befriended that the young railroader was led to know a certain Farwell -Gibson. This man turned out to be, like Ralph's father, a victim of the -wiles of old Gasper Farrington. - -Ralph and he got comparing notes. Gibson lived in a lonely stretch of -woods. He was day by day doing some grading work, which enabled him to -keep alive a legal charter for a cut-off railway line. - -He furnished Ralph with the evidence that the mortgage on the Fairbanks -home had been paid. - -Incidentally, near the woodland seclusion of Farwell Gibson, Ralph ran -across a wrecked wagon in a ravine. In this he discovered the metal -fittings stolen from the railroad company. - -Ike Slump got away, but Ralph secured the plunder. When he returned to -Stanley Junction, through a lawyer he made Gasper Farrington acknowledge -the mortgage on their home as invalid, much to the chagrin of the old -miser. - -He told Farrington, too, that he believed he had his father's twenty -thousand dollars' worth of railroad bonds hidden away somewhere, and -notified him that he should yet try to unravel the mystery surrounding -them. - -Ralph now reaped the reward of duty well done. Life grew brighter. They -had a home, and Mr. Blake, the master mechanic, showed his appreciation -of the recovery of the stolen plunder. - -Ralph was officially notified that he was promoted to duty at the depot -switch tower. - -For two days he had been under the skilled tuition of old Jack Knight, -learning the ropes. Now, at the noon hour of a bright, balmy autumn -day, he entered upon this second grade of service in the employ of the -Great Northern. - -It was a pleasure to the ardent young railroader to view the panorama of -rails and switches in plain view of the switch tower. - -It was a fascinating novelty to study old Jack Knight at the levers. -One-handed as he was for the occasion, he went through his duties like -some skilled master giving an expert exhibition. - -The switch levers were numbered up to twenty. In their center was a -dial, a foot across. Over its surface ran an indicator, moved by an -electric button one mile south, at the main signal tower at the limits -of the town. - -"Passenger No. 8," "Freight 10," "Express 3," "Special," "Chaser," and -half a dozen other regular trains were marked on this dial. - -Nearby was a telephone, also connecting with the limits tower. This was -in requisition every minute to announce when trains had passed a certain -switch, closed again behind them. - -A large megaphone hung in readiness near an open window behind the -operator, who darted from lever to lever according as he received his -orders by 'phone or dial. - -For two days, as Ralph had told Mort Bemis, he had been under the -skilled tuition of old Jack, learning the switches. - -He had gone down the tracks to the limits, foot by foot slowly, twenty -times or more that morning, until he had a perfect map in his head of -every rail and switch on the roadbeds. - -He had familiarized himself with every lever number, and that of every -train on the road. He realized that trained eye, ear, and muscle must -be ever on the alert, or great loss of life and property might result at -any moment. - -There was a lull in active duty for the veteran towerman as the noon -whistles blew. Knight set the lever for a lazy switch engine taking a -siding, sent the noon accommodation on her way, closed the switches -after her, and gave attention to Ralph. - -"Well, Fairbanks," he said, slipping his coat over one arm and changing -his cap, "think you can manage?" - -"I can obey orders," answered Ralph. - -"That's all you have to do. The limits gives you your cue. Never -forget that they are the responsible party. If they say six, make it -six, if you see that it's going to bust a train of Pullmans, depot, and -all. Obey orders--that's the beginning and end. Number two is: Use -your own judgment with chasers and freights when the tracks are full." - -Just then the telephone bell rang. Ralph grasped the receiver. - -"No. 4, express, backing in," and Ralph repeating it casually for old -Jack's benefit, stepped on the long, narrow plank lining the lever -platform. - -"Three for the yards switch, 7 for the in main, and 4 for the express -shed siding," he pronounced. - -It took some muscle to pull over the big heavy levers in turn, which -were not operated on the new-style compressed air system. - -Knight watched him closely, nodding his head in approval as Ralph closed -the switches on limits' 'phoning as the express passed certain points. -As a locomotive backing three express cars passed the tower and took the -sheds tracks, old Jack observed: - -"You'll do. I'll drop in later. Your shift runs till 9 P.M. Then Doc -Bortree will relieve you." - -"All right, Mr. Knight. And thanks for all your trouble in teaching -me," said Ralph. - -The old towerman disappeared down the trap ladder. Ralph did not sit -down. He was alone now, and it would take time and experience to -dissipate the natural tension of anxiety he felt. - -"It's a big responsibility for a boy," he spoke musingly. "They know -their business, though," he went on, "and have confidence in me, it -seems. Well, I'll make good, if strict obedience to orders is the -keynote." - -The ensuing hour was a great strain on Ralph's nerves. It was a -critical situation, for at one o'clock it seemed as if every switch -engine in the service started up simultaneously. - -Three freights and one out and one in passenger complicated the -situation. Ralph's eye never left the dial. His ear got trained to -catching the slightest click on the telephone. - -He felt as flabby as a doormat and was wet with perspiration, as he -finally cleared the yards. - -"Never a miss!" he panted, with a good deal of satisfaction. "It -couldn't come much swifter than that at any hour of the day or night. -It's genuine hard work, though, and expert work, too. Well, I've made a -fair beginning." - -Ralph had it quite easy for an hour now. He rested in the big cane -armchair on a little elevated platform directly in front of the levers. -From there he had a clear view of every foot of the yards. - -Some roundhouse hands, passing by, waved him a genial hail. The depot -master strolled by about three o'clock, and called up to know how -Knight's hand was getting on. Just after that, Ralph fancied he -recognized Mort Bemis in a group of loaferish-looking fellows on the -freight tracks. A call to the levers, however, distracted his -attention, and when he looked again the coterie had disappeared. - -"I'll have a stirring report to make to mother to-night," reflected -Ralph, with pleasurable anticipation. - -A short freight had just taken the far siding. Its engineer held up two -fingers to Ralph. This indicated that he wanted main two. After that -his crew set the unattached switches beyond themselves. - -The freight was slowing up, when Ralph saw a female form come over the -bumpers of two of the moving cars. She leaped to the ground as nimbly -as an expert switchman. - -The fireman of the freight yelled at her and shook his fist. She tossed -her head in the air and proceeded across the planked passenger roadbeds, -dodging a hand-car, climbing over a stationary freight, and continuing -recklessly across the railroad property where outsiders were not -allowed. - -She was a somewhat portly, red-faced woman of about forty. She wore a -hideous poke bonnet, and carried a bulging umbrella with a heavy hooked -handle. - -In crossing between the cars she simply reached up with this, encircled -the brake-rod with the umbrella handle, and pulled herself to the -bumpers. - -A flagman came rushing up to her. He pointed to the painted sign on a -signal post near by, warning trespassers. - -Ralph watched the determined female flare up. The flagman tried to stop -her. She knocked off his cap with a sweeping blow of the umbrella, and -proceeded calmly on her way with the stride of some amazon. - -Ralph was wondering at her temerity and mission. She was headed -straight for the switch tower. - -Just then the dial clicked. "Chaser" it indicated, and down the main -track came a locomotive and tender at full speed. - -The 'phone gave the direction: Track 11. This was a set of rails -rounding beyond the blank wall of the in freight on a sharp curve. - -It took one lever to set the switch from the main track, another to open -the rails inside track eleven. - -On the main, forty feet farther on, stood the made-up afternoon -accommodation train. On No. 12 were two dead Pullmans, ready for the -night express. - -The levers of in main and track eleven were less than three feet apart. -Ralph grasped one with each hand, to slide the main with his right and -complete the switch circuit with his left. - -It was an easy task, knowing just what was wanted, and a full thirty -seconds to act in. - -The minute that Ralph's hands struck the levers, a thrill and then a -chill--strong, overpowering, and deadly--paralyzed every nerve in his -body. - -Every vestige of sensation left his frame--his hands, perfectly -nerveless, seemed glued to the levers. - -He could not detach them, strive as he might--he could not exert a -single ounce of pulling power. - -With a gasp Ralph saw the chaser engine dash down the rails, a hundred, -eighty, seventy, fifty feet from the main switch, tender in front, so -engineer and fireman, relying on the tower service, never noticed that -they were headed for a tremendous crash into the made-up accommodation. - -With a sickening sense of horror Ralph strove to pull the levers. -Impossible! - -Something was wrong! He could not move a muscle. Like one petrified he -glared down at the flying locomotive, headed straight for disaster and -destruction. - - - - -CHAPTER III--A CLOSE GRAZE - - -Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! - -Ralph's strained hearing caught these sounds vaguely. All his attention -was centered on the locomotive apparently speeding to sure disaster. - -The next instant, however, he became aware that in some mysterious way -these noises signalized his rescue from a terrible situation. - -The lever rods his hands clasped vibrated harshly. As if by magic that -glue-like suction tension on his fingers was withdrawn. - -His hands still burned and tingled, but a great gasp of relief left his -lips. His eyes fixed on the rushing engine, his hands now pulled the -levers in order. - -Not six inches from taking the in main rails, not eight seconds from -reducing the accommodation to a heap of kindling wood, the "chaser" shot -switch eleven, and glided smoothly to the terminus. Its serene crew -never dreamed how they had grazed death by a hair's breadth. - -Ralph half fell between the levers. He felt that his face must be the -color of chalk. His strength was entirely spent. He still grasped the -levers, hanging there for a moment like a person about to faint. - -Fortunately there was no call for switch-tower service during the -ensuing minute or two. Ralph tried to rally his dazed senses, to -comprehend what was going on below. - -For again a swishing, cracking, clattering sound rang out. This time it -was followed by a curdling cry of pain. - -"You'll blind me--you're tearing my hair out by the roots!" screamed a -voice which Ralph instantly recognized. - -It belonged to Mort Bemis. Ralph began to have a coherent suspicion as -to the cause of his recent helplessness. - -"I'll tear twenty-six dollars out of you, or I'll have your hide!" -proclaimed strident feminine tones. - -"I hain't got no money." - -"You'll get it for me. What, strike me with that piece of wire! You -wretch, I'll----" - -There was a jangling crash, as of some heavy body thrown back against -the lever cables in the lower story of the switch tower. - -Then its door crashed open, and glancing through the windows Ralph saw -Mort Bemis dash into view. - -He sped across tracks as if for his life. He was hatless, his face was -streaked with red welts. From one hand trailed a piece of insulated -electric light wire. - -Giving a frightened backward glance as he reached a line of freights, -the ex-towerman leaped the space between two cars and disappeared from -view. - -From the lower story of the switch tower there now issued exclamations -of rage and disgust. - -Ralph started to look down the ladder trap. Just then the dial called -for a switch, and duty temporarily curbed his interest and curiosity. As -he set clear tracks again, a head obtruded through the trapdoor. - -It was that of the resolute woman Ralph had noticed a little time past -so audaciously crossing the rails and defying instructions. Her face -was red and heated, her eyes flashing. Her hair was in disorder, and -the poke bonnet was all awry. - -"Be careful--don't fall, madam," said Ralph quickly, with inborn -chivalry and politeness, springing to the trap. - -He put out a hand to help her. She disdained his assistance with an -impatient sniff, and cleared the ladder like an expert. - -"Don't trouble yourself about me, young man," she observed crisply. "I'm -able to take care of myself." - -"I see you are, madam." - -"I've run an ore dummy in my time, when my husband was head yardman at -an iron works, and I know how to climb. See here," she demanded -imperatively, fixing a keen look on the young railroader, "are you boss -here?" - -"Why, you might say so," answered Ralph. "That is, I am in charge -here." - -The woman put down her umbrella to adjust her bonnet. Ralph observed -that the umbrella was in tatters and the ribs all broken and twisted. He -comprehended that it was with this weapon that she had just assaulted -Mort Bemis. - -"If you're the boss," pursued the woman, "I'm Mrs. Davis--Mort Bemis' -landlady, and I want to know what I've got to do to get twenty-six -dollars thet he owes me for board and lodging for the last six weeks." - -"I see," nodded Ralph--"slow pay, that fellow." - -"No pay at all!" flashed out the woman wrathfully. "He came to me month -before last with a great story of promotion, big salary, and all his -back funds tied up in a savings bank at Springfield. Last pay day he -claimed someone robbed him. This pay day he dropped from the garret -window, leaving an old empty trunk. I got on his trail to-day, and I -want to garnishee his wages. How do I go about it?" - -"I don't know the process," said Ralph, "never having had any experience -in that class of business, but I should say garnisheeing in this case -would simply be sending good money after bad." - -"How?" demanded Mrs. Davis sharply. - -"Bemis has very likely drawn every cent the company owes him." - -"But his pay is running on." - -"Not now, madam. He was discharged two days ago." - -"W-what!" voiced Mrs. Davis, in dismay. "And won't he be taken back?" - -"From what I hear--hardly," said Ralph. - -The woman's strong, weather-beaten features relaxed. All her -impetuosity seemed to die out with her hope. Ralph felt sorry for her. -She was brusque and harsh of manner, masculine in her ways, but the -womanly helplessness now exhibited was pathetic. - -She tottered back to the armchair, every vestige of willfulness and -force gone. Apparently this odd creature never did things by halves. -She sunk down in the chair, and began to cry as if her heart would -break. Ralph was called back to the levers and had no time to console -her. He watched her pityingly, however. Between her sobbings and -incoherent lamentations he pretty clearly made out the history of her -present woes. - -Mort Bemis had, it seemed, shown himself a "dead beat of the first -water." Mrs. Davis had recently come to Stanley Junction, and had -rented an old house near a factory owned by Gasper Farrington. - -Bemis had applied for board and lodging. With what he promised to pay, -and with what she could make off an orchard, vegetable patch, and some -poultry, this would give Mrs. Davis a fair living. - -"And he never paid me a cent," she sobbed out. "Last Saturday my last -cent went for flour. Yesterday I used up the last bread in the house. I -haven't eaten a morsel this blessed day. The man who owns the house -threatens to turn me out if I don't pay the six dollars rent by six -o'clock to-night, and all for that rascally, thieving Bemis! A -full-grown man, and robbing and cheating a poor lone widow like me!" - -Ralph glanced up and down the rails. Then he glided over to the clothes -closet at the end of the tower room and secured his dinner pail. - -"And what was the scoundrel up to below, when I discovered him just now, -I'd like to know?" went on Mrs. Davis. "Some dirty mischief, I'll be -bound. He had a wire fixed around a bigger one, and was holding the -scraped copper ends against the lever cables till they sparked out -little flashes of fire. Say, can't he be arrested for swindling me? The -reprobate deserves to suffer." - -Ralph gave a little start of comprehension just there. The woman's last -recital had cleared up the mystery of his recent sudden helplessness. - -There was no doubt whatever in his mind but that the revengeful Mort -Bemis had started in to "fix" him, as he had threatened earlier in the -day. His knowledge of the details and environment of the switch tower -had enabled him to work out a well-devised scheme. - -Ralph knew that Bemis was determined to undermine and discredit him at -any cost. - -He theorized that in some way Bemis had connected the current from the -wires that looped up from the road boxes into the tower. He had the -practiced eye to know what levers Ralph would use. Bemis had thrown on -the current, magnetizing the new leverman at just the critical moment. - -But for the providential intervention of Mrs. Davis a destructive -collision would have occurred, Ralph would have been disgraced, and -there would have been a vacancy at the switch tower. - -"The villain!" breathed Ralph, all afire with indignation, and then his -glance softened as he turned to the woman seated in the armchair. Her -grief had spent itself, but she sat with her chin sunk in one hand, -moping dejectedly. - -There was a short bench near one of the windows. Ralph pulled this up -in front of the armchair. He opened his lunch pail and spread out a -napkin on the bench. Then on this he placed two home-made sandwiches, a -piece of apple pie, and a square of the raisin cake that had made his -mother famous as a first-class cook. - -All this Ralph did so quickly that Mrs. Davis, absorbed in her gloomy -thoughts, did not notice him. He touched her arm gently. - -"I want you to sample my mother's cooking, Mrs. Davis," he said, with a -pleasant smile. "You will feel better if you eat a little, and I want -to tell you something." - -"Well, well! did you ever?" exclaimed Mrs. Davis, noting now the sudden -transformation of the bench into a lunch table. "Why, boy," she -continued, with a keen stare at Ralph, "I can't take your victuals away -from you." - -"But you must eat," insisted Ralph. "I had a hearty dinner, and have a -warm supper waiting for me soon after dark. I brought the dinner pail -along just as a matter of form in a way, see." - -"Yes, I do see," answered his visitor, with a gulp, and new tears in her -eyes--"I see you are a good boy, and a blessing to a good mother, I'll -warrant." - -"You are right about the good mother, Mrs. Davis," said Ralph, "and I -want you to go and see her, to judge for yourself." - -Mrs. Davis munched a sandwich. She looked flustered at Ralph's -suggestion. - -"I'm hardly in a position to make calls--I'm dreadfully poor and humble -just now," she said in a broken tone. - -"Well," repeated Ralph decisively, "you must call on my mother this -afternoon. You see, Mrs. Davis, that rent of yours has got to be paid -by six o'clock, hasn't it?" - -"The landlord said so." - -"I have only a dollar or so in my pocket here," continued Ralph, "but my -mother has some of my savings up at the house. I want to let you have -ten dollars. I will write a note to my mother, and she will let you -have it." - -Mrs. Davis let the sandwich she was eating fall nervelessly to the -napkin. - -"What--what are you saying!" she spoke, staring in perplexity at Ralph. - -"Why, you must pay your rent, you know," said Ralph, "and you need a -little surplus till you get on your feet again. There may be some way -of shaming or forcing Mort Bemis into paying that twenty-six dollars. If -there is, I will discover it for you." - -"But--but you don't know me. I'm a stranger to you. I couldn't take -money from a boy like you, working hard as you must, probably for little -enough wages," vociferated Mrs. Davis, strangely stirred up by the -generous proffer. "I might take a loan from somebody able to spare the -money, for I can write to a sister at a distance and get a trifle, and -pay it back again, but not from you. No--no, thank you just the -same--just the same," and the woman broke down completely, crying again. - -Ralph sprang to the levers at a new switch call. Then he resumed his -argument. - -"Mrs. Davis, you shall take the ten dollars, and you shall have twenty -if you need it, and that is an end to it. First: because you are in -distress and I have it to spare. Next: because I owe you a debt money -cannot pay." - -"Nonsense, boy," spoke Mrs. Davis dubiously. - -"It's true. You don't happen to know it, but you have saved my position -and my character this afternoon. You have probably saved the railroad -company great loss of property, if not of life itself. I should be a -grateful boy to you, Mrs. Davis. Let me tell you why." - -Ralph did tell her. He recited the story of the last hour at the -levers. Before she could make a comment at its termination, he had -written and thrust into her hand a note addressed to his mother. - -"I'll take the ten dollars," said Mrs. Davis, in a subdued tone, after -he had directed her to his home, "but only as a loan. You shall have it -back quick as I can get word from my sister." - -"As you like about that," answered Ralph. "I hope you will make a -friend of my mother," he added. "She has had her troubles, and you -would be the happier for asking her counsel." - -"Yes, I've had a heap of troubles, boy," sighed Mrs. Davis. "Oh, dear! -I may be a little good in the world, after all. And," with a wistful -look at Ralph, "it's hopeful to think all boys aren't like bad Mort -Bemis. And here I'm borrowing money from you, and don't even know your -name." - -She groped in a pocket and drew forth a worn memorandum book and a -pencil. Then, opening the book at a blank page, she looked up -inquiringly at Ralph. - -"Fairbanks," dictated Ralph. - -Mrs. Davis had placed the pencil point on the blank page, ready to -write. As Ralph spoke her hand seemed swayed by a great shock. - -The pencil and book were nervelessly dropped to the floor. She turned a -colorless face towards Ralph, and, shrinking back in the creaking -armchair, stared at him so strangely and fixedly that he was unable to -understand her sudden emotion. - - - - -CHAPTER IV--A MYSTERY - - -Ralph looked at his switch-tower visitor in great surprise. - -"Why, Mrs. Davis," he asked, "what is the matter?" - -"N--nothing," she stammered, trying to control herself, but her features -were working strangely. "So your name is Fairbanks?" - -"Yes, Mrs. Davis." - -"Not John Fairbanks--how simple I am, though, of course not. He was an -old man. Are you his son, then?" - -"Yes," answered Ralph, his curiosity excited. "My name is Ralph. I am -John Fairbanks' son. He is dead, you know. Were you acquainted with -him?" - -"Not acquainted exactly," replied the woman, in a certain repressed way. -"I have heard of him, you see." - -"Oh, you mean since you came to Stanley Junction?" - -"No, no, a long way from here, and a long time ago. Where I used to -live. I heard he was dead, and I heard you and your mother was dead, -too. I did not dream that any of the Fairbanks were here now." - -"Why, you amaze me!" cried Ralph. "Who could have told you that?" - -"A certain man. He told a falsehood, didn't he? I might have known it. -I see now--yes, I begin to see how things are." - -She said this in a musing tone, as if half-forgetting that she had an -auditor. Ralph was more than interested. He was startled. He knew -enough of human nature to guess that Mrs. Davis was concealing something -from him. - -She arose quite flustered, and began to arrange her bonnet. She evaded -Ralph's eye, and appeared anxious to get away. Ralph determined to -press some further inquiries. Before he could begin, she made the -remark: - -"You are a good boy, Ralph Fairbanks, and I shan't forget you. I will -take the loan you offer me, but it will be promptly paid back, very -soon. Boy," she continued, with a good deal of animation, as if -suddenly stirred by some impulsive thought, "you will get a blessing for -being good to a poor lone widow, see if you don't." - -"I seem to be getting blessings all the time," said Ralph lightly, but -reverently. "I guess life is full of them, if you do right and put -yourself in the way of them. Is there some special blessing you are -thinking of, Mrs. Davis?" he inquired, saying the words because the -woman had used a certain significant, mysterious tone in her last -statement. This made him believe she could be clearer and say a deal -more, if she chose to do so. - -"Yes, there is," replied Mrs. Davis, almost excitedly. "You mustn't -question me, though, boy--not just now, anyway. You have given me a lot -to think of. I may tell you something very important later on--I may -tell your mother to-day. Good-by." - -As she approached the trap in the floor, Ralph got a call for a switch. -He was reluctant to let his visitor depart. Her vague revelations -disturbed him. When he had attended to the levers, he turned again to -Mrs. Davis. In doing so he chanced to glance down at the near tracks, -and fixedly regarded two approaching figures. - -"Hello," he spoke irrepressibly, aloud. "Coming here--the master -mechanic and Gasper Farrington." - -"What's that--who?" cried Mrs. Davis, almost in a shout. - -Ralph looked at her in new amazement. As she had caught the last name -he had spoken, she stood erect in a strained, tense way, seeming to be -frightened. - -The two men Ralph had indicated now crossed the tracks and entered the -switch tower below. Their voices could be heard distinctly. - -"We have a switch plan upstairs in the tower, Mr. Farrington," sounded -the clear, incisive tones of Mr. Blake, the master mechanic of the Great -Northern. - -"All right," answered his companion, and the accents of his voice seemed -to be familiar to Mrs. Davis. She looked almost terrified. She glanced -wildly around the tower room. - -"Hide me!" she gasped appealingly to Ralph. - -"Why, what for?" he inquired. - -"It's Gasper Farrington, isn't it, just as you said? And he is coming -up here!" - -"It seems that he is, Mrs. Davis," responded Ralph. - -"I don't want to meet him. I don't want him to see me--not yet," went -on the woman rapidly. - -"Are you afraid of Gasper Farrington, Mrs. Davis?" asked Ralph -pointedly. - -But she did not answer him. She glided to the coat closet at the end of -the room, as if seeking a hiding-place. As she pulled its door open, -she noticed that it was too shallow to admit a human form. - -The dial again called Ralph. By the time he had attended to the levers, -he noticed that Mrs. Davis had produced a thick heavy veil and was -concealing her face under it. She stood fidgeting nervously at a window -at the far end of the room, her back turned to the trapdoor, as if to -escape direct attention. - -The master mechanic came into view. Then he helped his companion into -the room. - -Ralph caught his breath quickly and his lips compressed a trifle, as he -recognized Gasper Farrington. - -His advent was a certain new cause of some inquietude to the young -leverman. An old-time enemy, and a bitter and crafty one, Ralph knew he -could never expect any good from the miserly old magnate of Stanley -Junction. - -Farrington's wealth and position gave him a certain influence and power -that had been repeatedly used to crush those he did not like. He -disliked the Fairbanks family for more reasons than one, and he had -tried to crush Ralph more than once. In these efforts, however, he had -failed. Ralph had come off the victor because he was in the right, -which always prevails, sooner or later. - -In their last encounter, Ralph had forced the scheming Farrington to -release the fraudulent mortgage he held on the Fairbanks cottage. He -had bargained to keep the humiliating details of Farrington's swindling -operations secret as long as the defeated magnate let them alone. He -did not think that Farrington would now risk public exposure by -attempting any further tricky measures of gain or revenge. Still, Ralph -disliked coming in contact with the man, who would willingly do him an -injury and gloat over his downfall. - -He was glad that Farrington did not notice him. The attention of the -magnate was at once directed to a blue-print plan nailed between two -windows. - -"There is the switch plan of the yards, Mr. Farrington," said the master -mechanic, indicating the sheet of paper in question. - -Mr. Blake nodded to Ralph. Then he looked inquiringly at Mrs. Davis. - -"A lady who was looking for Mort Bemis," explained Ralph. "He owes her -some money, it seems." - -"He owes about everybody he can work," said the master mechanic -brusquely, and crossed the room after Farrington. - -Mrs. Davis quickly went to the trap. She kept her eye on Gasper -Farrington until safely down on the ladder, placed her finger on her -lips in significant adieu to Ralph, and then disappeared. - -The latter stood at the levers, his back turned purposely on the -newcomers into the switch tower. - -There was no need of his having an encounter with Farrington, if it -could be avoided. Ralph attended to his duties strictly. However, he -could not help overhearing what the two men at the side of the room were -saying. - -Ralph soon divined the nature of Farrington's visit to the switch tower. -The magnate owned a factory building about half a mile from the -railroad. It had stood vacant and abandoned for some time, as Ralph -knew. Now, it seemed, a manufacturer had agreed to lease it for a term -of years, provided he could have direct railroad transportation -facilities put in. - -This point the two men at the switch plan were now discussing. -Farrington was following the finger of the master mechanic, as it moved -along over the traceries of white and red ink that crisscrossed the blue -print. - -"Here is where you start your spur," Mr. Blake was explaining. "We can -put you in a single track, you to bear half the expense." - -"You mean one-third," interrupted the bargaining old schemer. - -"I mean just what I said," observed the master mechanic grimly. "It is -a long reach for a siding, you have no right of way, and we are -supplying it, although we will have to run a pretty steep grade down the -ravine, for that is the only land we own in your direction. We have -right of way to within three hundred feet of your factory. As to the -strip that intervenes----" - -"Oh, there's nothing there but an old shanty on leasehold," answered -Farrington. - -"Can you get permission to cross it?" asked Blake. - -"He! he!" chuckled Farrington; "can I get it? I'll take it!" - -"Well, that is your own matter," spoke Blake. "All we want is a bond -guarantee for five years, that you will run enough freight over the spur -to equal a ten per cent. annual investment." - -"Isn't my word good enough for that?" demanded Farrington arrogantly. - -"The Great Northern takes no man's word where a contract is concerned," -was the definite answer. - -"All right, close the matter up as soon as you like," said Farrington. -"Here's where you control the switches, eh?" he continued, leaving the -plat and taking a curious glance about the tower. - -"Yes." - -"I should say it took a clear head and lots of experience to avoid -mistakes." - -"It does, and lots of muscle, too--eh, Fairbanks?" spoke the master -mechanic. - -Ralph nodded. He aimed to escape recognition at the hands of -Farrington, who, in another minute, would have left the place. He knew, -however, that he was discovered, as the magnate uttered a short, sharp -grunt. - - - - -CHAPTER V--THE STOWAWAY - - -"What's that?" called out Gasper Farrington, hobbling up to the levers -and staring at Ralph. "Look here, Mr. Blake," he pursued, his brows -drawn in a mean, savage scowl. "You don't mean to tell me this boy has -anything to do with your switching?" - -"He has everything to do with it," announced the master mechanic, -looking as if he was disposed to resent the manner and words of the -client he did not like any too well himself. - -"Well, then, it won't do!" snarled Farrington, getting excited. "I want -trustworthy service, I do. I don't propose to run the risk of damage -and loss with a road that hires kids for its most important work." - -Mr. Blake's lips drew tightly together. Then he remarked: - -"Mr. Farrington, the Great Northern knows its business distinctly, we -are responsible for any damage caused by the negligence or inability of -our employees. In this instance you may quiet your needless fears. Mr. -Fairbanks thoroughly understands his business, and I personally -recommended him to his present position on account of the cleanest -record and best practical ability of any junior employee of the -company." - -"H'm. Ha! That so?" mumbled Farrington, taken a good deal aback by -Blake's definite expressions of approval, while Ralph felt his heart -beat with pleasure, and blushed hotly. "All right. I suppose you think -you know your business. Only--he was a barefooted urchin six months -ago." - -"He has earned a good many pairs of shoes since then," observed Blake -crisply. - -Ralph said not a word. A spell of silence ensued. Farrington stood -like some baffled hyena held back from its prey. Ralph quickly and -deftly attended to the call for several switches, with a precision and -system that even interested the master mechanic. - -"It strikes me he'll do," spoke Blake, and Ralph looked grateful as the -master mechanic plainly evidenced a pride in the demonstrated ability of -his young protg. - -All this roused the vengeful, malignant Farrington to the verge of -impotent fury. - -"Ah," he growled, "favor cheap help, I suppose? All right. Though be -sure to make it your business if any damage comes, that's all. That boy -owes me a grudge, and if I know anything of human nature, there will be -a wreck on the factory spur before it's been running long." - -Ralph felt his fingers tingle. He decided that he had a right to speak -now. He faced about squarely. The mean-eyed magnate quailed at the -honest indignation of his glance. - -"Mr. Farrington," said Ralph, "have I ever sought to do you an injury?" - -"Yes--no--perhaps not," stammered Farrington, "but you would like to." - -"Why?" demanded Ralph definitely. - -"Because--because--oh, I know you. I know the whole brood. You smashed -a window in my factory, once." - -"Accidentally. And paid for it. Is that true?" - -Farrington squirmed. He wanted to back out. He found that he could not -domineer in the present instance. More than that, he realized that he -dared not. The master mechanic, with a grim smile on his lip, helped -him out of the dilemma. - -"Come, Mr. Farrington," he said, smartly clicking his watch and helping -him through the trap. "We will miss the superintendent, and you say you -want to close up this business to-day. Careful, take it a rung at a -time--you skunk!" he concluded in an undertone to Ralph, giving him a -significant look, and meaning the words for Ralph's ear only. - -Ralph felt as if the air was cleared of some violent poison at the -departure of this miserable apology of a man. - -"Faugh! I won't think of him," he soliloquized. "What possible -happiness in life can such people have? I wonder which is the worst: -Mort Bemis, poor and mean, or Gasper Farrington, rich and mean. Which -carries out what mother has often said: 'Money is not everything.'" - -Ralph dismissed his enemies from his mind, whistling cheerily at his -tasks. He thought a good deal about Mrs. Davis. He was anxious to get -through work and hurry home, to learn if she had called on his mother, -and if she had imparted to Mrs. Fairbanks any explanation of her strange -acquaintance with his dead father, and of her still more strange fear of -Gasper Farrington. - -From five until seven o'clock the tracks were kept pretty full. Ralph -had a busy time of it. He got through without a delay or a mix-up, -however. Jack Knight came up the ladder about eight o'clock. - -He looked pleased at the collected, business-like way that Ralph handled -things. He finally remarked: - -"Met Blake a bit back, Fairbanks." - -"The master mechanic--yes," nodded Ralph. - -"Keep it under your hat, now," continued Knight significantly. "Blake -was riled. He said he'd give half a month's salary to wallop one man in -Stanley Junction, if it wasn't business policy to keep down personal -feelings for the good of the service." - -"Who was the man, Mr. Knight?" - -"He didn't say, but no friend of yours, it seems. The gist of it is, -that this man--I'd like a crack at him myself--offered Blake two hundred -dollars to get you shifted onto some other section." - -"I seem to come high," smiled Ralph, although he experienced a faint -uneasiness at mind, as he clearly comprehended that Gasper Farrington -was up to some of his old underhanded tricks. - -"Well, Blake politely turned down the offer. He said to me, though, -that if any treachery or influence got you the jacket in this position, -if he had to fire every other man along the line, he'd find a place for -you in the train dispatcher's office at double pay." - -"He is a good friend," said Ralph, with emotion--"and you, too, for -giving me the warning, Mr. Knight. Knowing what I do, though, I think I -can take care of myself. I do not believe the man you refer to will -succeed in disturbing me here." - -"He won't, if I can help it," muttered old Jack doughtily. - -"Hello, there!" hailed Doc Bortree, the nightshift man, intruding his -bulky form and big, jolly face through the trap. - -Bortree was a general favorite. He carried an atmosphere of good nature -always along with him. - -"Well, kid," he hailed. "Busted anything to-day?" - -"Not yet," answered Ralph gayly. - -They sent him home forthwith. Ralph felt very happy as he descended the -ladder from his first real day's service at the switch tower. - -His work had gone smoothly, and he loved it. A spice of new interest -had been injected into his personal affairs that day, and his mental -conjectures were not unpleasant ones. - -"I wonder if Mrs. Davis saw mother?" he mused, as he crossed the tracks, -homeward bound. "Hello, a stowaway!" - -Ralph halted, just passing a line of delayed freights. A great thumping -was going on at the side door of the end car. - -"Someone in there, sure," soliloquized Ralph. - -"A tramp, I suppose. Stowed in at some point, and side-tracked here -this morning. Out with you, whoever you are!" ordered Ralph, unbolting -and sliding back the door. - -In the dim light of a distant arc lamp Ralph made out a forlorn figure. -The stowaway was shabby and peaked-looking, holding in one hand a piece -of wood with which he had been hammering for release. - -His face was so grimed that Ralph took him for a negro at first. Always -kind-hearted, the young leverman had not hesitated to give the stowaway -prompt liberty, and it was in his mind to help him farther if necessary. - -The stowaway glanced all about the yards as if fearing the gauntlet of -cuffs and kicks often in vogue for his class. Then, rubbing his eyes to -clear the glare of sudden light, he looked sharply at Ralph. - -"Hello," he exclaimed, shooting back out of view. "It's Fairbanks!" - -"What's that?" cried Ralph, catching the name in wonderment. "Here, who -are you? Do you know me?" - -Suddenly as the figure had vanished within the dark car, it now -reappeared. With a spring the stowaway cleared the doorway of the car, -landing on the cinders beside Ralph. - -"Take that!" he hissed, savagely whirling the club above his head. - -Ralph dodged. Mystified and unprepared, however, his usual agility was -at fault. - -A heavy blow landed on the side of his head, and Ralph fell flat. - - - - -CHAPTER VI--MRS. FAIRBANKS' VISITOR - - -It seemed to Ralph that his eyes closed tight shut for half a minute, -and then came open as wide as ever. - -He did not believe he lost consciousness for more than thirty seconds. -That, however, was time enough for his mysterious assailant to make -himself scarce. - -Ralph got to his feet, quite shaken. His hand went to the side of his -head involuntarily. His left cheek was scraped and full of splinters, -though not bleeding. A big lump was rising in front of one ear. - -On the ground lay the club that had dealt Ralph the blow. He moved it -with his foot to find it heavy, as if made of hard wood. - -"Why, the fellow might have killed me had he struck a little harder," -said Ralph seriously. "Who was he? It must be that he knows me, for he -spoke my name." - -There was a hydrant in the center of a platform space near by. Ralph -went over to this and turned on the water and sopped his handkerchief, -applying it to the lump on his head. - -"Was it Mort Bemis?" his mind ran on. "No, I am sure it was not. Bemis -is stubby and broad, this fellow was tall and slim. Looked like a -half-starved rat. Who could it be?" - -In a minute or two Ralph went back to the car that had proven for him a -kind of Pandora's box. - -He lifted himself through the open doorway and flashed some matches. - -The car was bare. It smelted of tobacco smoke, and there was a litter -of cigarette stubs in one corner. The other closed door was -back-sheathed with smooth boards. Under these Ralph discovered some -fresh whittlings, or splinters. He inspected door and floor more -closely. - -"Ah, I see," he observed: "the stowaway has been killing time by cutting -his name on the pillar of fame." - -The door surface bore a record of various jackknife experts. Idle -hands, belonging to all kinds of ride-stealers, had from time to time -cut their initials on the smooth boards. - -There were some pencilings, too--all kinds of doggerel slang and -initials. Thus: "Turnpike Tim on his fift' trip sout'." "Mugsey, the -Terror," and the warning line: "Bad road for tramps, twice for flipping -trains." - -The last stowaway, as evidenced by two letters cut into the board, had -sought to rival his predecessors. The newly indented initials were -nearly eight inches long, and formed an I and an S. - -"'I.S.,'" read Ralph. "The solution is easy. It was Ike Slump. Those -are his initials, and, come to recall my fierce assailant, he fits Ike's -size exactly. That mean attack, too, would be characteristic of Slump. -He was afraid of me. He needs to be. There is a standing reward of -twenty-five dollars from the railroad for his arrest. I don't want the -reward, but I don't propose to have him come back to his old haunts and -associates to bother me." - -Ralph walked home slowly. The blow he had received caused him some -pain. The addition of the malignant Ike Slump to the list of his active -enemies troubled him. Ralph knew what it was to fight a mean, -underhanded foe. The roster so far included not only Slump, but Bemis -and Gasper Farrington. - -"It's my duty to notify the railroad company that Slump is again on -hand," declared Ralph. "That will dispose of him. As to Bemis, I shall -seek him out and give him a warning. If he troubles me any further I -will have him arrested for his malicious mischief of to-day. It would be -a pretty serious charge--endangering the railroad property. Gasper -Farrington will not do anything openly to harm me. He dare not. But he -will work against me in the dark, if he sees the chance to do it. Well, -I shall watch his movements mighty closely." - -Ralph spurred up as he came within the lights of home. The lamp burning -brightly in the front room of the neat little cottage was always a -cheering beacon to him, for he knew it had been placed by loving hands. - -Mrs. Fairbanks, the tender, thoughtful mother, made that home a peaceful -paradise for her only son. She greeted Ralph at the door with a welcome -that made him forget instantly all of the cares and troubles of the day -in entering the sheltering of a rare haven of rest and contentment. - -Ralph took a good wash at the kitchen sink, put on a clean collar and -tie and a light housecoat. Then he sat down to a table steaming with -appetizing food. - -"Why, Ralph," instantly spoke Mrs. Fairbanks, "you have been hurt!" - -Ralph carelessly moved his hand over the lump on his head. - -"Nothing serious, mother," he declared with a reassuring smile. "A -fellow generally gets some initiation bumps on his first day in a new -job on the railroad." - -Mrs. Fairbanks was scarcely satisfied with this off-hand explanation, -but Ralph at once shifted the conversation into other channels. He made -up his mind he would not worry his mother with the story of his -encounter with Ike Slump, at least for the present. - -"By the way," he said, as he stowed away a hearty meal, "did you have a -visitor to-day, mother?" - -"Why, yes," answered Mrs. Fairbanks. "A lady--Mrs. Davis." - -"I am glad she came," said Ralph. "She took the ten dollars I wrote you -about?" - -"Rather reluctantly. She is a strange woman," went on Mrs. Fairbanks -thoughtfully; "I could not quite make her out. She acted quite flighty -at times, but I believe she is honest, and very earnest in her gratitude -and good intentions towards you." - -"Why, yes," answered Ralph, with a suggestive smile. "She promised me a -blessing. Have you any idea of what she was driving at?" he questioned, -scanning his mother's face closely, for he observed that it bore a -vague, disturbed expression. - -"I think I have, Ralph. It appears that she knew--or at least knew -about--your father, some years ago." - -"She told me that." - -"And she knows Gasper Farrington. She asked me a queer question, -Ralph." - -"What was it, mother?" - -"If father did not once own twenty thousand dollars in railroad bonds, -and if we had ever got them." - -Ralph stopped eating for a moment. - -"She said that, did she?" he murmured. "Mother, wouldn't it be strange -if she knew something about those bonds?" - -"She does." - -"How do you know?" - -"Because she admitted it. Mrs. Davis was very much agitated. She -seemed on the point constantly of telling me something, and then she -would mutter to herself and apparently change her mind. When she went -away she looked at me very strangely and said: 'Mrs. Fairbanks, when I -get the money from my sister to pay your son back the ten dollars he has -so kindly loaned me, I am going to tell him a little story about those -twenty thousand dollars bonds that may interest him.'" - -The bonds formed the topic of conversation for mother and son for nearly -an hour after that. They could only surmise and anticipate, but both -were very much stirred up. - -"I tell you, mother," said Ralph emphatically, "that woman knows -something of importance to us about those bonds. You and I and others -have never doubted that Gasper Farrington stole them from father. I -have never given up the idea that some day I would reach the truth, and -force Farrington to disgorge, just as we made him release the fraudulent -mortgage. I really believe things are going to turn so as get us our -full rights." - -"We will hope so, Ralph," said the widow, with a dubious sigh. "And now -tell me all about your first day in the switch tower." - -Ralph went to bed about eleven o'clock. He had a good sleep until eight -in the morning, devoted an hour or two to tidying up the yard and -assisting his mother in various ways, and at noon started for work -again. - -Old Jack Knight was on duty, and spelled Ralph at the levers until about -four o'clock. No unusual incident disturbed the usual routine until an -hour later. - -In starting to give a switch engine the siding, Ralph found the lever -would not budge. The locomotive engineer discovered the unset switch in -time to stop. Ralph megaphoned to hold stationary till he investigated, -and ran down the ladder. - -He found the lever cables chained to a wall bracket. Of course here was -some more spite work. He removed the obstruction, hurried upstairs, -switched the delayed engine, and kept an eye out for the watchman who -covered that part of the yards. - -When he finally appeared in view, Ralph hailed him and asked him to come -inside the tower. - -"Mr. Brady," he explained, "I wish you would keep a close eye on the -lower story here for a day or two." - -"Why, what's wrong?" inquired the watchman. - -"Well, someone is up to dirty work," replied Ralph. "They tried to put -two levers out of commission yesterday, and just now I found another -lever chained up." - -The watchman looked startled, and whistled under his breath. - -"That's pretty serious," he remarked. - -"It is," responded Ralph. "I wish you would keep a watch on strangers." - -"And discharged employees?" interrogated the watchman, with a shrewd -nod. "I think I know what's up, and who is up to it." - -Ralph felt certain that Mort Bemis was back of the last attempt to -cripple his usefulness. He did not, however, believe that Bemis himself -had chained the lever, for he had kept a pretty close watch of the yards -all afternoon, and had seen nothing of the discharged leverman. Ralph -theorized that Bemis had put some associate up to the trick. It was an -easy matter for any passer-by to step into the lower story of the switch -tower without being seen from above. Ralph made up his mind he would -seek out Bemis. When he was relieved after dark he did not go home. He -had made some inquiries of Knight as to the present whereabouts and -haunts of Mort Bemis, and Ralph thought he knew where to look for the -fellow. - - - - -CHAPTER VII--"YOUNG SLAVIN" - - -Railroad Street to the right of Stanley Junction was a busy, respectable -thoroughfare. There were a hotel, some restaurants, a store or two, and -beyond these some old residences. - -To the left, however, the street retrograded into second-hand stores, -junk-shops, and the like, cheap eating places and boarding-houses, with -a mixture of saloons. - -The lower class of railroad employees and the scum of the Junction -usually infested these places. At a restaurant called "The Signal" -Ralph, from what he learned that day, felt he was pretty sure to get -some trace of Mort Bemis. - -He went by the place slowly once or twice, but could not discover Bemis -in the crowded front room. - -Then he paced down the alley at the side of the building. Several -lower-story apartments showed lighted up. He approached the open window -of one of these. - -As he did so, he noticed that directly under it lay some person asleep, -rolled up in horse-blankets. Ralph nearly stumbled over this -individual. - -He glanced into the room beyond the window. It held a table, at which -was seated the object of his search. - -Mort Bemis was idly pawing over a greasy deck of playing cards. He -seemed to be awaiting the arrival of congenial company. Tilted back in -a chair against the wall near by, a skullcap pulled down over his eyes -and seemingly asleep, was a person Ralph did not recognize. - -Ralph now stepped cautiously over the sleeper at his feet so as not to -disturb him, and went around to the front of the restaurant. - -It was run by a man named Prince, who at one time had conducted eating -camps for railroad construction crews. He kept lodgers upstairs, and -derived a good deal of revenue by letting out the rear rooms of the -lower floor to card-players. - -Ralph entered the restaurant and passed through a curtained doorway at -one side. Prince, at the cashier's desk, gave him a keen look, but took -him for some new recruit to the crowd who infested the rear rooms. - -A narrow passageway led the length of the rear addition. Ralph turned -the knob of the second door he reached. He found he had correctly -located the apartment he had viewed from the alley. - -Mort Bemis looked up as Ralph closed the door behind him. He started -and stared. Ralph came around to the table, sank into the chair -directly opposite Bemis, and looked him squarely in the face. - -"What are you doing here?" demanded Bemis a surly, suspicious expression -crossing his features. - -"I came particularly to see you," answered Ralph calmly. "Can I have -your attention for a minute or two?" - -"Just two of them," growled Bemis. - -Ralph did not scare at the bullying, significant manner of the -discharged leverman. - -"It's just this," he said bluntly: "you visited the switch tower -yesterday and came very nearly causing a bad wreck." - -"Who told you so?" demanded Bemis. - -"Oh, there are plenty of witnesses, your former landlady, for one. -Another low-down trick was attempted this afternoon, instigated, I -believe, by you. Now, Mr. Bemis, this has come to a dead-open-and-shut -conclusion." - -"Has it? How?" sneered Mort. - -"I have legitimately succeeded to your position, and I intend to hold -it. You seem resolved to discredit and disgrace me. It won't work. If -you make one more break in my direction, I shall go to the -superintendent of the Great Northern, make a formal complaint of -malicious mischief, and then enter a regular complaint with the police." - -Mort Bemis did not reply. His bluff was gone, for he knew that Ralph -meant every word that he said. - -"There's another thing," pursued Ralph: "you owe a poor widow money that -she needs, and needs badly. If you have any sense of shame or honor in -your nature, you will find honest work and pay her." - -"I don't want none of your advice!" flared out Bemis. "You've said your -say! Then get out. I'll keep hands off because I don't fancy being -locked up, but," he added with a malicious grin, "I can't hold back my -friends from doing what they like." - -"You have had your warning," said Ralph quietly, rising to his feet. -"I've given you your chance. Leave my affairs alone, if you are wise." - -Ralph started for the door. Suddenly his way was blocked. The person -he had supposed to be asleep, tilted back against the wall in a chair, -had roused up with marvelous quickness. - -As this individual threw back his skullcap, he revealed the coarse, -bloated face of a boy about two years Ralph's senior. He was a -powerfully-built fellow. Ralph remembered having seen him once in the -hands of the police after a raid on a chicken fight at the fair grounds. - -"Easy," spoke this person, springing between Ralph and the door, and -doubling up his fists pugilist-fashion. "This gent is my friend, and -you've insulted him." - -"I think not," said Ralph calmly. - -"Do all your thinking quick, then," advised the other, "for I want -satisfaction." - -The speaker drove at Ralph with one hand. It was a sledge-hammer blow. -Ralph whirled half-way across the room. - -His antagonist followed him up quickly. His back now to the window, he -put up his fists anew. - -"I wanted some training," he chuckled. "Come up to your punishment. Do -you know who I am?" - -"I do not, and don't care," answered Ralph quickly, nettled out of his -ordinary composure by a blow that had nearly knocked the breath out of -his body. - -"Then you can't read the newspapers. I'm Young Slavin, the juvenile -Hercules, light-weight champeen. Come, wade in; I give you one chanct." - -"I have no quarrel with you," remarked Ralph. "Stand aside. I wish to -leave this room." - -"Ho! ho! When you do, it will be on a shutter." - -"And I shall not let you pound me. I warn you to mind your own -business." - -"Time!" roared the pugilist gloatingly. - -Ralph took in the situation in all its bearings. He realized that he -confronted a young giant. To oppose his prodigious muscular strength in -even battle would be to be hammered to a jelly. - -The occasion called for action, however. Ralph reflected for a bare -minute, and then he "waded in." - -With a rush he made a slanting dive for the brutal bully, aiming -squarely for his feet. - -Exercising all the muscle of which he was capable, Ralph grasped his -antagonist's ankles, took him off his guard, gave him a sudden trip, and -sent him toppling backwards. - -With a yell of consternation and pain Young Slavin went crashing through -the window sash. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII--A BAD LOT - - -Mort Bemis gave an astonished gasp as he saw his crony disappear like -magic through the window sash. - -His respect for the nerve and prowess of his successor at the switch -tower was immensely increased. He spoke not a word, being stupefied and -cowed. - -Ralph started to leave the room, unmolested now. A sudden outcry -checked him. He proceeded to its source--the open window. - -Below it on the ground a stirring scene was in progress. It seemed that -his masterly fling of Young Slavin had landed that juvenile Hercules -directly on top of the individual Ralph had noticed lying asleep under -the window, swathed in horse-blankets. - -Aroused from dense slumber by a terrific shock, this person had -struggled to his feet. - -"Well, well," said Ralph, his eyes opening wide as he recognized the -disturbed sleeper; "Ike Slump again." - -Ralph at once knew the gaunt, desperate-looking fellow, who had jumped -from the delayed freight car and knocked him down the previous evening. - -The stowaway's face was no longer grimed, and Ralph had a clear view now -of its natural lineaments. It was Ike Slump, peaked and -wretched-looking. His appearance evidenced that his stolen junk -operations and his later fugitive role had not led him into any pleasant -path of flowers. - -It seemed that Slump, skulking anywhere for hiding and repose like a -hunted rat, had utilized the horse-blankets as a bed. - -It seemed, too, that he was in constant dread of discovery and arrest. -He must have slept with a missile or a weapon always handy, for his -fingers now clutched a brick. - -Suddenly disturbed, his nervous fears aroused, at sea as to the cause of -the shock as Slavin landed on him, Ike had come erect, grabbing the -brick instanter. - -He was all entangled in his bed coverings, but he maintained a -staggering footing. He was reaching out for his disturber to beat him -off with the brick. - -"You've broken my nose," he yelled; "take that--take that!" - -"Murder!" howled Young Slavin. - -He did not use his doughty fists, for he could not. In blind rage and -terror Ike was striking out with the brick. - -He delivered several blows on Slavin's head and face that made Ralph -shudder. - -A final one sent the young pugilist reeling back against the clapboards -of the house. He was blinded with blood and pain, and shouted for help -in sniveling terror. - -Slump kicked his feet free of the entangling horse-blankets, and darted -away towards the railroad tracks. - -Ralph turned in disgust from the scene. He faced Bemis, who, his -curiosity awakened by the tumult, had come to the window. - -"You are training with a nice crowd, Mr. Bemis," observed Ralph. "Better -switch off and get back to the main tracks." - -"Lots of show for me, isn't there?" growled Mort sullenly. - -"Get a roundhouse clearance of clean flues and headlights, and try it," -answered Ralph. - -The allusions were technical ones that Bemis fully understood. But he -only blinked his bleared eyes, and more savagely gritted his teeth on -the cigarette he was smoking. - -"It's too bad," ruminated Ralph, as he left the place, shaking his -shoulders as if to cast off a spatter of filthy mud. "It is a terrible -warning, too," he continued. "Thank Heaven for mother, home, and -principle! Maybe those fellows haven't got all the blessings that keep -me in the right path. I wish I could do them some good. Well, I won't -do them any harm. Let Ike Slump go his way. I fancy the punishment he -has got will keep him from troubling anyone around Stanley Junction for -a while." - -Ralph did not inform the local police of Ike's reappearance, nor did he -lodge any complaint against Bemis. - -He imagined that his visit to the latter had scared off his enemies, as -two days went by and there was no further attempt made to obstruct his -services at the switch tower. - -Affairs there got down to a routine that pleased the young leverman. Not -a jar or break in the service occurred. He seemed to have glided -naturally into the details of the business, and was able to take it -easier now. He did not worry about wrecks any more. Following out old -Jack's definite instructions to always strictly obey orders and act -promptly, he simply watched 'phone, dial, and levers. He let the limits -tower and the yards switches take care of themselves. - -It was three days after Ralph's encounter with Young Slavin and the -fifth of his service at the switch tower. - -His shift had been changed temporarily. It was divided into four hours -in the morning and four in the afternoon. - -Ralph had an hour for dinner. That especial day his nooning had -something of the element of a new interest. His mother told him she had -received a brief note from Mrs. Davis. - -The latter in a penciled scrawl told Mrs. Fairbanks that the writer was -not very well, and would like to have her call that afternoon. She said -she wanted to pay back the ten dollars she owed Ralph, as she had -received a remittance from her sister. - -"Are you going to see her, mother?" inquired Ralph. - -"Surely. I will run up to her house as soon as the dishes are washed." - -"I hope she will tell you something about those bonds," said Ralph. "I -shall be anxious to know the result of your call." - -"What time will you be home, Ralph?" asked his mother. - -"A few minutes after five," he answered, and started for work, his mind -filled with all kinds of anticipations regarding his mother's visit to -Mrs. Davis. - -A crowd lined the out freight tracks as Ralph reached the depot yards. - -A circus had come to town, and the menagerie vans had been switched on -the street sidings early that morning. - -Now the big circus wagons were unloading these, to convey them to the -tent site up on the common. - -Some of the cages were uncovered purposely to advertise the coming show. -This had drawn a throng of excited urchins and the loungers from lower -Railroad Street. - -Ralph halted for a minute or two, watching the removal of some of the -cages. - -He moved up to one that was the center of a peering, engrossed crowd. -Those present acted as though something was going on out of the common. - -A person who seemed to be the manager of the show, and looking quite -serious and important, was giving some instructions to half a dozen -circus hands. - -Three of these latter had armed themselves with long pikes. Another -carried a pole with a crooked iron end, resembling a giant chicken -catcher. A fifth had a stout rope with a chain end forming a halter. -The last of the group carried an enormous wire muzzle. - -They stood beside a car which held a strong iron cage. This was empty, -and at one end its canvas covering was torn, and two of its bars were -bent far out of regular position. - -Ralph ran up against an old friend as he pressed on the outskirts of the -crowd. - -This was John Griscom, the veteran engineer who had impressed Ralph into -service the day of his first railroading experience when the yards at -Acton had caught fire. - -Griscom was on his way to the roundhouse to get his locomotive in trim -for a regular afternoon trip. His dinner pail swung from his arm. He -was such a practical old fellow that Ralph wondered at his taking an -interest in anything so trifling as circus excitement. - -"What's the excitement, Mr. Griscom?" he asked. - -"Animal loose." - -"Indeed? When did it escape?" - -"That's what's worrying the circus people. They don't know. They just -took off the canvas cover of the cage to make the discovery. The train -switched here before daylight. It was in the cage then, they say." - -Here the six circus hands started out on the quest of the missing -animal. - -"Search the yards thoroughly," ordered the menagerie manager. "Shoot, -if you can't corner him. It won't do the show any good to have him do -damage or scare people. Fifty dollars' reward for the capture of the -beast!" - -"What kind of an animal was it?" Ralph asked of Griscom. - -"Toothless old bear, I suppose, or a blind lion," bluffly answered the -railroad veteran, who did not have a very high opinion of the average -circus wild beast. - -Just here the menagerie manager seemed to discover an opportunity for -advertising the show and lauding its attractions. - -"I beg of you, gentlemen," he said, in a suave tone, as the crowd made a -move to follow the searching party--"don't impede our efforts by getting -in the way. Calcutta Tom, the largest and fiercest Indian tiger in -captivity in any menagerie in the country, is loose. This superb king -of the forests killed five men before he was caged, was brought to this -country at a cost of six thousand dollars, and, if captured now, will be -on exhibition this afternoon, along with the most marvelous aggregation -of brute and human celebrities on the face of the civilized globe -to-day." - -"And all for twenty-five cents--lemonade and popcorn a nickle extra," -piped a mischievous urchin. - - - - -CHAPTER IX--CALCUTTA TOM - - -Ralph walked in the direction of the switch tower. - -He noticed that all the tracks seemed unusually inactive, even for the -noon hour. The main rails were perfectly clear, and a good many -locomotives were on the sidings. - -Glancing up at the switch tower, Ralph was a good deal surprised to -notice that it was entirely unoccupied. - -This was startling. Ralph had never known that post of the service to -be untenanted at any hour of the day or night. - -Then he noticed on the out main rails near the tower a handcar. A -trackman stood with his hands on the pumping bar. One foot on the car, -his watch in his hand, old Jack Knight was looking impatient and -excited. - -"Hustle, Fairbanks!" he shouted, and Ralph came up on a sharp run. -"Here," spoke Knight, extending a slip of paper to Ralph. "Get down to -the depot master, double-quick. Then hustle back to the tower. I'm -bound for the limits tower, to keep things straight there." - -"Why, what's up, Mr. Knight?" inquired Ralph. - -"Mile-a-minute special from the north, due at 1.15. You've got fifteen -minutes. The out tracks are set for the 1.05 express all right. Soon -as she passes, set the out main after her so the special will take the -in tracks to the limits. No. 6 will wait at the limits while we shoot -the special to the out again." - -"A special?" repeated Ralph, in some bewilderment, "and from the -north----" - -"Obey orders," interrupted Knight crisply. "Nothing to move except the -express till the special passes. Understand? Don't lose any time. Get -that slip to the depot master, and hurry back to the tower." - -"All right," spoke Ralph promptly. - -He started on a run for the depot, as Knight sprang to the handcar and -it was whirled down the rails. - -Ralph had a right to be mystified. There was no special in place on the -depot tracks. The Great Northern had its terminus at Stanley Junction. - -There was a single track running north from the depot, but it was not in -use. It had been built by the Great Northern to connect with a belt -line fifteen miles distant, all equipped as to rails, switches, and -roadbed. Then the holding companies had some squabble. Suits and -counter-suits had tied up the line, and it was temporarily out of -service on an injunction. - -Ralph therefore comprehended that it was only over this stretch of road -that any special could be expected from the north. Further, he decided -that it must be a very important special that could gain the right of -way under existing legal complications and interrupt the regular system -of the Great Northern. - -However, the order was out and Ralph had definite instructions. He made -the depot in three minutes, and darted into the private office of the -depot master without ceremony. - -That official looked nervous and engrossed. He clicked at a telegraph -instrument with one hand, while he hastily unfolded and scanned the slip -of paper Ralph had brought. - -"Very good," he nodded. "Clear tracks to Springfield. If they boost -the special along on the other sections as well as we have done on this, -and our president can score a mile-a-minute run, he can reach his dying -wife in time." - -Ralph hurried back towards the switch tower. He fancied he now -understood the situation. The brief words of the depot master had been -enlightening. - -He guessed that the president of the road at a distance had been -apprised of serious illness in his family. Perhaps the attendant -physician had wired a time limit. If the anxious husband hoped to see -his stricken wife before she died, he must exert every privilege he -controlled as the head of a great railroad system. - -Ralph reflected that he might have been a thousand miles away when he -received the anxious summons. Influence and the wires had possibly -called half a dozen interlocking lines into service. Even the law had -stepped aside, it seemed, to speed the distressed official on his way, -via the north spur of the Great Northern. - -The 1.05 express steamed out of the depot just as Ralph reached the -switch tower. - -"That clears the situation," he reflected. "Set the out main for the in -switch after she passes. Hark!" - -Ralph bent his ear at an unusual sound. This was the echo of a sharp -locomotive whistle--to the north. - -"The special is coming," he observed, and naturally with some -excitement--a mile-a-minute dash through the depot and town was a -novelty for Stanley Junction. - -There was no one visible in the immediate vicinity of the switch tower. -The unusual quietude of the yards made Ralph think of Sunday. At a -little distance were many engines and freight trains standing on -sidings. They were held inactive on order. Engineers and firemen -lounged on their cab seats, looking down the yards north expectantly. - -Ralph rounded the tower structure briskly. He pulled out his watch. - -"Four minutes," he spoke, and turned into the lower doorway. - -In a jiffy he would be up the ladder. A turn of the lever, and he, too, -could sit down, and from his lofty point of observation leisurely watch -the mile-a-minute special flash by. - -Half-way across the lower tower space, Ralph checked himself. - -A chill, startled sensation crept over his nerves. He halted with a -shock, gave a vivid stare, and uttered a sharp gasp. - -A growl had warned him. Ralph saw a bristling, sinuous form arise from -the floor directly at the bottom of the ladder. - -Two fire-balls seemed to glow at him with venom and menace. In a flash -the young leverman realized the situation. - -Ralph Fairbanks faced the escaped tiger. - - - - -CHAPTER X--A MILE A MINUTE - - -Ralph stood dumfounded as he made out the great Indian tiger, Calcutta -Tom, that "had cost six thousand dollars to cage after it had killed -five men." - -The encounter was so unlooked for that Ralph stood transfixed for a -second or two. - -The escaped animal could not have been long in the switch house, -otherwise Knight or others would have discovered it. It had escaped -before daybreak that morning. Since then it must have been in hiding -around the depot yards. - -About twenty feet away from the switch tower were some open vault-like -recesses fitting into a brick abutment. This inclined from the depot -baggage room. Up and down this, baggage was run on trucks. It was -possible that for a time the tiger had lurked in some of these dark -recesses, transferring itself to the lower tower room within the last -fifteen minutes. - -Calcutta Tom was a formidable-looking beast of enormous size. Ralph -noticed, however, that while the animal growled and bristled fiercely, -it did not crouch or threaten to spring. It posed clumsily, showed no -teeth--if it had any--and seemed determined to act simply on the -defensive and repel intruders. - -Toot-toot-toot-too-ooo-oot! - -The shrill, strange whistle in the distance cut vividly on Ralph's ear -because it proceeded from that unusual locality--the north spur. - -With a thrill he caught its signal warning. The limited was coming, the -mile-a-minute special would be hammering the main depot rails in less -than three minutes now! - -Its engineer had right of way track signal from fifteen miles back. He -was not expected to be looking out for obstructions. The "O.K. clear" -order meant that he need not trouble his mind as to complications in -unfamiliar territory. The delayed express on the out track was hidden -from view by a curve. Even if discovered, the special, going at a -tremendous rate of speed, could not slow up in time to avoid a -collision. - -All these thoughts flashed through the young leverman's mind within the -space of a single second. Ralph knew that he must instantly scale the -ladder and set the levers, or else all would be lost. - -He made a reckless run for the iron ladder. Four feet from it, he went -bounding back like a rubber ball. - -Calcutta Tom had simply raised a ponderous paw. It dropped on Ralph's -breast with the force of a sledge-hammer. - -Ralph landed with a thud against the inside sheathing of the tower. Then -he stumbled flat, but came erect, grasping a broken brake-rod his hand -had chanced to touch on the floor. - -Again the "Clear the way!" signal of the speeding special to the north -sent the blood rushing through his veins like quicksilver. - -Ralph sprang at the tiger, striking out with all his strength. - -The bar was wrenched from his grasp by his formidable brute foe. He saw -it twisted up like a bit of flexible licorice. The tiger made a spring. -Its bristling form filled the doorway almost as quickly as Ralph had -sped through it. - -There the tiger stood, blinking at the light, and snarling fiercely. -Ralph gave a great gasp of desperation, and looked wildly all about him -for escape from his dilemma. - -No one on the sidings was near enough to signal to any advantage. By -the time he could summon help and explain matters, the special would be -on hand and the damage done. - -A cold sweat came out all over his body. Ralph began to quake. It -meant sure death to oppose the stubborn brute in the open doorway. - -"What shall I do--oh, what can I do?" panted Ralph in a torment of -agony. - -He ran out a few steps and looked up at the tower room. This loomed -twenty feet aloft, flanging out mushroom-fashion over the lower story, -which presented a solid base. - -The tower room was inaccessible, even if he could scale the lower -building. Ralph ran a complete circuit of the structure. Then his eye -flashed with sudden hope. - -As nimbly as though his tiger foe was directly at his heels, Ralph -sprang at and clasped a telegraph pole. Its surface was roughened and -indented by the hooks of linemen, allowing him to get a lifting grip. - -Ralph drew himself up slowly. The ascent to his overwrought mind seemed -to consume an age. It was just forty-five seconds, however, when -twenty-five feet from the ground, his slivered and bleeding hands -grasped the first cross-bar of the telegraph pole and he lifted himself -to it. - -A foot or two down and six feet away was the glass-windowed side of the -tower room. Ralph pulled himself erect till both feet rested on the -narrow cross-bar. - -He steadied himself on his dizzy perch. He seemed to have ceased to -breathe, and his heart stood still, so intense was the strain on his -nerves. The wreck and ruin of a great railroad system to his -exaggerated senses seemed to impend on his success in a daring dive. - -For a dive it was, and a desperate one. All the upper sashes fronting -him were lowered, as was the usage in clear weather. Ralph caught the -shrieking blast of the special. His expert ear told him that it was -less than a mile distant. He poised, wavered, and then made a forward -spring. - -There was a great clatter of glass. Ralph half hung over the top of the -lower and the lowered sashes, but his feet had kicked in the double -panes. He fairly fell over the sashes into the tower room. - -On his feet in a flash, the youth darted a swift glance at the tower -clock. It was just 1.15. - -"Made it!" he cried, but in a faint, hoarse tone--"made it, but just in -time!" - -He was so overcome that it was his sheer weight rather than any exertion -of muscle that pulled bar 4 over into place. Then Ralph staggered back, -and fairly fell into the armchair. - -The ordeal had been a terrible one. He understood how a man's hair -turned white sometimes in an hour. His teeth were chattering, his -cheeks blanched. He turned his eyes to the north, chained to the chair -momentarily in a kind of a dread stupor. - -A flagman across the rails was yelling up at him. He had witnessed -Ralph's sensational proceedings, and was staring at the broken window -panes. Ralph did not hear him. - -Instead, his ears were filled with a grinding on the north rails. -Tearing down them, swaying from side to side, shrieking out constantly -for clear tracks, a locomotive with one car attached reached the far -depot end and went its length like a flash of light. - -"The special!" breathed Ralph,--"on time!" - - - - -CHAPTER XI--SPOILING FOR A FIGHT - - -As Ralph spoke the special was a blur as it passed the tower, a flying -spot as it flashed to the in rails, a speck as it turned the curve. - -Ralph sat motionless till he caught its whistle past the limits tower. -Then he realized that his crucial test was past and done. - -The telephone bell rang noisily. The dial indicator began to move. The -delayed freights set up a piping call for service. For five minutes -Ralph jumped actively from lever to lever. He was glad of the task--it -diverted his mind from the harrowing ordeal that had so nearly unmanned -him. - -As there was a lull in the service, Ralph thought of the tiger below. He -started to send a message for relief over the 'phone. Just then he -noticed a familiar form smoking a pipe on a baggage truck near by. - -"Hey, Stiggs!" he called from the open window. - -The person addressed was a simple-faced, smiling man of about fifty. He -wore a railroad jumper and overalls, but they were spotless, as if he -had pretty light work. He wore, too, a regular fireman's peaked cap--in -fact looked like a seasoned railroad hand, but moved as placidly towards -the tower at Ralph's hail as though he was inspector-general and main -owner of the railroad. - -Stiggs was a character about the yards. He was one of the first -switchmen employed by the Great Northern. About two years previously, -however, he had got terribly battered up in trying to rescue an express -driver and his horses who had got wedged in on an X-switch. Stiggs -succeeded, but paid the penalty. - -When he came out of the hospital he was sound of limb, but his mind was -affected. He was not dangerous or troublesome, but he still imagined -that he was in active service for the railroad company. - -The Great Northern pensioned him, and he and his wife got along quite -comfortably on the sixteen dollars a month allowed them, as they owned -their little home. Stiggs, however, haunted the yards. He put on a -fresh, clean working suit twice a week, and went the rounds of depot, -flag-shanties, switch tower, and roundhouse twice a day regularly. - -He was so pleasant and inoffensive that all hands gave him a welcome. He -ran errands for men on duty, and at times unofficially spelled the -crossings flagmen while they went to their meals. - -His great need was tobacco. His wife would buy him none, saying they -could not afford it. When the railroad men rewarded his little services -with a pipeful or a package of his favorite brand, Stiggs was a very -happy man. - -"Want me?" he called up to Ralph as he neared the tower. - -"Yes," answered Ralph. "Will you do an errand for me?" - -"Sure pop. That's what the company hires me for, isn't it?" demanded -Stiggs cheerfully. - -"You know where the circus train is unloading?" - -"Over near the street--of course. I supervised getting their band -chariot down the skids. New men here--never handled chariots before. -They'd have smashed her if I hadn't been on deck to direct them." - -"Experience counts, Mr. Stiggs," remarked Ralph indulgently. - -"You bet it does--that's what the company hires me for." - -"Well, you go down and see if any of the circus people are still -around." - -"They were ten minutes ago." - -"Find the manager. You know one of their wild animals is loose?" - -"I heard so." - -"Then you bargain for a reward. Tell them you can produce their escaped -tiger if they pay you for your trouble." - -Stiggs stared in perplexed simplicity at Ralph. - -"But I can't," he demurred, "and I never tell a lie, you know." - -"Yes, you can," asserted Ralph--"at least I can. I know where the -animal is. You hurry the circus manager here, and I will show up the -tiger." - -Simple-minded Stiggs craned his neck as if expecting to see the animal -in question in Ralph's company. Then his face grew mildly reproachful. - -"I didn't think you would try to hoax me, Fairbanks!" he said -sorrowfully. - -"I wouldn't for the world, Mr. Stiggs," said Ralph. "I have too much -respect for you. Do as I say now--only hurry. Make a good bargain, for -a little money won't do Mrs. Stiggs any harm. Hustle, though--for -tigers are slippery customers, you know." - -Stiggs nodded dubiously, and set off on his errand. Ralph kept an eye -on the side of the tower where the lower entrance was, ready to warn -anyone approaching. - -He could hear the animal occupant of the room below moving about. Then -it quieted down, after a jangle of metal pieces. Ralph figured out that -it had made its lair in the darkest corner of the apartment where there -was a heap of old junk. - -He looked down the ladder, but did not venture below. - -It was about ten minutes after Stiggs had departed on his errand, that -Ralph had occasion to warn a newcomer. - -He had watched this person cross the tracks from Railroad Street in a -rather lurching, irresponsible way. - -As he came nearer, Ralph recognized the belligerent friend of his -predecessor at the switch tower, Young Slavin. - -Ralph had not seen nor heard from Slavin, Bemis, or Ike Slump since his -adventure with the trio at "The Signal" restaurant on lower Railroad -Street. - -As Slavin drew nearer, Ralph judged, from the way that he glanced up at -the tower, that this was his intended goal, and, from the way he -clenched his fists and hunched up his shoulders, that he had got himself -primed for some mischief. - -Slavin halted as he got within ten feet of the switch tower. In a -stupid, solemn sort of way he scanned its side, trying to determine -where its entrance was located. Ralph stuck his head out of the window. - -"Hello, there!" he hailed. - -"Hello, yerself!" retorted Slavin, finding some difficulty in steadying -himself as he crooked his neck to make out his challenger. "Who's that? -Fill my heart with joy by just telling me it's the fellow I'm looking -for--young Fairbanks!" - -"That is who it is," responded Ralph promptly. "Want me?" - -"Do I!" chuckled Slavin, cutting a pigeon-wing and giving a free -exhibition of pugilist fist play. "Oh, don't I! Business, strictly -business--young man. Will you come down, or shall I come up?" - -"I don't want to see you bad enough to come down," observed Ralph. "As -to coming up, I warn you not to attempt it, just at present." - -"Afraid, eh?" jeered Slavin. - -"Was I the other night?" asked Ralph pointedly. - -"That was a foul," cried Slavin wrathfully. "I've come for satisfaction -now, and I'm going to have it." - -"Not in working hours, and not here," declared Ralph definitely. "Hold -on, Slavin!" he called in some alarm, as his irresponsible visitor -rounded the structure, bent on forcing an entrance. "Hey, stop! Don't -go in there." - -Slavin had reached the lower door of the tower room. - -"I tell you to stop!" cried Ralph strenuously. "There's a wild beast in -there--the tiger that escaped from the circus." - -"You can't bluff me," retorted Young Slavin, making a determined lurch -through the doorway. - -Ralph ran to a window sill and seized a long iron wrench lying there. He -was really alarmed for the safety of his would-be visitor. - -At all odds, he felt it his duty to save even an acknowledged enemy from -a foolhardy fate. - -Ralph got to the trap, and started to descend the ladder. - -A curdling yell rang out from below, and Ralph saw tiger and pugilist -whirling together in a maze of wild confusion. - - - - -CHAPTER XII--THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OPINION - - -It seemed as if the escaped circus tiger had disputed the intrusion of -Young Slavin just as it had previously that of Ralph. - -Whether his belligerent enemy had tried to beat off the animal, or it -had attacked Slavin as he attempted to ascend the ladder, Ralph could -not tell. One thing was sure, however: the impetuous "champeen" found -himself in the mix-up of his life. - -The tiger was growling and snarling. Slavin was uttering muffled shouts -of terror and pain. Ralph fairly dropped down half a dozen rungs of the -ladder. - -The wrench with which he had armed himself was heavy, and had a very -long handle. Six feet from the floor of the lower tower room, Ralph -leaned as far out as he could, holding on to the ladder by one foot and -one hand. - -Swinging the wrench in the other hand and watching his opportunity, -Ralph landed a sturdy whack directly on top of the head of the -infuriated tiger. - -The blow was severe enough to crack the skull of a human being. The -tiger, however, only ducked its head and sneezed, but it relaxed its -hold of Slavin. - -Ralph saw its great paw cut the air in one lightning-like downward -stroke. He saw Slavin, with a curdling shriek, bound through the -doorway like a ball. Then the tiger turned, caught sight of his new -assailant, and crouched with a malignant snarl, posing for a spring. - -Ralph took aim. He let go of the heavy wrench, using it as a missile -now. It struck the tiger squarely between the eyes, throwing the animal -off its balance. Then with due agility Ralph shot up the ladder like a -steeple-jack. - -Once in the tower room he closed the trap and fastened it down. A -glance from its window showed some commotion in the yards round about. - -A wild, tattered figure was scudding in frenzy for the street. It was -Young Slavin. He was hatless, and, from neck to heel down his back, -every garment he wore was ripped exactly in two as if slashed -scientifically by a butcher-knife. - -This envelope of tatters and Slavin's fearful outcries had attracted the -attention of flagmen, engineers, and brakemen in the vicinity. They -shouted after the scurrying fugitive, they even tried to head him off -for an explanation. Slavin, however, lost to reason for the moment, -made a mad bee-line for Railroad Street, and disappeared behind some -freight sheds. - -Ralph hailed a roundhouse hand carrying a bucket of oil. - -"Shut the lower door, will you?" he asked. - -The man did so. It operated on a spring, and all he had to do was to -detach a hook from a staple that held it open. - -"Slip the padlock," continued Ralph. - -"Why, that will lock you in!" exclaimed the bewildered oilman. - -"That's all right," answered Ralph. "Thanks." - -He smiled to himself as he answered some switch calls. The smile -broadened as he ran over the exciting incidents of the hour. - -Young Slavin was probably more scared than hurt. In his muddled -condition, amid the semi-darkness of the lower tower room he might not -have discerned or realized what had attacked him. - -"He will report me a demon, and his friends will think me one, if he -shows up in those tatters, laying his plight to my charge," smiled -Ralph. "Well, I fancy 'the young Hercules' has got all the satisfaction -he wants for the present." - -In about fifteen minutes Ralph leaned from the window to greet a coterie -he had been expecting for some time. - -Stiggs, placid-faced and leisurely as usual, led a party Ralph had seen -grouped around the circus cages on the street tracks at noon. - -The six menagerie men still carried their equipment for capturing the -escaped tiger: pikes, hooks, halter chain, and muzzle. - -The manager, his hat stuck back on his head, nervously chewing a match -and urging Stiggs to hurry, looked very much excited. - -"Come, can't you hustle a bit?" Ralph heard him say to Stiggs. "Where's -your tiger?" - -Stiggs pointed up to the switch tower. - -"What are you giving me?" demanded the circus manager in -disgust--"that's a boy." - -"He sent me--he knows where the tiger is," asserted Stiggs. - -"Oh, that's it. Young man!" called up the circus manager. "Do you know -this man?" - -"Very intimately. I sent him to you. I have located your escaped -animal, as he told you, I presume?" said Ralph. - -"He did. It's true, then?" cried the circus manager eagerly. "Where is -the brute?" - -"Mr. Stiggs," called down Ralph, "are these people going to pay you for -your trouble?" - -"Oh, sure," replied Stiggs animatedly. "See there--they gave me a whole -package of tobacco." - -Ralph regarded the simple-minded railroad pensioner pityingly. He fixed -a censorious glance on the circus manager. The latter flushed and -looked embarrassed. - -"He said that was all he wanted," stammered the man. - -"Oh, well, that won't do at all," declared Ralph. "Your animal has done -some damage--in fact, came very nearly doing a great deal of damage. -Besides that, Mr. Stiggs is a poor man. You offered a liberal reward -for the capture of the animal this morning, I believe. Does that offer -stand good now?" - -A little crowd had been drawn to the spot by the presence of such an -unusual group. Among them was a young fellow who had kept with the -party since it had started out. - -The circus manager knew this young man to be a reporter on the local -paper, in the quest of a sensation. He could not risk an effective free -advertisement by an exhibition of niggardliness on the part of the -proprietors of the circus. - -"Sure," he said importantly; "our people spare no expense in catering to -the great show-going public. They spent six thousand dollars in caging -the famous Calcutta Tom, the wonder of the animal universe, and-- - -"You went over all that this noon," said Ralph, in a business-like way. -"What about the fifty dollars?" - -"Have you got the tiger?" - -"I have," answered Ralph definitely. - -"Produce him, and the money is yours." - -"Very good," nodded Ralph, tossing down the key to the padlock of the -lower door. "You will find the escaped animal downstairs here." - -The local reporter made himself unduly active within the ensuing thirty -minutes. He had written up Ralph Fairbanks once before. That was when -the young railroader had acted as substitute fireman during the big fire -in the yards at Acton, as already related in "Ralph of the Roundhouse." - -Ralph had proven "good copy" in that instance. The fact of his having -the escaped animal in custody, the litter of glass under the tower -windows, some vague remarks of the flagman who had witnessed Ralph's -sensational ascent of the telegraph pole, set the young reporter on the -trail of a first-class story in a very few minutes. - -The circus manager and his assistants soon had Calcutta Tom in fetters. -As they pulled him out into daylight the manager cuffed and kicked him -till the animal slunk along, spiritless and harmless as some antiquated -horse. - -He drew out a roll of bank bills, counted out fifty dollars, made sure -the reporter was noticing the act, and with a flourish tossed the money -up to Ralph. - -He wrote out a free pass to the show for Stiggs, slapping him on the -shoulder and calling him a royal good fellow. - -"Don't know if the railroad company can spare me," said Stiggs, shaking -his head slowly. - -"Come up here, Mr. Stiggs," said Ralph. - -Jack Knight came along from the limits tower just then. He was halted -by the reporter. Stiggs joined Ralph a few minutes later. - -"I want to tell you, Mr. Stiggs, about this fifty dollars' reward from -the circus people," began Ralph. - -"Yes, glad you got it, Fairbanks," said Stiggs heartily. "If it wasn't -for you I wouldn't have got the tobacco." - -"Well, I want you to tell Mrs. Stiggs when you go home that I've got -twenty-five dollars for her," went on Ralph. - -"My! that's a lot of money," exclaimed the old railroad pensioner, -opening wide his eyes. "Say, Fairbanks, that would stock me up with -tobacco for the rest of my life!" - -Knight came through the trap, the local reporter at his heels. - -"What's been going on here?" demanded the veteran towerman, with a -glance at the broken window panes. - -Ralph glanced at the reporter. That individual had a paper tab in his -hand all covered with notes, and looked eager and expectant. - -"If our friend here will excuse our attention to railroad business -strictly, I will try to tell you," said Ralph. - -"Certainly," nodded the reporter, but disappointedly, as Ralph took -Knight to the end of the room and a low-toned conversation ensued. - -The same was interspersed with sensational, startling ejaculations of -wild excitement, such a vivid play of interest and wonder on the part of -old Jack, that the reporter wriggled in a kind of professional torment. -He knew that Ralph must have a graphic story to relate. - -"Mr. Fairbanks," he said anxiously, as the two terminated their -conversation, "I hope you will give me a brief interview." - -"Really, I couldn't think of it," answered Ralph, with a genial smile. -"A tiger escaped from the circus and hid in the switch tower. That's -about the facts of the case." - -"You're a deal too modest," snorted old Jack. "You see, he's a stickler -for railroad ethics," he explained to the reporter. "Well, that's all -right in a young man, for the company usually want to give out their own -reports to the press. In this instance, though, I don't think they will -hold back the credit young Fairbanks deserves. You come with me, young -man, and as soon as I report to the superintendent, I think you can get -the facts for the liveliest railroad sensation you have had in Stanley -Junction for many a long day." - -Ralph had no right to interfere with this arrangement. - -Knight came back in thirty minutes, chuckling gleesomely. - -"Shake, old man!" he called out, grasping Ralph's hand with a -switch-lever clutch that would have made his assistant wince a week -back. "I guaranteed you to the company when they put you on here. The -man with the iron mask just thanked me for it. Thanked me for it, just -think of it--and smiled!" - -"Who is the man with the iron mask?" asked Ralph innocently. - -"The superintendent, of course. Ever see him? Well, they say he was -born with a frown on his face, called down his father and mother when he -was six months old, and spent ten years at a special actors' school -where they learn the ebony glare, the tones that chill a fellow, and -that grand stern air that makes a railroad employee shake in his boots -when the superintendent passes by." - -"Why, I have found him rather dignified, but a thoroughly just and -genial gentleman," said Ralph. - -"Thank you, Fairbanks!" interrupted a voice that made the two friends -start, and the head of the superintendent of the Great Northern came up -through the trap. "Quite a word-painter, Mr. Knight!" he continued, -glancing at old Jack with a grim twinkle in his eye. - -"Ah, overheard me, did you?" retorted Knight, never abashed at anything. -"You didn't wait till I got through. I was going to add, for the -benefit of our young friend here, that all the qualities I was -describing have made you the most consistent, thoroughgoing railroader -in the country, that back of the mask were more pensions to deserving -disabled employees than the law allowed, and a justice and respect for -loyal subordinates that made you an honorary member of our union, and -the Great Northern the finest railway system ever perfected." - -"Thank you, Mr. Knight!" retorted the superintendent, a genuine flush of -pleasure on his face. "I know you are sincere, so you will join me, I -am certain, in telling our young friend that the risk he took to save -the special this day entitled him to a high place in the esteem of his -employers and associates." - -"Right you are, sir!" answered Knight emphatically. "I'm proud of Ralph -Fairbanks--and so are you." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII--SQUARING THINGS - - -Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of -the Great Northern. He started for home, his work through with for the -day, feeling that life was very much worth living. - -He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage. -He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother. - -Ralph found the front door locked. He had a key to it however, let -himself in, and was wondering at this unusual absence of his mother at a -regular meal hour, when he caught sight of a folded note on the little -table in the hall. - -"I am at Mrs. Davis'," his mother's note ran. "She is not very well, -and wishes me to stay with her for a few hours. Please call for me at -her house at about nine o'clock." - -Entering the little dining room, Ralph found the table all set. He -proceeded to the kitchen, and discovered under covers on a slow fire his -meal ready to be served. - -"Always kind and thoughtful," he reflected gratefully, as he sat down to -his solitary repast. "Nine o'clock, eh? That gives me time to attend -to some pressing duties. Perhaps Mrs. Davis may have something to say -about those bonds." - -Ralph's mother had done her duty in seeing to it that he was not put out -by her absence. He now proceeded to do his by clearing up the table and -washing the dishes. He had everything in order before he left the -house. - -He sauntered downtown, changed a twenty-dollar bill that was among those -the circus manager had given him, and started down a humble side street. - -In about ten minutes Ralph reached the Stiggs home. It was a small -one-story structure, but comfortable-looking and well-kept. - -In the garden was a small summerhouse. A spark of light directed Ralph -thither. It appeared that Stiggs was banished from the house while -using his favorite weed. This was his "smokery." - -Before Ralph could announce his presence, someone spoke from an open -window of the house. - -"John Jacob Stiggs--smoke! smoke! smoke!" proclaimed a high-pitched -voice-. "I should think you'd be ashamed--at it all the time. If you -are so valuable to your railroad cronies why don't you bring home a -chicken, or a watermelon, or a bag of potatoes once in a while, instead -of your perpetual 'plug cut,' and 'cut loaf,' and 'killmequick'? Oh, -dear! dear! you are such a trial." - -"That's so--never thought of that," responded Stiggs from his snuggery, -in his usual quiet way. "But, my dear, something is coming. Some -money--you know I told you." - -"Nonsense!" retorted Mrs. Stiggs violently. "They stuff you full of all -kinds of stories. Last week you said they were going to make you master -mechanic." - -"I declined it! I declined it!" answered Stiggs in quick trepidation. -"The responsibility of the position--think of it, my dear!" - -"Well, I suppose you're my cross," sighed his helpmate patiently. "Only, -don't get a woman's hopes all alive with your story of five dollars -coming, and a new shawl for me." - -"Ten, my dear," interrupted Stiggs. "I've quite forgotten the amount, -but I am sure it was more than five. You see, I helped catch a -tiger----" - -"John Jacob Stiggs!" cried his wife severely, "you'd better keep those -wild notions out of your head. Tigers! Who ever saw a tiger in Stanley -Junction?" she sniffed disdainfully. - -"Why, I did, Mrs. Stiggs," broke in Ralph, stepping to the window with a -pleasant smile, and lifting his cap politely. "It escaped from the -circus now in town. Your husband helped me get it into the hands of the -show people, they paid us fifty dollars' reward for our services, and -half of it belongs to Mr. Stiggs. There is his share, madam." - -"Laws-a-mercy!" cried the astounded woman, as the crisp green bills were -placed on the window ledge. "You don't mean----" - -"Twenty-five dollars," nodded Ralph. - -"His? mine? ours?" - -"Yes, Mrs. Stiggs. You can have a famous new shawl now, can't you, -madam?" - -"Oh, come in. Oh, dear! dear! it don't seem real." - -Ralph stepped around to the door and entered the little sitting room. -Mrs. Stiggs could not keep still for excitement. She was laughing and -crying by turns. - -Old Stiggs followed after Ralph in a kind of dumb amazement, and stood -staring at the banknotes in his wife's hand. She chanced to observe -him. For the first time in his life, it seemed, her husband had -ventured inside the house smoking his despised tobacco. - -"John--Jacob--Stiggs!" she screamed. - -"Oh--my!" gasped the horrified culprit. - -The lighted pipe dropped from his mouth, and he bolted out of doors as -if shot from a cannon. - -Mrs. Stiggs was profuse in her thanks. She got more coherent, and -poured out her little troubles to Ralph, who was a sympathetic listener. -He gave her some advice, and his heart warmed as he finally left the -house, happy in the consciousness that he had bestowed some pleasure and -benefit where he felt sure they were fully deserved. - -"Anybody but mother would call me a chump for what I've got to do next," -he mused, as he proceeded briskly in the direction of lower Railroad -Street, "but I've got the impulse, and it looks clear to me that I'm -doing the right thing all around." - -Ralph proceeded past the long line of poor buildings just back of the -depot tracks. He looked into the restaurant where he had found Mort -Bemis and Young Slavin some evenings previous. - -They were not in evidence now, however, at this or other places he -inspected. Ralph made inquiries of some "extras," who had a good deal -of spare time, and were likely to know the denizens of Railroad Row. - -No one could tell him of the whereabouts of the persons he sought, until -he met a young urchin whom he questioned. - -"Slavin?" pronounced the precious street arab. "Champeen? He's at -Murphy's shed." - -A man named Murphy ran a cheap ice cream place further down the street, -Ralph remembered. The shed he also recalled as a loafing place for -juvenile road hands around the noon and evening hours. - -It was a great open structure where expressmen stored their wagons for -shelter. Ralph reached its proximity in a few minutes. He glanced -around the open end of the place. - -Three or four boys were squatted on the ground. Two of them had a coat -and a vest, on which they were clumsily sewing. Near by, wrapped in an -old horse-blanket, seated on a box, his eyes fixed gloomily on the -ground, was the object of Ralph's visit--Young Slavin. - -Ralph went forward at once. Two of the group sprang to their feet, -startled. Young Slavin, looking spiritless and cowed, craned his bull -neck in silent wonder and uncertainty. - -"Mr. Slavin," spoke Ralph promptly, "I have been trying to find you." - -"What for?" mumbled Slavin in a muffled tone. "I'm ripped up the back. -Out of training--see you later." - -"Oh, I haven't come to fight," Ralph assured him. "It is this way: I -saw you meet with an unfortunate accident this afternoon." - -"If you mean you made rags of the only suit of clothes I've got, it's -correct," admitted Slavin dejectedly. - -"Well, I warned you, but you would rush on your fate," said Ralph. -"Pretty badly used up, are they?" - -"Are they?" snorted Slavin bitterly. "They were ripped from stem to -stern. And what's worse--look at them now!" - -Ralph could scarcely keep from laughing outright. One of the amateur -tailors had essayed to mend Slavin's trousers. - -He had taken up a seam four inches wide. In pursuing the seam, he had -sewed it into bunches, knobs, and fissures. One leg was shorter than -the other, and stood out at an angle from the knee down. - -"No, that won't do at all," said Ralph gravely. "I felt sorry for you, -Slavin. As I warned you, that tiger was in the switch tower. I got a -reward for telling the circus people where it was, and I think it is -only fair that they pay for the damage the animal did. They advertise a -good eight-dollar suit down at the Grand Leader. Go and get one. That -squares it, doesn't it?" - -Ralph extended a ten-dollar bill to Slavin. The eyes of his engrossed -companions snapped at the sight of so much money. As for Slavin -himself, he stared at the bill and then at Ralph in stupid wonder. - -"Take it," urged Ralph. - -"Mine?" gulped Slavin slowly. - -"Of course it's yours." - -"You give it?" - -"Why not? I collected damages from the circus people--that's your -share." - -Slavin's fingers trembled as he took the proffered banknote. He -wriggled restively, looked up, and then looked down. - -"Say," he spoke hoarsely at last, "your name is Fairbanks." - -"Yes," nodded Ralph. - -"A good name, and you're a good sort. I jumped on you wrong the other -night, and I want to say it right here. I thought Mort Bemis was my -friend. This afternoon he took up with a fellow named Slump, broke open -my trunk, stole two of my silver medals, and sloped. That's what I got -for being his friend. Now you come and do me a good turn. I'm not your -kind, and we can't ever mix probably, but if ever you want anyone -hammered, I'll be there. See? I'm--I'm obliged to you, Fairbanks. -You've taught me something. There's something better in the world than -muscle--and you've got it." - -When Ralph left the old shed, he was pretty certain that he had made a -new friend. He had, too, won the respect of the little coterie who had -seen the terrible "champeen" eat humble pie before a fellow half his -size. - -Ralph went to a millinery store next. The Saturday evening before he -had accompanied his mother on her shopping tour. She had admired a hat -in a show-window, but had said she could not spare the money for it just -then. - -Ralph proudly walked home with the self-same hat in a band-box. - -"I have made quite a hole in that fifty dollars," he mused, as he left -the band-box at the home cottage, and started for Mrs. Davis' house. "I -wonder if I would be as extravagant on a bigger scale, if we should be -fortunate enough to get back those twenty thousand dollars' worth of -railroad bonds?" - - - - -CHAPTER XIV--A BUSY EVENING - - -The nearest cut to the house where Mrs. Davis lived was along a sort of -a ravine, and Ralph pursued this route. It was the shortest, and it was -here that the switch spur was to run up to Gasper Farrington's old -factory. - -Ralph was interested in this as a railroader. The work of grading had -already commenced. It was not to be a very particular job, as the -service would be only occasional. The company was using old rails and -second-hand ties. - -There was a natural rock shelf on the north side of the ravine. This -the roadbed would follow. There were several sharp grades, but there -would be no heavy traffic. The entire factory output, which was in the -furniture line, would not exceed a carload a day. - -Mrs. Davis' home stood back from the ravine about a hundred feet. It -was some three hundred yards from the factory building. Between it and -the latter structure was a low two-story house, very old and -dilapidated. Ralph wondered if this was the spot which Farrington had -said he would appropriate, law or no law, as the connecting link in his -right of way. - -"Mr. Farrington may well look out for wrecks," soliloquized Ralph, as he -passed along the ravine. "The freight business from the factory is not -worth enough for the company to put in a first-class roadbed. A poor -one means danger. They will have to go slow on some of those mean -curves and crooked grades, if they want to avoid trouble." - -Ralph turned from the ravine as he caught the gleam of a light in the -house he knew to be occupied by the mysterious Mrs. Davis. - -It was a desolate place, and he felt sorry for anyone compelled to live -so remote from neighbors. He felt glad, however, that the lonely widow -had been so fortunate as to find a friend in his mother. - -Mrs. Davis had proven her honesty by wishing to repay him the ten-dollar -loan. Ralph in a way counted that evening on some intimation concerning -the twenty thousand dollars railroad bonds. He was naturally wrought up -and anxious over this particular phase of the situation. - -The house did not front on the ravine. In approaching it, Ralph came up -to its side first. The light that had guided him was in a middle room. -Its window was open and the shade was lowered, but the breeze blew it -back every little while. - -It was a bright moonlight night. Ralph could make out the house and its -surroundings as plain as day. As he walked beside a hedge of high -alders, he paused with a start. - -Someone stood directly beside the open window where the light was. The -house shadowed him, but even at a distance Ralph could see that the -lurker was a boy about his own height. - -This person stood with his face to the window. Every time the breeze -moved the curtain, he bobbed about actively. He craned his neck, and -made all kinds of efforts to look into the room. - -"Why," said Ralph indignantly, "it is someone spying!" - -The breeze freshening, the curtain was just then blown on a forty-five -degree slant. A perfectly plain view of the room and its inmates was -momentarily shown. - -Even at a distance Ralph could make out Mrs. Davis propped up in a chair -with pillows, and his mother seated near by. - -The lurker at the window was taking a good clear look. He suddenly -whipped a card out of his pocket. He glanced at it quickly, then inside -the room again. The breeze let down, and the curtain dropped plumb once -more. - -Ralph made an impetuous run for the window. He came up to the lurker, -grabbed his arm, and still at full momentum ran him twenty feet along -from the window. He did not wish to startle the inmates of the house. -The astonished boy he had seized Ralph landed against the side of a -summerhouse. He never let go of him. His prisoner wriggled in his -grasp. - -"Hey, what's this?" he began. - -"Who are you and what are you up to?" challenged Ralph sharply. "What!" -he cried, loosening his hold in stupefaction. "Van--Van Sherwin!" - -"Hello!" muttered his companion, now faced squarely about, and staring -in turn. "It is you, Fairbanks? Well, that's natural, seeing your -mother is here, but you took me off my feet so sudden. Shake. You -don't seem glad to see me one bit, although it's an age since I met you -last. How goes it?" - -Ralph shook the hand affectionately extended. It was not the hearty -greeting, however, he usually awarded to this his warmest boy friend. -Ralph looked grave, uncertain, and disappointed. - -Of all the chums he had ever known, Van Sherwin had come into his life -in a way that had appealed strongly to every friendly sentiment. -Deprived of reason temporarily through a blow from a baseball, and -practically adopted by the Fairbanks family, Van's gentle, lovable ways -had charmed them. When he recovered his reason and was the means of -introducing Ralph to Farwell Gibson, Van was cherished like a brother by -Ralph. - -Less than two weeks previous Van had gone back to the wilderness stretch -beyond Springfield, where Gibson was keeping his railroad cut-off -charter alive by grading the roadbed so much each day, as required by -law. - -Through Gibson Ralph had got the information that enabled them to prove -Gasper Farrington's mortgage on their home a fraud. Naturally he felt -thankful to the queer old hermit who was working out an idea amid -Crusoe-like solitude. - -As to Van,--mother and son made him a daily topic of conversation. They -had longed for a visit from the strange, wild lad who had unconsciously -brought so much good into their lives. - -Now Van had appeared, yet a vague distrust and disappointment chilled -the warmth of Ralph's reception. Van had always been frank, -open-minded, aboveboard. Ralph had just discovered him apparently -engaged in eavesdropping. - -Thinking all this over, Ralph stood grim and silent as a statue for the -space of nearly two minutes. - -"Hey!" challenged Van suddenly, giving his arm a vigorous shake. "Are -you dreaming, Ralph?" - -Ralph roused himself. He determined to clear the situation, if it could -be cleared. - -"Van," he said definitely, "what were you doing at that window?" - -"Why, didn't you see--looking in." - -"I know you was. In other words, spying. Oh, Van--spying on my -mother!" - -Van Sherwin's eyes flashed. In a trice he had whipped off his coat. His -fists doubled up. He advanced on Ralph, his voice shaking with an angry -sob. - -"Take that back, Ralph Fairbanks!" he cried. "Do it quick, or you've -got to lick me. Me spy on your mother? Why, she's pretty near my -mother, too--the only one I ever remember." - -"But I saw you lurking at that window," said Ralph, a good deal taken -aback by Van's violent demonstration. - -"Lurking, eh?" repeated Van sarcastically. "I'm a lurker, am I? And a -spy? Why don't you call me a bravo--and a brigand? Humph--you chump!" - -The impulsive fellow shrugged his shoulders in such a pitying, indulgent -way that Ralph was fairly nettled. - -"I won't fight you," declared Van, putting on his coat again. "You -think so much of your mother that I'll forgive you. But I think a lot -of her, too, as you well know, and, knowing it, you ought to have -thought twice before you--yes, imputed to me any action that could do -her any harm." - -"You're right, Van," said Ralph, grasping both hands of his eccentric -chum, heartily enough this time. "I am so strung up, though, with -things happening, and so much suspicion and mystery in the air, that I'm -jumping to all kinds of conclusions helter-skelter. I hate mystery, you -know." - -"Sit down," said Van, moving around to the door of the dismantled -summerhouse, and dropping to its worm-eaten seat. "I want to tell you -something. I wasn't looking in that window expecting to see your -mother." - -"No?" - -"Not at all." - -"Then it must have been Mrs. Davis, the woman who lives there." - -"Is that her name?" inquired Van, with a shrewd smile. - -"She says it is." - -"You know her, then? Well, I don't, Ralph. Never saw her before. Yet, -I've traveled a long distance to get a look at her. See here--can you -make it out?" - -Van took from his pocket the card Ralph had seen him consult at the -window. Ralph held it up to the moonlight. - -It was an old-fashioned card photograph. Judging from its yellow, faded -appearance, it seemed taken in another generation. It presented the -face of a woman of about thirty years of age. - -Ralph scanned this with a certain token of recognition. - -"This picture resembles Mrs. Davis," he said. - -"Think so?" asked Van. "I know it does. It's meant for the lady in -that room yonder--when she was younger, though." - -"How do you come by it?" inquired Ralph. - -"It's a secret for the present, but I don't mind telling you. A -friend--a long distance away--asked me to locate the original of that -picture. Somehow he got a clew to the fact that she was living in this -district." - -"Yes, she came to Stanley Junction recently." - -"Anyhow, I followed out directions," narrated Van. "I've done what I -came for. The woman lives in that house yonder. I must go back and -inform my friend." - -"Not right away. Mother will want to see you, Van." - -Van shook his head resolutely. - -"I'll be back again soon, Ralph," he promised. "I wish I could tell you -more, but it's not my business." - -"That's all right, Van. I don't want to pry into your secrets." - -Van restored the picture to his pocket. He sighed with a glance at the -house, as if it would indeed be a pleasure to have a chat with his -adopted mother, Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Oh, Ralph!" he said suddenly, checking himself as he was about to move -away--"have you ever heard anything more about those twenty thousand -dollars railroad bonds?" - -"Have I?" spoke Ralph animately; "I seem to be hearing about them every -step I take, lately!" - -"Is that so?" - -"Yes, but always in a vague, unsatisfactory way. What made you ask that -question, Van?" inquired Ralph, with a keen glance at his companion. - -"Oh, nothing," declared Van carelessly. "I was just thinking, that's -all. You see, Mr. Gibson is a rare, good fellow." - -"He did me some rare, good service--I know that," said Ralph warmly. - -"Well, he's pegging away at that railroad of his, wasting valuable time. -He don't dare to leave it, because he might vi--vi--bother the word--oh, -yes! vitiate his legal rights. He told me, though, that if he could get -someone to put up a few thousand dollars so he could hire help, he would -go to some big city and interest capital and rush the road through." - -"I will bear that in mind," said Ralph thoughtfully. "I believe he has -the nucleus of a big speculation. There are rich men in Stanley -Junction who might be induced to help him." - -"Suppose you got those twenty thousand dollars bonds, Ralph," said Van -suddenly. "Would you be inclined to invest?" - -"I would feel it a duty, Van," responded Ralph promptly. "I believe my -mother would, too. You will remember that if it was not for Mr. Gibson, -we would probably be without a home to-day." - -"You're a good fellow, Ralph Fairbanks!" cried Van, slapping his chum -heartily on the shoulder. "I knew you'd say that. And say--I guess -you're going to hear something about those bonds, soon." - -"The air seems full of those bonds!" half smiled Ralph. "I wish -something besides shadows would materialize, though." - -Ralph felt that Van was keeping something back--certainly about the -person so interested in the mysterious Mrs. Davis, possibly in reference -to the railroad bonds, as well. - -Before he could express himself further, Van grabbed his sleeve and -pulled him into the shelter of the summerhouse with a quick warning: - -"S-sh!" - -"What is it, Van?" inquired Ralph in surprise. - -"Speak low, look sharp!" whispered Van, pointing through the interstices -of the trellis in the direction of the house. "You hate mystery, you -say. Then how does that strike you?" - -"Why," exclaimed Ralph, after a steadfast glance in the direction -indicated--"it is Gasper Farrington!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV--A HERO DESPITE HIMSELF - - -Ralph did not have to look twice to be sure that it was the village -magnate who stood just where he had discovered Van Sherwin a few minutes -previous. - -Gasper Farrington was stooping stealthily under the open window. He did -not seem to care so much to see who was inside. Perhaps he had already -seen. His whole attitude showed that he was listening intently. - -Ralph disliked Farrington. He had reason for the sentiment. He could -not recall one gracious action on the part of the miserly old man in all -the years he had known him. - -His present occupation, that of an eavesdropper, was so expected and -characteristic of Farrington, that Ralph's indignation was less than his -contempt. - -"What is he after here?" reflected Ralph; "no good, of course. Mrs. -Davis knows him and fears him, it seems. He is going." - -Before Ralph could make up his mind to any definite course of action, -Farrington, after a meditative pause, slunk from under the window. Then -he disappeared briskly around the corner of the house. - -Ralph ran softly after him and peered around the end of the structure. -He saw Farrington headed for town, across lots to the nearest highway. - -Ralph came back to the old summer house to find Van gone. He looked for -him, even tried a whistle signal both understood, but obtained no -response. - -"It's all a queer affair," mused Ralph. "Mrs. Davis seems to be a great -center of interest just at present. Perhaps she has told mother -something that explains matters." - -Ralph was doomed to disappointment in this hope. When he knocked at the -door of the Davis home, his mother answered the summons. - -"Mrs. Davis is resting nicely," she whispered. "It would only excite -her to see you to-night. Just wait outside, and I will slip away and -join you in a few minutes." - -Mrs. Fairbanks was soon on the way homeward with Ralph. She explained -that Mrs. Davis was quite unwell and nervous. She had stayed with her -and nursed her, and left her comfortable for the night. - -"She gave me the ten dollars for you, Ralph," said Mrs. Fairbanks, "but -she said very little about the bonds. I have an idea that she knows -something about them, and I think she has been writing to Gasper -Farrington. The last thing she said as I left her, was for both of us -to come to see her to-morrow night. She said she would get something in -the meantime she had placed with a friend to show us, in which we would -both be interested." - -Ralph said nothing to his mother about meeting Van, nor did he mention -Farrington's visit to the Davis home. He did not wish to worry his -mother, and he hoped that another twenty-four hours might somewhat clear -the situation. - -Of course Mrs. Fairbanks was more than pleased over her present of the -new hat. Her son's recital of the tiger episode frightened and thrilled -her by turns. - -Ralph did a good deal of thinking after getting to bed. He wondered if -Mrs. Davis was up to any double-dealing. Perhaps she knew something of -importance about the bonds. She might have come to Stanley Junction to -sell her secret to Farrington. Possibly later she became undecided as -to her course, her accidental meeting with Ralph moving her to favor him -in the matter. - -Ralph guessed that no one but Farwell Gibson could have sent Van to -Stanley Junction. Gibson had been mixed up in the matter of his -father's railroad bonds, years back. Was there some kind of a -three-cornered complication, in which Farrington, Gibson, and Mrs. Davis -each had a share, and all three playing at cross-purposes? - -At ten o'clock that night the local newspaper left the press, weighted -with the biggest sensation of the year, but Ralph did not know it. - -He was made aware of it next morning, however, as he left the house. Ned -Talcott, an old school chum, came running up to him fluttering a -freshly-printed sheet. - -"Did you see it? Did you really do all that?" he demanded, in -breathless excitement. - -"See what--do what?" inquired Ralph. - -"Well, just run your eagle eye over these two front columns!" chuckled -Ralph's ardent admirer. - -"Oh, dear!" said Ralph, in faint stupefaction. - -The ambitious newspaper reporter had dished up a wonderfully graphic and -interesting story. He did not seem to have missed a point in the -episode of the escaped circus tiger. - -He had got every fact about the special, every detail of Ralph's -encounter with Calcutta Tom, the sensational climb of the telegraph -pole, the swing of the lever just in time. He even touched on the -accident to Young Slavin, Ralph's benevolence to that enemy, and his -generous division of the reward with the Stiggses. - -"Whew!" gasped Ralph, concluding the article with a whirling head. "Why, -if I wasn't mad at all the bosh he has put into this screed, I could -laugh--it is simply ridiculous!" - -All the same, the reporter had written a very entertaining article. It -was the "fancy touches" that seemed preposterous to Ralph, who had gone -through the episode practically. - -All through the story the writer held the tension high as to suspense -and impending peril. He made the reader fairly see the glaring eyeballs -of the defiant tiger. He almost made him hear the wild beatings of the -heart of the desperate but intrepid young leverman. - -The warning shrieks of the devoted special on the verge of destruction, -the nearing hiss and splutter of the steam jets, the thunderous thunder -of the grinding wheels--all these were the thrilling concomitants of a -breathless description. It ended in the crash of the tower window, the -leap to the levers, the action that made of Ralph Fairbanks the hero of -the hour. - -The grand finale was a pathetic touch. It alluded to the great -throbbing heart of humanity always electrically responsive to such -appeals as that involved in the anxious haste of the distressed railroad -president to reach a beloved wife at the door of death. - -Three people whom Ralph knew stopped him to congratulate him before he -reached the depot yards. - -A cheer greeted him as he crossed from Railroad Street to the switch -tower. It came from a flag-shanty, where four of his firemen friends -were standing. Two of them waved papers. Ralph laughed and nodded -carelessly, but flushed with pleasure. - -"There's two men I would like to have see that article," spoke old Jack -Knight, emphatically slapping the newspaper in his lap as Ralph came on -duty. "One is the master mechanic. The other is that old skeesicks, -Farrington." - -Ralph was embarrassed by further congratulations all through the -morning. He had a pleasant day, however. The praises of his real -friends were very sweet, and the sense of duty well done was a spur to -his noblest ambitions. - -It was toward five o'clock that the crowning episode of the day -occurred. Ralph was busy at the levers, Knight was at the telephone, as -the superintendent came up the trap ladder. - -His manner to both these valued employees was more than usually genial. - -"Dropped in on my way to the roundhouse," he observed. "I received a -wire from the president of the Great Northern about an hour ago, -Fairbanks." - -"Yes, sir?" said Ralph, wondering what was coming. - -Shrewd Jack Knight gave a wise chuckle, and his eyes twinkled. - -"He mentioned you," pursued the superintendent. "He sent a long wire, -requesting an expression of his thanks for prompt service all along the -line. He added a paragraph that may interest you. As I take you to be -too practical a young man to get the swelled head, or impose on an -appreciation of duty well done, I will read the paragraph to you." - -The speaker drew a typewritten yellow sheet from his pocket. He -resumed: - -"The president says: 'I imagine that by young Ralph Fairbanks, who has -shown such devotion to his duty and saved the special under such -extraordinary circumstances, the intelligence will be gladly received -that my timely arrival at home probably saved my dear wife's life. The -morning papers here have a full account of his remarkable adventures at -the switch tower. I desire that you commend him warmly in my behalf, -and it is the sense of the road directors that, while you do not promote -him too fast, you must see that he gets what he deserves promptly." - -Ralph flushed with emotion. He could not speak. - -"Good!" commented blunt old Jack. "The president is a brick. You're -another one, Mr. Superintendent, and you don't lose, let me tell you, by -warming up a thrifty employee's heart by giving him the real stuff, -right from the shoulder, when he deserves it." - -The superintendent smiled and bowed, and went on his way. - -"Stiff as a poker, looks as if his only thought was to catch a chance to -fire someone," observed Knight, watching the prim, dignified official -crossing the tracks below. "Look at him--cold as an iceberg. You've -thawed him out, though, Fairbanks!" chuckled the veteran towerman. -"That's so--there is something I wanted to find out." - -He pretended to be mightily busy poring over a little red memorandum -book for a few minutes. - -"Got it," he called out finally: "Chief Train Dispatcher. One hundred -and seventy-five dollars a month. Keep it in view, kid. You heard what -the president said." - -"Nonsense!" flushed Ralph; "my highest ambition for a long time to come -is to run a locomotive." - -Mrs. Fairbanks regarded her son with humid eyes as he told the story of -the day that night. - -She did not try to express her emotion. She could not. Ever since -Ralph had resolutely started at work, there had been what she greeted as -a continual round of blessings. And Ralph shared her heartfelt -gratefulness. - -Right after supper they started together to visit Mrs. Davis. Ralph -carried a basket which contained some dainties his mother had prepared -for the invalid. - -On their way Ralph told his mother of the suspicious circumstances of -Gasper Farrington's visit to the Davis home the evening previous. He -thought she ought now to know of it. He intimated, too, that it might -be wise to warn Mrs. Davis. - -"If she would only talk out what is evidently preying on her mind," -observed Mrs. Fairbanks, "we could understand the situation much more -clearly." - -"You know she has promised to enlighten us in a way, this evening," -suggested Ralph. - -"The house is dark," said his mother, as they neared it. - -"Yes, and--why, mother! the door is open." - -Ralph knocked loudly. There was no response. - -"I hope nothing is amiss," murmured Mrs. Fairbanks, in a fluttering -tone. - -She groped her way down the dark hall and into the sitting room, -stumbling over some garments lying on the floor which nearly tripped her -up. - -"Mrs. Davis! Mrs. Davis!" she called, "are you here?" - -Again there was only silence. Mrs. Fairbanks sighed with deep suspense. - -"Perhaps I had better get a light," suggested Ralph. - -"I wish you would," said his mother. - -Ralph flared a match. He discovered a lamp on a mantel-shelf and -lighted it. Mother and son glanced about the apartment searchingly. - -On the floor lay the heavy shawl Mrs. Fairbanks had stumbled over. A -little table was overturned. A drapery that had festooned the entrance -doorway from the hall was torn half loose, as if someone had grasped it -in being dragged from the room. - -"That looks bad," said Ralph gravely. - -He took up the lamp and went all through the house. In the one upper -chamber the contents of the bureau drawer were scattered all over the -floor. A trunk was broken open, and its interior all in disorder. - -"Is she here, Ralph?" questioned his mother anxiously, as he returned to -the sitting room. - -"No," answered Ralph. "Mother, there is foul play here." - -"Oh, Ralph!" - -"I am sure of it. Someone has ransacked the house, and I believe they -have kidnapped Mrs. Davis." - -"But--why?" stammered the affrighted Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Why?" cried Ralph, greatly stirred up by tumultuous thoughts and -suspicions that irresistibly thronged his brain. "To secure something -that Mrs. Davis had in her keeping, I believe." - -"But who would do it?" - -"Who?" responded Ralph. "I can imagine only one person who might be -interested." - -"And that is?" - -"Gasper Farrington." - -"Right!" pronounced a new voice, startlingly near. "You have hit the -nail squarely on the head this time, Ralph Fairbanks!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVI--KIDNAPPED - - -Mother and son turned quickly towards the open doorway of the little -sitting room. - -It framed a forlorn figure--a boyish form covered with mud, hatless, and -disheveled. - -"Van!" cried Mrs. Fairbanks in astonishment. - -She had a warm corner in her heart for the refugee who had made her home -his for so many weeks when his poor mind was distraught. - -Her motherly face lit up, and she extended her arms in greeting. - -But Van edged up to her gingerly, and kissing her cheek quickly drew -back with the remark: - -"I've been homesick and hungry for a week just to see you smile and to -hear you call me your boy, but I'm too muddy and torn up for even a -second-class prodigal son!" - -"Why, Van!" cried Ralph; "how did you get in that fix?" - -"Run down by a team." - -"And you are hurt--there is a deep cut on your cheek." - -"Oh, that's a whip-handle clip from a very particular friend of yours," -responded Van carelessly. "Ike Slump." - -Mrs. Fairbanks shivered at the mention of that detested individual. -Ralph was eagerly inquisitive. - -"And about Mrs. Davis?" he asked hurriedly. - -"The woman who lived here--the photograph woman?" - -"Yes, Van. Do you know anything about her?" - -"I fancy I do. She has been kidnapped." - -"We feared that!" murmured Mrs. Fairbanks anxiously. - -"Yes," nodded Van briskly, "it looks that way, and I have had a lively -time of it. Did you tell your mother about meeting me here last night, -Ralph?" - -"No, Van." - -"Then I will tell her now. You see, Mrs. Fairbanks, I was caught by -Ralph peeking into this very room, last night. I explained to him how -it was. I had an old photograph of a woman who turns out to be this -Mrs. Davis. I had been instructed to locate her." - -"By whom, Van?" inquired the astonished Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"It's a secret, it is not my business in a way," he burst forth -abruptly, "but I can't keep the truth from you two. I think you ought -to know it. I think, too, that the person for whom I am acting, the way -things have turned out, would also wish you to know it. Here is the -fact: Farwell Gibson is the person who got me to come here to locate -this Mrs. Davis." - -"Farwell Gibson?" repeated Mrs. Fairbanks in wonderment, though Ralph -was not surprised at the statement. He had already half guessed out -what his chum now disclosed. - -"Yes," nodded Van. - -"Then he knows Mrs. Davis?" asked Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Ought to," answered Van promptly, "seeing she is his wife." - -"You astound me, Van!" murmured the mystified Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Well, she is. At least, the original of the photograph I showed Ralph -is his wife. I don't know all the details, only it's some more of -Farrington's fine work. You know Gibson was in his clutches for years. -Mr. Gibson and his wife had a bitter quarrel over money matters many -years ago. It seemed he had used some of her means in his stock-jobbing -operations with Farrington. They separated. Later Farrington made -Gibson believe his wife was dead. He did this to get Gibson to consent -to sign certain papers that furthered Farrington's schemes. Then he got -Gibson under his thumb, and drove him into exile." - -"I wonder the villain sleeps nights!" said the indignant Ralph. - -"Well, anyhow," proceeded Van, "Gibson got looking into matters, when -his meeting with Ralph led to your having your rights, and old -Farrington taking the clamps off Gibson by destroying the forged note he -had held over him for so many years. Gibson learned that his wife was -not dead. He sent me to try and locate her--which I have done." - -"But she is lost again," suggested Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Oh, don't fret about that," spoke Van coolly. "I'll find her again, -don't you doubt it. You see, all this concerns you and Ralph very -closely, I am sure. In fact, Mr. Gibson intimated to me that if he -could get into communication with his estranged wife, he believed she -could give information that would lead to the recovery of those twenty -thousand dollars in railroad bonds." - -"Everything fits to one conviction," mused Ralph aloud. "All this being -true, it is certainly to Farrington's interest to drive Mrs. Davis away -from Stanley Junction." - -"They drove her away, right enough," nodded Van vigorously--"in a close -carriage, behind a spanking team. It was old Farrington's, and the -drivers were Ike Slump and a fellow I heard him call Mort." - -"Mort Bemis," murmured Ralph. - -"You see," said Van, "when I left you last night, I had only one idea: -to get back to Mr. Gibson and report. I started for the depot to take -the train for Springfield, intending to come back and see you all in a -day or two. Well, on my way to the depot I ran across old Farrington I -got thinking that his appearance on the scene, spying on the woman -Gibson, was sig--sig--what's the word, anyhow?" - -"Significant," suggested Ralph. - -"That's it--significant. I thought I would watch him a bit. He did not -go home. He went to an old abandoned shanty near the fair grounds. He -met two fellows there, apparently waiting for him. They strolled up and -down the road, talking together. As soon as I recognized Ike Slump, I -knew deep mischief was up. I saw Farrington give them money. I caught -the name of the other fellow--Mort. I saw old Farrington to bed, and -lay down in one of his comfortable garden hammocks to think. When I woke -up it was daybreak." - -"Why didn't you come to the house and see us?" inquired Mrs. Fairbanks -reproachfully. - -"Couldn't bring my mind to disturb you, with business on hand," declared -Van sturdily. "I hung around, and saw old Farrington go about as if -nothing unusual was on the string. Then about noon I went down to the -shanty where he had met Slump & Co. No one there. They had moved -quarters, it seemed. I nosed around generally. About four o'clock I -ran across that Mort. He was visiting some stores. Acted as if it -wasn't exactly safe to linger around people, for he didn't lose much -time in buying some neckties, collars, cigars, and two new hats." - -"He robbed a chum day before yesterday," explained Ralph. - -"Oh, that was it? He looked like a thief. I suppose Slump didn't care -to show his face at all. Well, I took up the trail of his crony. He -started out the west turnpike. I kept safely in the rear. He beat me." - -"How?" - -"A man came along with a fast team. This fellow, Mort, begged or paid -for a lift. They disappeared in a cloud of dust. I went back to town, -saw your railroad detective, told him Ike Slump was on the scene, and he -is looking for him with a warrant for stealing those brass fittings from -the roundhouse. I thought I'd clip Slump's wings for good. It made one -the less to watch." - -"Whew!" whistled Ralph slowly, "you're action when you get started, -Van." - -"There is only a little more to tell," continued Van. "I went back to -the Farrington place. Just at dusk, who should drive out but old -Farrington himself, with his best team hitched to a close carriage. The -fates were again against me. He got out by the rear, and he, too, took -the west turnpike. I ran for a mile, keeping tab on a cloud of dust. -It was no use. I sat down on a log by the roadside to rest. In a few -minutes I keeled over double-quick, and lay flat. Farrington was coming -back--on foot." - -"He had left his team somewhere?" - -"That's it. I waited until he was out of sight. Then I reasoned out -that this was a very queer proceeding. I made up my mind that somehow -he had given that team over into the keeping of his two young scallawag -friends. I put for the country. I inquired along half a dozen -branching country roads I took. About an hour ago I gave it up, was -trudging back for town, when down the road came a team--Farrington's -team. One of its drivers flashed a match to light a cigarette. Then I -knew my people. I edged aside, but as the carriage flew by I jumped on -the rear axle, drew myself up, and tried to look in through the rear -little glass window. Someone was lying on the back seat. There was a -smell like chloroform in the air. I managed to climb right up on the -smooth, slippery top of the carriage." - -"What was your idea?" asked Ralph. - -"I hardly knew. Somehow, a quick suspicion came into my mind that the -person inside that carriage was Mrs. Davis." - -"It was." - -"I know that now, sure enough. I crept forward. That fellow, Mort, -happened to turn. Our faces came nearly together. I grabbed at him, he -at me. He must be a pretty husky specimen. Before I could save myself, -he gave me a pull and a fling. I went down between the horses." - -Mrs. Fairbanks shuddered, and looked solicitous and alarmed. - -"Ike Slump reversed the whip and struck out at me. I dropped into a -mud-puddle. For a minute anyhow I was insensible from the blow and the -fall. When I picked myself up the team was nowhere in sight. I came -back to find out if they had really kidnapped Mrs. Davis, and met you." - -Van sat down, pretty well tired out, at the conclusion of his recital. -Mrs. Fairbanks looked very serious, Ralph worried and excited. - -"Something must be done instantly," Ralph declared. - -"Hold on," interrupted Van coolly, "make this strictly my affair, if you -please. From what I hear, you need all your time and ability for the -splendid railroad service you are doing. You can't corner old -Farrington--he's too foxy. You can't overtake Slump & Co.--they've got -too good a start. It's a simple matter: Farrington is sending Mrs. -Davis out of the way. That team has got to come back. The police will -find Ike Slump. They don't dare seriously molest Mrs. Davis. I shall -keep on the watch. In the morning I will get word somehow to Farwell -Gibson. Then I will devote my time strictly to finding Mrs. Davis, -and--I intend to find her." - -They closed up the deserted house. Then all three took their way -homewards. - -"Of course you are coming with us, Van?" said Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Yes, ma'am," answered Van promptly. "I want to forget all about this -worrying business for twelve hours, so as to be fresh and bright for a -new trail in the morning. And I'm just pining for a good, thick slice -of your home-made bread." - -"You shall have it, Van," smiled Mrs. Fairbanks, trying to momentarily -put aside her troubles, "and half a mince pie, as well." - -"Home-made, too?" interrogated Van, in a famished way. - -"Only to-day." - -"M-m-m!" mumbled Van ravenously. "I'm homesick for one of your rare, -square meals. Hustle, Ralph--lead the way to the royal banquet!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII--A MIDNIGHT VISITOR - - -Ralph was a month old at switch-tower service. - -Looking back over thirty days, it seemed more than four weeks, so many -varied and important incidents in his career had been crowded into that -space of time. - -It was a wild, stormy night. Sleet and wind were battering the switch -tower windows. Although there was a chill in the air, the lightning was -vivid and the thunder roll incessant. - -The clock showed even midnight. Ralph for over a week had been on night -duty solely. Doc Bortree was laid up with a fever, and Ralph and Jack -Knight had been running the place on two shifts. - -Since the night of her disappearance, neither Ralph nor his anxious -mother had learned a thing as to the fate or whereabouts of Mrs. Davis. - -Van had left them the following day. Upon that day, too, Gasper -Farrington appeared, imposing and self-contained as ever, driving about -the town with his team. It had returned, it seemed, but Ike Slump and -Mort Bemis had not. Ralph looked for them and inquired about them at -many sources, friendly and unfriendly. They had completely vanished. - -Ralph and his mother had many consultations over the situation. The -former was for interviewing Farrington. He even suggested going to some -lawyer or to the police with his story of the disappearance of Mrs. -Davis. - -On second thoughts, however, he realized that he had very little -tangible evidence implicating the magnate to offer. Farrington was -wealthy, influential. To make a mistake at this juncture would be to -only strengthen and warn the scheming magnate. - -So Ralph concluded to wait patiently, hoping day by day that Van would -get some word to them. - -A week went by, two of them--no token from Van to show that he was -following up the Davis affair. - -About the middle of the third week, however, Ralph received a brief note -from Van. It had been mailed at Springfield. - -"I am laid up at Farwell Gibson's with a sprained ankle," the brief -letter ran. "Don't worry. Will soon be on deck again. Things -working." - -This was pretty vague encouragement, but Ralph was forced to be content -with it for the time being. - -"There's one thing," he told his mother: "Mr. Gibson knows all that we -know, and all that Van knows, and probably a great deal more. He is not -the man to be idle in a matter like this. Between them, he and Van will -probably do all that can be done in finding Mrs. Davis, and we shall -hear from them in due time." - -Ralph met Gasper Farrington face to face several times. The magnate did -not speak to him. He did, however, look very sneeringly and -significantly at the young towerman with a kind of triumphant -vindictiveness, Ralph fancied. - -Farrington was busy pushing along the work of the switch spur up to his -factory. It had progressed rapidly, adding two new levers to the -battery that Ralph operated. - -Another person Ralph was somewhat interested in crossed his path -occasionally. This was Young Slavin. He would simply nod to Ralph, but -the old rowdyish swing was gone. There was a strange, grave respect in -his manner. When Ralph tried to engage him in any protracted -conversation, however, Slavin backed off with an embarrassed excuse -about being busy. - -Ralph was pretty lonesome and weary that night in the switch tower. A -couple of night watchmen had alternately kept him company up to ten -o'clock. Since that hour he had been completely alone. - -The tracks were comparatively idle. There was a west train at 12.15, -the night out mail. The night in express train from the switch was due -at 12.05, but was reported delayed by a washout beyond Acton. Behind -her was the through freight. - -These were all the regulars Ralph had to look out for. About eleven -o'clock two trains had come in. The limits tower had given siding -directions on one, and a new depot terminal on the other. - -This led to a mix-up, nothing worse, but Ralph wondered why the peculiar -orders had been given. At 11.30, limits dialed for "Chaser on the way." -None came. At 11.15 the telephone called for a double switch on a -freight special. It did not show up. - -"Strange!" reflected Ralph. "Old Bryson is on duty at the limits. He -is exact as a die, and never jokes. Is the electricity playing tricks -with the wires, or is some one at the limits spelling Bryson and having -some fun with me? Pretty serious business to fool with, and a pretty -bad night to indulge in jokes." - -Ralph swung the out rails for the 12.15. He sat down in the comfortable -old armchair in ready reach of the telephone and plain sight of the -dial, and spread out his lunch for a midnight nibble. - -He was just realizing what famous doughnuts his mother made, when the -trap came up. Ralph had closed it to shut out the draught. - -A familiar head came up from the ladder. Ralph in some wonderment -recognized Young Slavin. - -"Oh, it's you?" he said pleasantly. "Come in--sit down." - -"No, I won't stay," demurred Slavin, shaking his outer coat, which was -dripping with wet. "I--you see, I was strolling by. Saw you up here, -and thought I'd drop in for a minute." - -"I am glad. It is pretty lonesome up here, you know," said Ralph. - -He noticed a certain embarrassment in Slavin's manner. It was a queer -night and a queer hour for Slavin to select for a stroll. Ralph -wondered what really was the motive of his visit. - -As Slavin shook his outer coat Ralph caught a gleam of bright red -beneath it. He was quite surprised to observe that this was a sweater, -bearing the initials "S.A." braided across its front. - -"Why, Mr. Slavin," he said with an inquisitive smile, "is that a uniform -you are wearing?" - -"Why, yes," admitted Slavin, turning as red in the face as the sweater -itself--"Salvation Army, you know." - -"I thought so. Joined them?" - -Slavin fidgeted, and regarded Ralph suspiciously from the corner of one -eye to see if he was laughing at him. Ralph preserved a reassuring -gravity on purpose. - -"N-no," said Slavin. "You see, I got tired of that mob I was training -with. They borrowed and stole all I earned." - -"I am glad you have left them," said Ralph. - -"Thought you would be, and thought I'd come and tell you," stammered -Slavin in a floundering way. "Oh, I'm playing no goody-goody act. I am -just holding my mouth, and watching those preacher fellows at the army -barracks. They're all right. Wish I was. 'Live and let live,' I told -them, when some rowdies pelted them and smashed a hole in their big bass -drum. So, just at present I am acting as their bouncer." - -"Good for you!" commended Ralph heartily. - -"You know I can bounce all right?" said Slavin significantly. "Well, I -must be going. So long. Oh, say--by the way, Fairbanks." - -It was evident to Ralph that Slavin was now about to reveal the real -motive of his midnight call. - -"I wanted to ask you," proceeded Slavin, rather lamely--"has anyone been -troubling you lately?" - -"Why, no," answered Ralph in quick surprise at the pointed inquiry--"but -who, for instance?" - -"Mort Bemis, for one. And do you know the fellow he went off with?" - -"You mean Ike Slump?" - -"That's his name. Look out for him--for both of them. I'll do the -rest," rather emphatically observed Slavin, doubling up his fist till it -resembled the hammering end of a big sledge. - -"It seems strange, your asking me about them," remarked Ralph. "I would -like very much to know where they are at present." - -"You would? I can tell you--they are right here in Stanley Junction. -I'm laying for them. That's why I'm up so late. I know they have it in -for you." - -"Why?" - -"Oh, on general principles of meanness. That's why I came to warn you. -I think," continued Slavin with a dangerous gleam in his eye, "I think -I'll get there first. Don't you worry--I'm pretty sure to head them -off. Only keep an eye open." - -"Thank you," said Ralph. "So they are back in town? Are they going -about openly?" - -"They came late this afternoon. A friend told me he saw them driving -along in a cab, fixed up reckless. He said they had on the latest new -togs, diamond pins, kid gloves, et settery, till you couldn't rest." - -"I should think that was rather venturesome on Slump's part," said -Ralph. - -"You mean, because there's a warrant out for him on that old -junk-stealing case?" - -"Yes," answered Ralph. - -"It's settled." - -"It's--what?" demanded Ralph in profound astonishment. - -"Settled--at least fixed up in some way." - -"How do you know?" inquired Ralph skeptically. - -"Adair, the road detective, told a crossings man, boiling hot over it. -Said that Slump had gone to the justice, put in an appearance, and was -bound over to next court term." - -"Why," said Ralph, "that looks incredible. He would have to give -bonds." - -"Yes, five hundred dollars' bail. He gave it, right enough. Bondsman -was right there. The thing had been cut and dried beforehand." - -"Who was his bondsman--did you learn?" asked Ralph. - -"Sure--it was old Gasper Farrington." - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII--A DESPERATE CHANCE - - -"Gasper Farrington again!" cried Ralph. - -His thoughts ran rapidly. At a good many turns of late, it seemed, the -miserly magnate of Stanley Junction was coming into his life. - -To Ralph the solution of the present problem was prompt and logical: -Farrington probably had the unfortunate Mrs. Davis in his power. He had -hired Mort Bemis and Ike Slump to kidnap her. Now he himself was at the -mercy and in the clutches of his conscienceless confederates. - -Ralph theorized that he had paid his accomplices a goodly sum of money -for their assistance. For a time, with plenty of ready cash in their -possession, they had found diversion in the city. The longing to cut a -dash at home, however, had brought them back to Stanley Junction. - -It looked as if Slump had set a price for his silence and secrecy -regarding the magnate's schemes. He had probably demanded that -Farrington go on his bail bond, and afterwards stand back of him in the -trial with his wealth and influence. - -"I am very much obliged to you for what you have told me, Slavin," said -Ralph at last. "Also for your kindly intentions toward me. If I were -you, though, I wouldn't go getting into trouble with those two fellows." - -"Trouble?" cried Slavin wrathfully. "I want to get back my medals. Say, -if those fellows who stole them have sold them where I can't get them, -or melted them down, I'll pretty near cripple them for life. But you -mind what I came to tell you. They hate you, and they'll try and trap -you. So, you watch out close. As I say, I'll do the rest. I'm going." - -"Good-night, Slavin," answered Ralph, extending his hand. - -Slavin started at the sight of it. He flushed, looked pleased, and his -big broad paw shot out. - -"You honor me," he said, "and I'm proud of it. Oh, say--'sense! -'sense!" - -"Excuse what?" demanded Ralph calmly, with a twinkle in his eye. - -Slavin had unconsciously given Ralph the crushing hand-shake that used -to lay up unsuspicious new acquaintances for a week. To his surprise -the grip was returned with equal force. Ralph did not even wince. - -"You're a good one," pronounced Slavin, in genuine admiration. "I -thought I'd hurt you." - -"Pulling those levers is a great muscle-builder," explained Ralph. - -"Looks so, in your case," admitted Slavin. "Say," he added, in a kind -of longing sigh, his eyes sparkling as they ran the grim battery of -switch pullers--"there's my ambition in life." - -"What's that, Slavin--tower duty?" - -"Oh, anything in the railroad line, from pulling up piles to driving -spikes," declared Slavin, swinging his big arms about restlessly. -"There's no bad in me. I'd love to work. Only, you see, I was born -strong, and something has kept me pushing my muscle to the fore. It led -to encouraging me to be a bruiser. I tell you, if I had a job like -this, where I could work off the extra steam, I'd just make a record." - -"Then--why not?" inquired Ralph. - -"You mean, why not get the job?" exclaimed Slavin in an eager breath. - -"Exactly." - -"Would they have me?" - -"Again, why not?" said Ralph--"if you are in earnest." - -"Oh, am I!" - -"I'll speak to Mr. Knight. I will do more. I will ask the depot master -to take your application, Slavin," said Ralph earnestly, laying a gentle -hand on the big fellow's shoulder, "you have shown yourself a man -to-night. Keep it up, and"--Ralph smiled significantly as he quoted -Slavin's own recent words--"I'll do the rest." - -Slavin dashed an impetuous hand across his eyes. They had filled with a -suspicious moisture. He evidently could not trust himself to speak -further, for as he started down the trap ladder he only waved Ralph a -clumsy, silent adieu. - -The episode of Young Slavin's visit had been a pleasant diversion to the -monotony of the hour Ralph pulled the out switch for the 12.15 mail. -Then he sat down again and finished his lunch. - -The storm raged on with unabated fury. There was nothing to do now -until morning except to watch out for the night express and the regular -freight. - -The express, Ralph knew, was stalled by a wash-out beyond Acton. -Naturally the freight, blocked behind it, could not get through until -the road was cleared. Ralph walked up and down the tower for exercise. -Suddenly he threw up a window. - -Some moving lanterns over on the repair trade attracted his attention. -Their flare and that of the lightning showed him three men getting a -handcar in to service. One of them ran up to the tower and made a -trumpet of his hands. - -"Give us the out track," he called. - -"All right," answered Ralph - -"Train ditched--wrecking crew ordered out." - -"Yes, I know--the wash-out at Acton," said Ralph--"the in express." - -"No, the outmail--just beyond the limits." - -"What!" cried Ralph in a startled tone. - -He kept at the levers until he saw the handcar speed safely down the -main rails. Then he ran to the telephone and called up the limits -tower. - -There was no action, and no response. - -"That's bad," murmured Ralph--"fuse burned out. The lightning has put -the 'phone out of commission. I wish I understood things straight. Two -trains delayed by the wash-out. The mail ditched. Bad shape all -around, this, for such a night." - -Ralph wished he could run up to the dispatcher's office and get more -information at the depot. This he dared not do, however. He paced up -and down restlessly, wondering how serious the mishap to the mail might -be. - -It was precisely one o'clock when the dial hand moved with a kind of an -electric tang. It circled and then shot back, as if directed by an -erratic hand. - -Ralph watched it intently. That dial disc was his only present reliable -communication with the outside railroad world. The pointer vibrated, -then halted. - -"Through freight, track 7," it directed. - -"Why," exclaimed Ralph, "that can't be! The through freight is stalled -at Acton behind the express, and--why, she's coming now!" - -He could hardly believe his eyes. Usually a minute and a half elapsed -before a train announced at the limits showed coming around the curve. - -Now, boring the water-laden air with a quiver that showed full speed, a -great laboring headlight glared along the in tracks. - -Had Ralph caught her sooner, he could have switched onto any one of the -half a dozen tracks which were empty. She was now past all the main -switches, however, except the in passenger track 7 and inside 6. - -"It is No. 3, the through freight, sure enough," said Ralph, recognizing -the approaching train with the intuitive sense of experience. The -headlight, the sway of the ponderous locomotive, the very sound of the -long train, vague as it was, told a sure story to his practiced eye and -ear. - -"She must have got around the wash-out and ahead of the express," said -Ralph. "Why, there's some mistake at the limits. She should have been -given the long freight siding, and she has passed it, and--track 7. It's -in use!" - -Ralph, darting to the levers, uttered these words in a great hollow -shout. - -Lever 7, operating the switches of that set of rails, had a card hung to -its handle. These cards were always used nights as a guide to the -levermen, where any special, extra, or transient cars, passenger or -freight, were stationary. - -The sight of the card recalled a startling fact to Ralph: at the depot -end of track 7 lay the occupied tourist car of an Uncle Tom's Cabin -theatrical troupe which was then visiting Stanley Junction. - -"Something wrong at limits--everything wrong here!" panted Ralph, his -heart suddenly beating like a trip-hammer. "What shall I do?" - -He shot a glance at the nearing headlight. Relying on limits signals, -evidently expecting the long freight siding, in the darkness and storm -taking no note of outside switches, and behind time, those in charge of -the through freight had nearly full speed set. - -Ralph felt the blood leave his face. Through his mind in rapid sequence -ran the plat of switches at the depot yards. - -"No. 6, or destruction!" he gasped. "I've got to make the choice. It's -the only track open. Open--no!" he added, with a new thrill of -apprehension, "but--there's no other way." - -He pulled the lever that would send the through freight down track 6. -Then a wild tumult seized him. He darted for the trap. He almost fell -the length of the iron-runged ladder. Then Ralph sprang through the -doorway and tore across the tracks. - -Track 6 was not empty. At its bumpered end were three old empty -freights. Ralph, however, counted their destruction as of little -consequence as compared with a crash on track 7 into the theatre car, -holding perhaps a dozen sleeping inmates. He had made an independent -choice. He had saved them. Now, if possible, to save the freight train -from a collision! - -As he passed the switch he tore from a pivot the signal lantern resting -there. Carrying it in his arms, he dashed forward diagonally to meet -the rushing freight. Extending its red slide, he waved frantically up -and down and across, yelling at the top of his voice. - -The locomotive of the through freight whizzed by him. In the blur of -rain and radiance Ralph fancied a grizzled head was poked out through -the cab window. At all events he caught the quick, harsh whistle of the -air brakes. A jolt shook the long freights. His signal had been -observed. - -Following the locomotive with his eye, Ralph saw, three hundred yards -further on, a figure suddenly cleave the air. The engineer had put on -full stop brakes and had jumped. - -The train was slowing up. Would she stop in time? Car after car -whirled by. Then crash! Far ahead, the last car past him, Ralph caught -the ominous sound, and shivered and gasped. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX--THE DOUBLE WRECK - - -Ralph Fairbanks had disobeyed orders. - -That was the first overwhelming thought that rushed through the young -leverman's mind. He stood in the midst of the storm, still clasping the -red switch light. - -The echo of that ominous crash was in his ears. Louder and fiercer, it -seemed, thumping away at his heart with a dull, depressing force, was -the realization that he had violated the stringent instructions of his -superior, Jack Knight: "Never disobey orders!" - -Something had been wrong at the limits tower--hence, two wrecks within -sixty minutes. But that was not Ralph's business. Limits had ordered -track 7. He had sent the through freight down track 6. No matter what -humane sense had prompted his choice, the railroad rgime was strictly -inviolable. There had been a wreck, how bad he did not yet know, and he -was responsible for it. - -The freight had come to a stop. Lanterns now began to flit in its -vicinity. Above the raging tumult of the storm, vague shouts reached -Ralph's ear. - -A brakeman, carrying a lantern, came rushing towards him. - -"What has happened?" asked Ralph faintly. - -"Towerman?" queried the brakeman sharply, flashing the lantern in -Ralph's face. "Only a shake-up at my end. What's ahead, I don't know. -Nothing coming behind?" - -"No--get me word how bad the smash-up is, will you?" and, recalled to -his duty by the brakeman's appearance, Ralph hurried back to the tower. - -He closed the switch on track 6. Then, somewhat faint and badly -worried, he sank into the armchair. Nothing was due on regular -schedule. The express was reported stalled. Still, so many strange -mix-ups had occurred during the night, that Ralph watched the dial, on -the keen edge of suspense and distraction. - -"Hello!" he cried finally, and started to his feet in wonder. - -The dial disc transfixed his glance. It had begun to work. Within -thirty seconds it indicated as many varied orders. It scheduled -freights, passengers, "chasers." It called for one switch after -another. - -In stupefaction Ralph watched the brass index finger flit, whirl, and -tremble. Then it circled round and round several times, vibrated at -"blank," and rested there. - -"Why!" gasped the stupefied Ralph, "am I crazy, or is someone else at -the other end of the line?" - -Voices below made Ralph start, listen, and watch. A grimed face came up -through the trap. Ralph recognized the fireman of the through freight. - -"Quick!" he spoke--"how bad?" - -"Three empty freights kindling wood, front of the engine stove in," -reported the fireman. - -"No one hurt?" - -"Not a soul." - -"Thank Heaven!" murmured Ralph presently. - -"I jumped, after the shutting down of the air brakes," went on the -fireman. "So did Foster. But say, kid, why in the world didn't you -give us the long siding?" - -"Orders from limits for 7," explained Ralph. "It was a desperate -chance. I took it, and gave you 6, for 7 was in use with a sleeper. Are -you going to the depot? Please tell the dispatcher our 'phone is burned -out, something wrong at limits, and to send to me for a report right -away." - -"There's a mix-up all along the line, the way things look," observed the -fireman, disappearing. - -Ralph took up a position at an open window. He watched the lanterns -bobbing along the tracks and at the depot. - -He was unnerved and in a direful condition of suspense. Only the glad -thought that no loss of life attended the collision sustained him. - -The train dispatcher's assistant put in an appearance in about twenty -minutes. He looked flustered as he told Ralph that they had two wrecks -on their hands. - -Ralph made his report clearly, concisely. His visitor looked astonished -as he learned of the amazing gyrations of the signal dial. - -"You're a brick, just the same, Fairbanks!" said the man, as Ralph -concluded his report. "If the freight had got track 7, there would have -been a fine slaughter for the railroad company to pay for." - -"I disobeyed orders," observed Ralph in a depressed tone. - -"Whose orders?" - -"Limits." - -"Limits seems to have made a fine mess of it all along the line, and we -are going to find out why, very promptly." - -"I wish you would send a messenger for Mr. Knight," said Ralph. "I -think he ought to be here to straighten things out." - -"We have done that already." - -"Look--see!" cried Ralph suddenly. - -The dial began its strange manifestations again. The man from the -dispatcher's office started, gulped, and with a mutter of astonishment -and concern ran down the trap ladder. - -The depot yards became a scene of activity as the minutes wore on. - -The seriousness of the occasion, with three trains out of service, -called for immediate attention. Handcars were flitting hither and -thither. Ralph was kept busy sending them on their way. - -The master mechanic, depot master, and Jack Knight made up one handcar -load. Two engines with tackle and relief cars came down from the -roundhouse, lining up at the side of the through freight. - -Ralph was fully watchful and employed for the next hour. Then he became -dreadfully anxious. A handcar bolted right under the windows of the -switch tower. The master mechanic and Jack Knight got off, and came up -the ladder a minute later. - -Ralph stood holding to the armchair, a picture of suspense. The master -mechanic looked grave and bothered. On the contrary, bluff and hearty -as ever, Knight came forward. He grasped Ralph by both shoulders, -swinging him backwards and forwards in a playful, encouraging way. - -"Shake, old fellow!" he sang out, slipping one hand down one arm and -gripping Ralph's fingers heartily. - -"Why?" asked Ralph with a half-smile. "Good-bye? I suppose that is the -programme for me," he added, with an anxious look at the master -mechanic. - -"What's that?" demanded old Jack keenly. "Oh, on account of the through -freight? Humph! If the Great Northern don't appreciate the wise, -wide-awake common sense that saw the difference between three old box -cars and eleven precious human lives, I'll take my walking papers -instanter. Is that right, Mr. Blake?" challenged Knight. - -"Yes," nodded the master mechanic, "your sentiment is right, Mr. Knight. -I have nothing but praise for the good judgment young Fairbanks has -shown." - -"But I disobeyed orders," suggested Ralph in an uncertain tone. - -"Orders?" sniffed Knight--"yes, luckily! A crazy man's order." - -"Why, what do you mean?" inquired Ralph in perplexity. - -"What I say. For three hours the limits tower has been in charge of a -stark, raving lunatic--the Great Northern railroad system the plaything -of a madman. Never has this company been so near wreck and ruin. And -you, Fairbanks," added the veteran towerman, with a tender, fatherly -touch on the arm of his young protg--"you saved your end of the line!" - - - - -CHAPTER XX--THE CRAZY ORDERS - - -All Stanley Junction was agog with the story of the "crazy" train orders -the day after the storm. - -It was one of the most remarkable occurrences of risk and danger ever -known in the history of the Great Northern. - -Expert railroad men looked grave, as the facts came out. Citizens -generally shuddered, as they realized how nearly the caprice of a mad -leverman had come to causing wide-spread death and disaster. - -Ralph Fairbanks himself was thrilled and amazed, as he learned from Jack -Knight's lips the facts of the case. - -From ten o'clock the evening the storm until nearly two o'clock the -ensuing morning, a madman had controlled the Great Northern train system -at Stanley Junction, out and in. - -For over three hours, therefore, Ralph, at the depot switch tower, had -been the plaything of a crazed, delirious human being, who, by force and -cunning, had usurped the place of trusty, experienced old Joe Bryson. - -This was the way it had all come about: - -When the master mechanic and Jack Knight reached the limits tower after -the report of the double wreck, they had found it in total darkness. - -The ladder trap was bolted. They had to break the trap open. Entering -the tower room and securing a light, they discovered a strange and -startling condition of affairs. - -Lying on the floor in a heavy, leaden sleep, was Bryson. Crouching in a -corner, with lurid eyes, physical strength exhausted, but raving in wild -delirium, was Doc Bortree. - -The telephone receiver was smashed, and the transmitter lay torn loose, -wires and all, on the floor. Other parts of the tower equipment were in -rare disorder. The west levers were set in all kinds of erratic and -impracticable shapes. - -It took the two railroad men fully half an hour to restore order from -the chaos in the tower and along the tracks. It took them double that -time to arouse Bryson, and to get Bortree into a state of partial -coherency. They sent messengers to Bortree's home. They listened to -Bryson's confused story. Then, putting this and that together, they -finally got the truth of affairs. Doc Bortree, as Ralph knew, had been -confined to his bed with a high fever for nearly a week. That was why, -compelled to share two long shifts with Knight alone, Ralph happened to -be on all-night duty at the present time. - -It seemed that early in the evening, Bortree's sister had left her -brother sleeping quietly. He appeared to be on the mend. - -About ten o'clock the sick leverman must have had a relapse into -delirium. Railroad service was his daily routine. His brain, running -in that line, had suggested to him a whimsical and irrational course. -This he had carried out with all the cunning of a real madman. - -He had taken a bottle of cordial and had poured into it a sleeping -potion. He had got into his clothes, left the room by opening a window, -and, breasting the violent tempest, had made for and reached the limits -tower. - -Joe Bryson afterwards, in telling his story, said that the bedraggled -appearance of Bortree was startling enough. His actions were quite -lucid, however. All he noticed peculiar about his talk was the -persistency and strange delight with which Bortree alluded to an order -he expected to receive from the superintendent to take charge of the -entire train dispatching service the next day. - -When Bortree produced the bottle and told that it was a mild, pleasant -wine the doctor had prescribed for him, Bryson indulged in a glass--"for -companionship's sake." Then he remembered nothing further until -awakened by the master mechanic and Jack Knight. - -As soon as Bortree had disposed of his companion, he began his mad, -riotous work. - -All kinds of exaggerated ideas must have filled his mind. The reader -has already seen how his crazy orders operated. His own work at the -limits had ditched the midnight mail. His instructions to Ralph had -sent the through freight crashing into the three freight empties at -terminus. - -Finally, exhausted after his mad work at the levers, Bortree had -commenced a work of general destruction. When through, he had -extinguished the lights and lapsed into a weak delirium in which the two -railroad men had finally found him. - -"There should always be a team at the limits tower," was Knight's -ultimate comment on the affair. - -"Yes," the master mechanic assented--"sickness, enmity, a burned-out -wire, a dozen things might come up where one man would be helpless. If -it is only a messenger, we must not again leave these important points -at the mercy of chance and accident." - -Ralph made a note of this suggestion. He determined when the right -moment came to speak a good word for Young Slavin. - -He had never been more tired and sleepy than when he reached home that -morning. - -Ralph ate a hurried breakfast. He explained only casually the -happenings of the night to his mother. Getting to bed promptly, he put -in ten hours of the solidest sleep that he had ever enjoyed. - -He found his mother quite nervous and worried when he reported for his -late afternoon dinner. Mrs. Fairbanks had learned from a neighbor of -the startling occurrences of the previous night. - -"I am all unstrung over this railroad business, Ralph," she said. "I -would feel easier in my mind if you could transfer to some branch of the -service where you were not constantly meeting these terrible dangers." - -"What! my own dear mother going back on me in the midst of my -ambitions!" cried Ralph in a tone of playful raillery. "Oh, surely, -never! I hope you wouldn't advise me to follow old Farrington's grand -suggestion--for his own benefit; get a clerical position at the general -offices at Springfield, and--as he puts it--'be a gentleman.'" - -"No, Ralph, I should not like to have you leave Stanley Junction, where -you have made such a good record," responded Mrs. Fairbanks, "but think -of the fearful responsibilities of your position." - -"I do," answered Ralph gravely, "and that is why I am going to stick. -Mother, someone has to face these serious issues. Perhaps my clear -head, and willing hands, and genuine love for the business, fit me to be -just the person to fill the gap when these unavoidable troubles come -along. Besides, if someone does not go through the apprenticeship, -where will the service be when Jack Knight and the other old hands have -retired? I want to be, as I expect to be, a thorough railroad man," -pursued Ralph with resolution, "and first-class, or nothing. In order -to do so, I must know every step of the service, from roundhouse to -train dispatcher's desk. I have started up the ladder. I can't afford -to slip one rung. If I get jolted, I intend to hang on all the closer." - -The widow was silent. Her son's earnest determination consoled her, -somehow. Yes, she reflected, Ralph had braved perils and had saved the -lives of others, where one less brave and self-reliant might have -failed. So far he had proven himself "the right man in the right -place." Secretly she murmured a fervent prayer for his safety and -guidance, and tried to be content until he should reach smoother and -less risky paths of service. - -Ralph received an official assurance from the superintendent through -loyal old Jack Knight that afternoon, that his action in dealing with -the crazy orders had won the highest commendation of the railroad -company. - -The following day he spoke about Young Slavin to Knight. The next day -the latter informed him that on the first of the month the master -mechanic had agreed to pass on the application which Slavin was to file -in the meantime. Nothing unforseen happening, it looked as if the -sturdy young pugilist would speedily have a chance to exercise his -muscle in some department of the Great Northern service. - -Pleasant routine succeeded for some days for Ralph to the exciting -episodes of the week previous. Some changes were made on the limits -tower, and the day man there transferred to the depot yards. - -Ralph was back on the shift he preferred; four hours in the morning, and -four hours in the afternoon. - -He had not heard again from Van. As to Mort Bemis and Ike Slump, they -had flashed into town, thrown away a lot of money along lower Railroad -Street, and had again disappeared. - -Ralph met Slavin one day. The latter was delighted over the prospect of -soon getting at work for the railroad company. His face scowled, -however, as Ralph asked if he had seen or heard anything concerning Ike -and Mort. - -"Why, yes," answered Slavin, "I heard they were cutting a dash up at the -racetrack at Springfield. Plenty of money, and bragging that they owned -a rich old magnate here at Stanley Junction. I'd go gunning for them, -if I wasn't waiting to hear from my railroad job." - -"Oh, leave them alone--why bother your head about them?" suggested -Ralph. - -"No, Fairbanks," dissented Slavin stubbornly. "I want those medals, or -I want their hides. I'm not a good enough Salvationer just yet to -forgive those villains. I can't wipe them off the slate till I've had -one last round with them." - -Gasper Farrington had completed the switch spur to the factory. Ralph -learned that he had invited a heavy damage suit by crossing the lot of a -poor old invalid widow, who occupied a house next to that where Mrs. -Davis had formerly lived. - -He heard a good many comments on this last act of the selfish, -tyrannical magnate. There was some current criticism, too, as to his -going on the bonds of the idle scapegrace, Ike Slump. Farrington -pretended that he had bailed out Ike because his father was an old -acquaintance. Ralph knew better, but held his peace. He had faith that -the real truth would come out, sooner or later. - -With entire confidence in Van Sherwin, he believed that he would soon -receive some word from that good friend to show he had been quietly -working in the dark all this time. - -About five o'clock one afternoon a barefooted urchin Ralph did not know -by name came up the switch tower ladder. Ralph was alone, but expected -Knight to relieve him at five o'clock. - -"Say," projected the frowsy-headed lad, staring curiously around the -place, "you Mr. Fairbanks?" - -"That's right, my little man," answered Ralph. - -"Say, you know Mr. Stiggs?" - -"Slightly," nodded Ralph, with a smile. - -"Well, he sent me here. He said to fetch a message to you." - -Ralph recalled the fact now that Mr. Stiggs had not shown up about the -yards for the past two days. This was an unusual thing for the old -railroad pensioner. - -"Is Mr. Stiggs sick?" he inquired with interest. - -"Dunno," answered the youngster. "It was his wife I talked with. She -said Mr. Stiggs would like to have you call about seven o'clock, if -convenient. He wants to see you." - -"Very well," said Ralph. "Are you to see her again?" - -"Why, I can." - -"Then tell her I will drop around at seven o'clock this evening." - -The urchin lingered. He was a shrewd-faced little fellow. - -"Say," he again projected, "Mrs. Stiggs didn't have any change." - -"Didn't have--oh, I see!" laughed Ralph. "All right, son--there's a -nickel." - -Ralph thought little of this incident for the remainder of the -afternoon. He fancied that Stiggs might be indisposed, and had some -mission for him to execute. - -He went home, ate his supper, and strolled slowly in the direction of -the Stiggs home about dusk. - -There was a light in the rear room, and the front door was open. Ralph -knocked. - -"Come in," sounded a vague direction from the little front parlor. - -Ralph stepped into the hall and crossed the threshold of the parlor. He -made out a figure dimly, standing by a chair. - -"That you, Mr. Stiggs?" he observed. "Pretty dark here. Hold on--what -is this?" - -Ralph started back. The figure behind him had made a jump and had -seized either arm of the youth by the wrist. - -At the same moment a second person sprang from the shadows behind Ralph. -A rope encircled the young leverman's body, and Ralph Fairbanks was a -prisoner. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI--IKE SLUMPS "NUTCRACKER" - - -Ralph was taken completely off his guard. He struggled violently, but -his assailants had the advantage. - -One of them pinioned his arms. The other tied the rope about them. A -second rope was whipped about his ankles, and secured. - -"Push him down," spoke a quick voice. - -They half-lifted, half-dropped their prisoner. Ralph was thrust down -into an old easy-chair. - -"Now then, shut the door and fetch the lamp," was the next order. - -Ralph was too astonished to say anything for a minute or two. One of -his captors flitted from the room. The front door slammed shut. Then -the fellow ran to the kitchen and brought in a lamp and placed it on a -table. - -"Well," he said with a great chuckling guffaw, "how's Mr. Ralph -Fairbanks?" - -"Slump--Ike Slump, eh?" spoke Ralph calmly, but following a start of -some surprise. - -"Don't miss me, Ralphy," suggested Slump's companion in a tone of -sneering mockery. - -"And Mort Bemis?" added Ralph coolly. "Good-evening, gentlemen--what -can I do for you?" - -"Nervy!" sneered Slump--"but it won't last. It's what we're going to do -that will interest you, Ralph Fairbanks." - -Ralph looked over the enemy with a steadfast glance. They were -certainly "dressed to kill." He noticed that their clothing was of the -most expensive grade. For all that, it was disordered and ill-fitting. - -They looked as they had not slept regularly for a week, and when they -did, seemed to have made any old place their resting-spot. Their faces -bore marks of dissipation. - -Their whole bearing indicated that the money they had recently come into -had helped them down the road of idleness and crime. - -"We've come back to the Junction specially to see you," observed Bemis, -sinking upon a sofa opposite their helpless prisoner. - -"Yes, unfinished business, ha! ha!" jeered Ike Slump, looking mightily -bad and vicious as he proceeded to light a cigarette. "We owe you one, -as you'll perhaps remember. You put the police onto me." - -Ralph had not done this. As the reader knows, it was the act of Van -Sherwin. Ralph, however, did not care to enlighten his captors as to -the real facts of the case. - -"And you stole my job from me," added Mort Bemis savagely. "You've put -Young Slavin up to queer us, too." - -"So," resumed Slump, "seeing we did one good job for a certain liberal -gentleman in Stanley Junction, we'll try and please him in another. At -the same time, we get good and even with you for ourselves." - -"I can easily guess you might please Gasper Farrington with anything -that means harm to me, if that is what you are getting at," observed -Ralph pointedly. - -"Who mentioned Farrington?" demanded Slump. - -"He went on your bond. It is pretty easy to guess you are in cahoots -with him in some way," bluntly retorted Ralph. - -Mort Bemis got up from his seat and strode up and down the room. Through -a long tirade of his fancied wrongs, he worked himself up into a -seething fury, real or pretended. Ralph's cool unconcern nettled him. -Once or twice he referred to the saving of the limited, and to other -acts that had made Ralph popular and his friends proud of him. - -"You robbed me of my chance," he snarled. "If I'd have been on deck, -your luck would have fallen to me. I'm out for revenge. I'm going to -pay you off." - -"With bluff and blow?" demanded Ralph sarcastically. - -Bemis leaned over and slapped Ralph's face. - -"Don't you sass me!" he gritted out. "It won't be healthy for you." - -"You're a mean coward!" said Ralph. "Give me a free show, and we'll see -who is the better man." - -"I'll show you something!" snapped Bemis venomously. "Do you know what -we are going to do with you? I'm going to fix you, Ralph Fairbanks, so -you will never crow over me--you'll never pull another lever." - -"Jaw less--get into action," directed Ike Slump tartly. - -"Where's the fixtures?" - -"Here they are." - -Ike reached over to a chair and picked up something that jangled. Ralph -regarded the trap-like apparatus disclosed with some interest. - -Bemis took it from the hand of his associate. - -"Do you know what this is?" he inquired of Ralph. - -"I don't." - -"It's a nutcracker, see?" - -Ike grinned as if that was a big joke. - -"You're the funniest fellow in the world, Mort!" he chuckled gleesomely. - -The instrument Bemis displayed somewhat resembled a nutcracker. It -opened and was operated by hand pressure. It had fine grooves. These -tallied to the fingers on a human hand. - -"They used that on the scabs, the time of the big railroad strike," -exclaimed Bemis grimly. "The strikers did." - -Ralph started. He recognized the "nutcracker" now. It was one of the -brutal instruments of torture that had been used to terrify and cripple -the men who had taken the places of the strikers, during the labor -troubles on the Great Northern about a year back. - -"We put your hand in these grooves," proceeded Bemis. "Crack! Your -knuckles are gone. See? The man who can pull a lever ever afterwards -is a dandy. See?" - -"I see," nodded Ralph, his lips set firmly, though his heart misgave -him. "Do you mean, Mort Bemis, brute, coward, and traitor, to the -honest workingman's cause, that you intend to maim me for life to -satisfy a low, paltry spirit of revenge?" - -"Mr. Ralph Fairbanks," declared Bemis coolly, "I--mean--just--that." - -"Have you considered what this job is likely to cost you?" inquired -Ralph. - -"It didn't cost the strikers anything," jeered Ike. - -"I am not mixed up in any strike," observed Ralph. "I warn you I have -good friends, and any such fiendish act as that you contemplate will -send them on your track to the ends of the earth." - -"That'll do," growled Bemis. "Grab his hand--the right one, Ike." - -"Got it--he's easy to handle," said Slump. - -The young towerman was indeed easy to handle, for the reason that his -arms were securely surrounded by the ropes, both above and below the -elbows. - -Ike seized the wrist of Ralph's right hand and Bemis advanced with the -"nutcracker." - -A cold shiver ran over Ralph as his fingers were encased in the grooves -of the iron hand. - -He remembered having once seen a victim of the strike, a poor fellow who -had gone around with the knuckles of one hand twisted so out of shape -that he would never be able to straighten out his fingers again. - -Ralph could not resist. If he shouted for help, he knew that he would -be brutally silenced. He thought of his mother, of the bright ambitions -about to be wrecked by two worthless, cruel enemies. - -Then Ralph closed his eyes. He set his lips firmly, and silently prayed -that his wicked inquisitors would not dare carry out fully their -announced programme. - -"I'm ready," sounded Bemis' heartless tones. - -"So am I," chorused Ike. "You'll wish you'd minded your own business -and let us alone, Ralph Fairbanks." - -Bemis began to put the pressure on the vile instrument of torture. -Ralph's breath came quick. He felt his fingers compress. - -Chug! - -Ralph strained his hearing at the new sound. He opened his eyes with a -thrill. - -The pressure on his hand was relaxed. The "nutcracker," released by -Bemis with strange suddenness, dangled at Ralph's finger tips for an -instant. Then it dropped harmless to the carpet with a dull clang. - -Ralph saw something cleave the air directly in front of him. It was a -human fist. It met the broad, astonished face of Mort Bemis squarely. - -That shuddering, sickening sound echoed out. It reminded Ralph of the -noise made by a boy playing with a big lump of clay, and spatting it -violently against a wooden fence. - -He saw Bemis fall back with a roar of awful pain. In that fleeting -glimpse, it looked to Ralph as if Mort's face had been flattened out -from ear to ear. His nose seemed to have disappeared In its place was a -vague red blotch of color. - -Bemis fell flat backwards, his head striking a chair and smashing off -its arm. - -"You next!" shouted a terrible voice. - -Ike Slump had already dropped Ralph's hand. With a sharp cry of alarm -he tried to dodge back. - -Again that great fist swung forward. Ralph turned pale, and he felt his -flesh creep. - -As he looked, he saw Ike Slump reeling. There was a ghostly grin on his -face. His whole lower row of teeth was gone. - -"I said I'd do it," spoke Ralph's rescuer and the assailant of his -enemies, "and I've kept my word." - -Young Slavin proceeded to liberate Ralph from the ropes that bound him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII--A HEADSTRONG FRIEND - - -Ralph was faint and dizzy-headed with all that had transpired in the -last twenty minutes. - -He felt that he had been in the peril of his life. He bestowed a look -of immense gratitude on Slavin. - -"You came in time," said he. "How shall I ever thank you?" - -"Cut it out," growled Slavin grimly. "I ain't through yet. I've been -watching these skunks for an hour or more. I knew that Stiggs, who has -gone on a little jaunt with his wife to see some relations, would never -give those reptiles the free run of his house. I fancied burglary at -first. Then when you came I knew it was something deeper. Well, it's -the finishing touch. I suppose, in your usual soft-hearted way, you -want to beg them off from further punishment, don't you?" - -"It strikes me they have got about all the punishment they can stand at -present," suggested Ralph. - -"O, that's just a starter," announced Slavin. "Keep your eye on Slump -for a minute." - -Ike had fallen across the sofa. He was moaning and half-stunned. He -kept moving his hand over his bare and tingling gums, making a horrible, -hollow, hissing sound every time his breath exuded. - -"The dentist for you," said Slavin in cold unconcern. "This one is -delegated to the hospital, I guess." - -The speaker approached the prostrate Bemis. - -"Speak up, there," growled Slavin savagely. "I've a little business -with you, Mort Bemis. Where are those two silver medals that you stole -from me?" - -Bemis only wriggled and groaned. Slavin kicked him. He sat up with a -howl of pain. - -"Pawned," he whimpered. - -"Where?" - -"At Barry's cigar store." - -"For how much?" - -"Two dollars." - -"Hand it over." - -"I haven't a cent. Oh, you've half killed me. Oh, my head! my head! -Don't--don't hit me again. Slump has some money. Pay him, Ike, pay -him." - -Slavin advanced from Bemis, now sitting up on the floor, towards Ike, -with a menacing manner. - -"I'll pay, I'll pay," whined Ike. "Here, here. I haven't go any -change. Five dollars," and with celerity he extended a banknote. - -"Three for delay and damages," stated Slavin, coolly pocketing the -money. "Now then, you two, walk humble, or I'll finish this job right -here and now." - -Slavin took up the ropes that had bound Ralph. Quaking with mortal -terror, Bemis and Slump in turn allowed him unresistingly to tie their -arms behind them. - -Slavin picked up the "nutcracker." He looked it over and placed it in -his pocket. - -"If that bit of evidence don't send you over the road, I know what -will," he observed grimly. "March." - -He forced the two prisoners forward, holding to an arm of each. As they -got outside, Ralph asked: - -"What are you going to do with them, Slavin?" - -"Anxious to know, are you?" - -"Yes." - -"Then keep us company, and see. Oh, I'm not sassy, Fairbanks. I'm only -doing what you ought to have done the first break they made at -you--called in the law. These fellows are dangerous. I'm going to cage -them." - -The prisoners spoke not a word. Bemis had received a fearful fistic -punishment, and was blubbering. Ike Slump kept up a mumbling sound with -his lips, as if trying to get used to the lack of teeth. - -Slavin led them through the town by dark and unfrequented streets. When -they reached the railroad tracks, he made for a crossings shanty. - -The flagman had gone home for the night, but the door was secured by a -catch only. Slavin marched his prisoners inside, drew a lantern from -under a bench, pushed them to the bench, and lit the lantern. - -"You rest a while," he directed them. "Court will open soon. Fairbanks, -will you do an errand for me?" - -"What is it, Slavin?" - -"I promised the road detective, Bob Adair, to send him word when I found -these fellows." - -"I'm out on bail. They can't bother me till my trial comes off," -mumbled Ike Slump, making a grimacing, painful job of talking -intelligently. - -"Rest easy," advised Slavin grimly. "This is quite another round. Find -him, Fairbanks." - -"You think that is best, do you?" inquired Ralph. "These fellows----" - -"See here, Fairbanks!" cried Slavin, almost angrily, "you'd actually let -them go, after they had pretty nigh put you out of commission forever. -In this case I don't want your advice, good as it usually is. I know my -programme, and I intend to carry it out to the last letter." - -Ralph saw that it was useless to oppose his vigorous friend and -champion. He left the shanty forthwith, and went up to the depot. It -was some time before he could locate Mr. Adair. When he finally found -him, and explained simply that Slavin wished to see him, the road -detective joined him briskly, and look pleased. - -"About Slump, I suppose?" he inquired eagerly. - -"I think it is," answered Ralph. - -"Good," said Adair. "The company thinks that bailing out business was -rushed through. The bond was only five hundred dollars. They don't -understand old Farrington's peculiar interest in the matter, and we have -been ready to rearrest Slump for a week." - -Adair gave prodigious start as, entering the crossings shanty, his eyes -lit on the faces of Slavin's two prisoners. - -"Whew!" he whistled slowly--"you seem to have had some trouble with your -friends, Mr. Slavin." - -"You hear my story, and see if I gave them any more than they deserved," -said Slavin, and he stood up, looking like a judge and talking like a -judge, and narrated the incidents of the preceding hour. - -"Now then, Mr. Adair," added Slavin, "these fellows brag of having a -friend in that old miser, Gasper Farrington. I tell you that I happen -to know that he has tried all kinds of ways to scare and bribe my friend -here, Fairbanks, away from Stanley Junction. I suppose he's rich, and -so tricky you can't connect him with their doings, but you can cage -these fellows safely, and I want you to do it." - -"The railroad company will certainly insist that Slump's bond be raised -from five hundred dollars," spoke Adair. "You told me that Bemis very -nearly wrecked a train by magnetizing the levers at the depot switch -tower. Can you prove it?" - -"I can," nodded Slavin emphatically. - -"Very good. To-night's business there is no question about. It's a -case of murderous assault and attempted mayhem. I shall see the -prosecuting attorney at once, and demand that each of these prisoners be -held in heavy bonds." - -"I think that will hold them," said Slavin, in a tone of satisfaction. -"I've got a charge against them, myself. They robbed me of two silver -medals." - -"We will take them at once before a magistrate," said Adair. "You'll -have to subscribe to the warrants, Slavin. You, too, Fairbanks." - -Ralph simply bowed acquiescence. Slavin had taken the matter out of his -hands. It was better so, Ralph readily realized. He did not believe -that Farrington would go on their bonds for any large amount. This might -lead to a rupture, and the prisoners might be induced to implicate the -magnate, and tell what had become of Mrs. Davis. - -"Come on, you!" spoke Slavin, roughly pulling his prisoners to their -feet. - -"You look out!" snarled Mort Bemis savagely. "See here, Mr. Officer, -this fellow talks big, but he himself tied up a set of levers at the -switch tower." - -Slavin turned red. He looked at Ralph in a shamefaced way. Then he -said bluntly: - -"Yes, I did, Mr. Adair. That skunk got me to. It was before I knew -Fairbanks--before I knew better. I give myself in charge for the act. -I'm willing to suffer for it." - -"Nonsense!" cried Ralph quickly. - -"Do you make the complaint?" asked Adair. - -"No, sir!" spoke Ralph emphatically. - -"Nor would you appear against him?" - -"Hardly!" - -"You had better keep your mind on your own business then, Mr. Bemis," -advised Adair. - -"I call that a good night's work," said Slavin to Ralph, one hour later. - -Mr. Adair had legally presented his evidence and the prisoners to a new -magistrate. - -Ike Slump and Mort Bemis were remanded to the town jail in default of -bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars each. - -"Now," observed Ralph, as he parted with the strange, forceful companion -who had proven so good a friend to him--"now to wait and see what Gasper -Farrington will do next." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII--IKE SLUMP & CO. - - -"That fellow has got his nerve with him all right!" spoke old Jack -Knight. - -"I can't make out his idea," observed Ralph Fairbanks. - -It was two days after the arrest of Ike Slump and Mort Bemis. Knight -and his junior leverman were engrossed in watching a little interesting -by-play going on in the vicinity of the in freight tracks. - -A boy about Ralph's age and height had jumped into an open box car. He -came out with a head of cabbage. - -He did not run away, but stood stock-still on the near tracks, as if -dallying with detection and arrest. - -Some teamsters near by saw the act, but they only laughed carelessly. - -The boy dropped the cabbage, climbed into another car, and came out this -time with a small sack of potatoes. This he swung across his shoulders, -and started towards the depot. - -"The chump!" commented Knight. "Does he want to get caught purposely? -Look at that, now: coast clear to the street, and walking deliberately -into the jaws of justice!" - -"He's caught, yes," said Ralph. - -A day watchman had come rushing up to the boy. The latter neither -stopped nor ran. He kept on his way steadily. He halted only when the -watchman banged his cane down on the bag on his back. Then he dropped -it. - -The watchman grabbed the culprit's arm. The watchers in the switch -tower could observe him excitedly waving his cane. He seemed to be -trying to make his prisoner realize the enormity of his offense. - -The latter, however, was unconcerned. He walked quietly along with the -watchman towards the depot, making no effort to escape. - -"A mighty queer sort of a thief, that," remarked Knight. - -"Yes," said Ralph--"oh, my!" - -Ralph gave a quick start. He leaned far through the open sash, and -stared fixedly at prisoner and watchman as they passed the switch tower -in his direct range of vision. - -The young leverman was greatly perturbed. A call to the 'phone had -distracted Knight's attention. As the watchman and his prisoner -disappeared in the direction of the depot, Ralph's face grew to a void -of wonder, doubt, and anxiety. - -"It was Van Sherwin!" he breathed excitedly--"Van Sherwin, surely. Van -a thief? Oh, there is some mistake!" - -Ralph was greatly worked up. There was nothing in the rough attire and -smirched face of the prisoner to recall the neatly-dressed Van whom -Ralph had last seen. Yet as the prisoner had passed the tower, a -gesture, the bearing of the latter, a familiar feature had enlightened -Ralph unmistakably. - -"Mr. Knight," he said quickly, "can I have ten minutes off?" - -"Sure thing. What's up, Fairbanks?--you look disturbed," spoke Knight -curiously. - -"I--I want to run up to the depot to ask about a friend," explained -Ralph, rather lamely. - -He slipped on a coat and was down the ladder in a jiffy. Once out of -the tower, he ran across the tracks in the direction of the depot. - -Passing a switch shanty, a figure stepped from its side directly in his -path. A challenging voice said quickly: - -"Hold on, there, Ralph Fairbanks." - -"Oh, you, Slavin?" said Ralph. "Don't delay me. I am in a hurry." - -"I see you are. No need," proclaimed Slavin coolly, seizing and -detaining Ralph's arm. "You're trying to overtake a friend, aren't -you?" - -"Why, how do you know that?" exclaimed Ralph in surprise. - -"Name, Van--Van Sherman. No, Sherwin--that's it. Am I right?" - -"Why, yes," admitted Ralph in a tone of wonderment, "but how you come to -know----" - -"I do know, don't I?" projected Slavin, with a shrewd smile. "This way -for a minute, please." - -He led Ralph out of range of the switch shanty. Then, buttonholing him -persuasively, he said: - -"Fairbanks, I know a good deal more about your affairs to-day than I did -yesterday. Mightily glad I am of it. You'd ought to be, too. It's this -way: I ran across that friend of yours last night." - -"You mean Van Sherwin?" - -"That's just what I do mean," responded Slavin. "It was queer, but I -was nosing around the jail for some point on those fellows Slump and -Bemis. I was very anxious to find out how they would act regarding old -Farrington. It appears they sent messages to him. I know that much. -But he didn't show up. I noticed a stranger hanging around, just as I -was doing. His actions aroused my suspicions. Well, it led to our -getting acquainted, cautiously. You know how such things go. Soon we -understood each other, perfectly. I was on the trail of Slump and Bemis -to head off any funny work on the part of their friend, Farrington. -Sherwin was trying to get a line on the whole case." - -"He told you----" began Ralph. - -"All I'd ought to know. Enough to show me that those fellows and -Farrington are up to a very deep game. It all affects your interests. -That was enough for me. There's a woman missing, isn't there? And some -bonds? Those prisoners know where the woman is. The woman probably -knows where the bonds are. All that is straight and simple. We took -some time, this famous friend of yours, Van Sherwin, and I, deciding -which thought the most of you----" - -"Thank you, Slavin," said Ralph warmly. - -"Then we concluded that you had enough real work to bother with, and -decided to help you out on this case. The question was: how could we -get in touch with Ike Slump & Co.? Your sharp-witted friend decided -that. He's chain lightning, I tell you, and no mistake. He saw only -one way. He acted on it. I reckon you saw how: he got arrested." - -"As a thief!" exclaimed Ralph anxiously. - -"Oh, don't let that worry you," and Slavin smiled coolly. "It was all -arranged and understood by Bob Adair. Sherwin will go to jail all -right. But Adair has fixed it so the minute he finds out what he is -after and gives the word, Van Sherwin will have his liberty." - -Ralph reflected seriously. He could find no fault with the unselfish -ardor of his friends, that was sure. Their plan was a drastic one, but -Van was smart, and probably knew what he was about. - -"So," remarked Slavin, "you just get back to your work. Don't spoil our -plans by interfering or trying to see Sherwin. Until I get that -railroad job I'm promised I have nothing special to do. I'll put in the -time in your service, see?" - -"But," said Ralph, "Ike Slump knows Van." - -"Does he? Very slightly, Sherwin says. And by the way, you didn't see -Sherwin--close at hand?" - -Ralph shook his head negatively. - -"Only a special friend like you would be likely to recognize him, -Sherwin says. He's fairly well disguised himself. Besides, he simply -wants to get where he can watch and overhear Slump & Co. He won't try -to chum with them." - -Ralph went back to the switch tower more easy in his mind. He felt -pretty tender towards his two loyal boy friends. Knowing Ike Slump's -crude, blurting ways, he believed that if Farrington got balky, Ike -would make some break that would be of advantage to Van. - -He decided to tell his mother of this new phase in the case. Something -startling, however, interrupted. - -He had got ready for supper, and was entering the cozy little dining -room, when Mrs. Fairbanks, at the window, called out suddenly: - -"Come here, quick, Ralph." - -"What is it, mother?" he asked. - -"I fancied I heard some sounds like an explosion--and shouts," said Mrs. -Fairbanks. "There is a great glare over to the south. Look, Ralph." - -She held aside the curtain so he could see. - -"Why," cried Ralph, "it is a fire--a big fire, somewhere!" - -"Farrington's old factory," said Mrs. Fairbanks. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV--FIRE! - - -A great red glare covered the whole southern sky as Ralph reached the -outer air. - -"Mother is right, I guess," he spoke quickly--"it is certainly in the -direction of the old factory." - -The spur switch to the factory had been completed for some days. Ralph -had that afternoon operated the levers opening the Farrington extension -for the first time. - -The new lessee of the factory, he understood, was going to use oil for -fuel under some of the boilers. Among the twenty-odd cars switched off -on the spur that afternoon Ralph had noticed as many as ten tank cars. - -As Ralph ran on, he was surprised to note the extent of the glare. It -spread from a point quite remote from the factory right up to the -factory location. - -He heard shouts in the distance, and scattered figures were thronging -the landscape from all directions. - -Ralph passed a short timber reach. A vivid panorama now spread out -before him. - -A thousand yards ahead was the ravine. This the factory switch spur -traversed. - -Shooting up from the depths of the ravine for nearly a quarter of a mile -were leaping, vivid tongues of flame. - -Getting where he could command a view townwards obliquely across the -ravine, Ralph realized just what had happened. - -Outlined against the black sky there showed the framework of several -freight cars. They were simply threads of flame now. - -In some way the stationary freights had caught fire. The blaze had -communicated to an oil tank. There had been an explosion, scattering -the burning oil far and wide. - -The cars had been blocked on an incline. Apparently the force of an -explosion, or the fire, had dislodged or destroyed the blocking plank. -Some of the cars had broken free. Scudding down the ravine, they had -lodged cinders and flame in all directions. - -Coming to a curve, they had jumped the track. About two hundred feet -from the factory they had gone down into a gravel pit, piling on top of -each other. - -The dry grass and shrubbery were on fire on both sides of the ravine for -a full quarter of a mile back towards the town. The house Mrs. Davis -had lived in was ablaze from cellar to garret. - -Suddenly there was an awful roar. It was fortunate that Ralph was no -nearer to the center of the explosion than he was. - -The tanks that had crashed down into the gravel pit had formed a -seething caldron of fire, and had now exploded. - -So powerful was the concussion that Ralph was thrown flat. Getting -erect again promptly, he saw a great flare of fire leap a hundred feet -in the air. - -This bore with it blazing planks, fragments of red-hot iron, and -dazzling cinders. - -They fell all over the landscape. They particularly enveloped the old -factory. This, Ralph noticed, took fire instantly in a dozen different -places. - -"Hello, Fairbanks!" cried a breathless passerby. - -"Slavin?" said Ralph. - -"Yes, keep on. There's hose and apparatus up at the factory. That's -all there is worth saving, now." - -"It will never be saved," pronounced Ralph convincedly, but he joined -Slavin on a run forward. - -They were compelled to make a wide detour here and there of the ravine -windings. Even great trees lining it had caught fire. The smoke was -dense, and the burning cinders rained down upon them like hail. - -"Hold on," ordered Ralph suddenly, but Slavin, catching sight of men and -ladders in the vicinity of the factory, dashed on for the main center of -excitement and activity. - -Ralph had halted. He stood within about a hundred feet of the old house -between Mrs. Davis' former home and the factory. - -It was across this stretch, belonging to an old invalid widow, that -Farrington had forced his right of way. The roof of the house was -ablaze, So was one side of the building. Ralph had been checked by a -wailing cry. - -"Some one shut in there," he decided. "Even if it is only an animal, I -must find out, and try to rescue it." - -Ralph ran through the open rear doorway. A hall extended the length of -the house. The outside blaze shone brightly into a side room, although -it was filled with smoke pouring through a sash half burned away. - -An old woman in a wheel chair blocked the doorway of the front room. -Apparently this was her only means of getting about. She had tried to -escape, the chair, had got wedged in the doorway, and she was moaning -and crying for help. - -"Is that you, David?" she gasped wildly, as her smoke-blurred eyes made -out Ralph. - -"No, but I am here to help you," answered Ralph in a cheery, encouraging -voice. "Don't worry, ma'am." - -Ralph soon extricated the chair. As he ran it and its occupant out into -the open air, the front windows blew in from the intense heat, and the -flames swept through the house. - -Ralph ran the chair to a high point of safety. - -"Don't go any further," panted the old woman. "My son David is due -home. He will be worried to death. I want to be where I can see and -call to him, when he comes." - -"Very well," said Ralph, "you are safe here, at least for the present. I -will run back and save what I can in the house." - -"No, no," demurred the old woman quickly. "There is nothing worth -saving. The furniture is old and insured. So is the house. Oh, I am -so thankful to you!" she cried fervently. - -"That is all right," said Ralph. "I am sorry to see you homeless." - -"How did the fire come?" questioned the woman. "From Gasper -Farrington's new railroad?" - -"Yes," said Ralph, "some oil cars on the switch spur took fire, and -exploded." - -"Then he is responsible!" cried the woman eagerly. "And his factory is -burning up, isn't it? It's a retribution on him, that's what it is," -she declared hoarsely. "He ran his tracks over our land without -permission. He spoiled our peaceful home. Won't I get damages from -him, as well as my insurance money?" - -"I think your chances are very good," answered Ralph. - -The old woman looked somewhat comforted. She sat mumbling to herself. -Ralph wished to hurry over to the factory. He offered to wheel her to a -shelter nearer the town, but she insisted she must wait in sight of the -house until her son arrived. - -Ralph did not like to leave her alone. The grass might catch fire and -the flames spread, even to the place where they were now. He stood -surveying the fire interestedly, when his companion uttered a sudden -scream. - -"Oh, my! oh, my!" she wailed, wringing her hands. "How could I forget!" - -Ralph pressed closer to her side. - -"Is something distressing you?" he asked quickly. - -"Oh, yes! yes!" said the woman. "Is the house all on fire? No, there -may be time yet. Boy, will you--will you do something for me?" - -"Surely, if I can." - -"In the house--something I must save." - -"What is it? In what part of the house?" - -"Not mine. It is a sacred trust. It is something I promised faithfully -to look after. Oh, dear! dear! if it should be burned up!" - -"Try and be calm, and tell me about it," advised Ralph. - -"It is upstairs--in the rear garret room." - -Ralph looked up rather hopelessly at the little window fully twenty feet -from the ground. - -"How do the stairs run?" he asked. - -"Only from the front. You can't go that way, though," panted the woman. -"It's all ablaze. But there is a ladder." - -"Where--quick." - -"Behind that old grape trellis." - -"How long is it?" asked Ralph. - -"It reaches the roof. My son used it in shingling. Take a hatchet or a -club with you. The window is nailed down on the inside, very tightly. -You will have to smash the window in. Is it too late?" - -"Not at all," declared Ralph briskly. - -"The roof is all on fire!" - -"Never mind that, only be quick and tell me: what is it you want me to -get?" - -"There's only one thing in the room. An old trunk." - -"An old trunk?" repeated Ralph rapidly. - -"It's all tied up with rope. Smash it open, too. Inside is a tin case, -a small flat tin case. That's what I want. Oh! you will get it, won't -you?" pleaded the old woman, in a fever of suspense and excitement. - -"I shall certainly try," declared Ralph. - -"Don't risk your precious life by any delay, dear, dear boy!" cried the -old woman hysterically. "I believe I should die of worry if that box -was burned up. I promised so sincerely to take care of it. What would -Mrs. Davis say if it was lost!" - -"Who?" cried Ralph sharply, with a great start. - -"Mrs. Davis." - -"The woman who lived next door?" - -"Yes, yes. She left it with me, about a month ago. She was afraid to -keep it with herself. I promised----" - -But Ralph was listening no longer. A great conviction filled his mind -that at this critical moment, amid fire and peril, a crisis in his life -faced him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV--THE LITTLE TIN BOX - - -Ralph ran towards the grape trellis. He soon found the ladder the old -woman had mentioned. - -It was long and quite heavy, but seizing one end he dragged it towards -the burning building. Soon he had it set in place and balanced. He had -guessed at the proper slant correctly. Its top just rested on the edge -of the attic window outside the sill. - -"No time to lose," declared Ralph. "Where will I find a hatchet?" he -called to the old woman. - -"In the wood shed--right near the door, on a chopping block," she -directed, watching his every movement in a fever of suspense. - -Ralph darted into the wood shed. He came out, hatchet in hand, and -sprang instantly onto the ladder. - -The building was doomed, he saw that. Its entire front half was in -flame. As he got a few feet from the ground a great whirlwind of smoke -and sparks enveloped him. - -"Why," exclaimed Ralph, as he reached the top of the ladder, "the window -is all right." - -He did not need to use the hatchet. Contrary to the old woman's -positive statement, Ralph found the sash raised an inch or two. It -pushed up smoothly. He felt obtruding nails on the inside, which -appeared to have been forced out of place. - -Climbing through the window, Ralph was nearly choked with the dense -smoke filling the room. The window vent somewhat cleared the air, but -he could not see an inch before his face. - -"I can't stand much of this," he reflected, and then held his breath -closely. - -Ralph had to grope with hands and feet. He lined one side wall of the -apartment, ran to the window for a supply of fresh air, and resumed his -difficult quest. - -"No luck so far," he panted. "The room seems entirely empty. There is -not even a carpet on the floor." - -Suddenly, a cracking sound and then a slight crash warned him to look -out for danger. - -A door leading into the front attic just then burned free of its hinges. -It fell inside the apartment Ralph was in. - -Its vivid blazing lit up the room somewhat. - -"I see it--the trunk!" said Ralph, and sprang to a corner where a -box-like outline showed. - -Again the old woman's statements were at fault. The trunk was perfectly -easy of access, and Ralph did not have to use the hatchet at all. - -Ropes that at one time possibly enclosed the trunk lay at one side, cut -in two. The broken lock of the trunk lay on the floor. Ralph threw up -the cover. - -Inside was a mass of cotton batting. He threw this out on the floor. -Then some old newspapers followed. Beneath these lay a little flat tin -box. - -"I have it," said Ralph with satisfaction, grasping the object of the -old woman's anxiety. - -It was high time to make an exit. Some sparks fell on the cotton. It -blazed up into his face and singed his hair. Ralph found himself nearly -overcome by the smoke. He fairly staggered to the window, and -spluttering and scorched, almost slid the length of the ladder. - -Reaching the ground the young leverman stood stationary for a moment. He -dug the cinders out of his eyes, and took a good long refreshing breath -of the pure air. - -A call roused him to new action. The old woman was shouting at him and -waving her hand eagerly. - -She was not alone now. A pale-faced young man of about thirty stood by -her side. Ralph presumed that this was her son, David, to whom she had -so frequently referred. - -"Did you get it--did you get it?" she called out anxiously, as Ralph ran -up to the invalid chair. - -"Yes, ma'am," responded Ralph, handing over the box. - -"Oh, dear! Oh, how shall I ever thank you? David, he is a brave, noble -boy!" and hugging the box to her breast, the old woman wept -hysterically. - -"You saved my mother's life," spoke the young man, placing a hand that -trembled on Ralph's shoulder. - -"I am glad if that is so," said Ralph. - -"David! David! David!" - -Just here the old woman interrupted with startling suddenness. Ralph -turned quickly toward her in amazement. Her son ran to her side, very -much alarmed. She had shouted out his name in such a lost, despairing -tone that both her auditors were thrilled. - -"Mother--what is it?" cried the young man. - -The old woman waved the tin box that Ralph had just given her. - -"It was tied with twine--in a sheet of writing paper, and sealed," she -said. "And look now, David--it is empty!" - -"Was there something in it?" questioned Ralph, his spirits sinking to -zero. - -All along he had entertained some hopeful ideas regarding that little -tin box, knowing that it had been the property of the mysterious Mrs. -Davis. - -"Why, surely," said the old woman, weeping bitterly and wringing her -hands. "Mrs. Davis put some folded papers in it. I saw her do it. She -said they were very valuable. She was afraid she would lose them, or be -robbed. She said she feared wicked enemies." - -"When was that?" asked Ralph. - -"About a month ago. She wrapped up, tied, and sealed the box. She -asked me where she could hide it for a time. I told her about the old -trunk. It was empty, except for some cotton and newspapers. I told her -to nail down the window, put the box in the trunk, tie up the trunk, and -lock the attic door. She did all that. She made me promise solemnly to -think first of that box if anything happened. And now someone has -stolen the papers! I have been faithless to my trust! Poor Mrs. Davis -said her very life depended on those papers. Oh, David! David! I -shall die of shame and grief, I know I shall!" - -"You did your best, you couldn't help it," said her son soothingly. - -"No, some thief has visited your attic," declared Ralph. - -"But no one except Mrs. Davis and myself knew that the box was there," -suggested the weeping woman. - -"Someone surely found out," said Ralph. "I found the window forced up -and the trunk lock broken." - -"Mother, you really must not take on so," spoke the young man in a -worried tone. "You are shaking all over. I must get you to some -shelter." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI--A CLEW! - - -The young switch-tower man had lost all interest in the fire now. He -stood thinking deeply, and felt quite depressed. - -He was very certain that the papers Mrs. Davis had placed in the tin box -in some way referred to her interest in the twenty thousand dollars' -worth of railroad bonds, to which she had so frequently and -significantly alluded. - -She had told his mother that she was going to get something from a -friend to show her and Ralph. Was it not these very same papers? - -It was very possible, Ralph reflected further, that in some way Mrs. -Davis' kidnappers had got a clew to the hiding place of these self-same -documents. - -"One word, please," spoke up Ralph, as the young man started to wheel -his mother away from the scene of the fire. "Someone certainly forced a -way to your attic and rifled that trunk." - -"Who could it be--how could they know?" queried the distressed invalid. - -"Have you had any strange visitors?" inquired Ralph. - -"No--no one hardly ever comes here, except neighbors. Of course there -have been a lot of workmen building the switch. But they were harmless, -ignorant persons. Got a drink at the well, and went about their -business." - -"You have noticed no suspicious characters hanging about?" pressed -Ralph. - -"Oh, no." - -"By the way, mother," interposed the young man, "you forgot about the -two young fellows who came here day before yesterday--no, the day before -that--Tuesday." - -"Oh, they were the insurance men." - -"What insurance men?" asked Ralph. - -"They said they were inspectors. They said they were hired by the -insurance companies to look over risks. They asked me if we had any -gasoline. I said no. Then they asked if I had any inflammable stuff -stored in the attic. They wanted to go up and see, but I told them the -attic was empty." - -"They wanted to inspect the attic, did they?" murmured Ralph -thoughtfully. - -"Yes. Then they said they would have to look over the chimneys and -roof, to be sure everything was all right." - -"Did they do so?" - -"I told them where the ladder was. Of course, confined helpless to my -invalid chair, I couldn't go out with them. They came back inside in -about ten minutes, and said they had found everything in shipshape -order." - -"Those are the persons who robbed the trunk," declared Ralph in a tone -of conviction. - -"Do you think so?" cried the old woman. "Do you know them?" - -"I don't know--yet. Do you remember how they were dressed?" - -"They were well-dressed, I remember that." - -"Young men, I believe you said?" - -"Yes, boys, almost--a little older than you. One wore a pearl-gray -derby hat. The other wore a kind of automobile cap." - -"Thank you," said Ralph, showing the value of this information in manner -and face. - -"Do you know them?" inquired the old woman eagerly. - -"I think I do," said Ralph. - -"Can you find them?" - -"They will not be hard to locate," answered Ralph definitely. "Do not -worry, ma'am. You have given me a very clever clew as to the robbers. I -think I know who has got the papers that were in that little tin box." - -"Oh, be sure to let me know if you get back those papers, won't you?" -pressed the old woman anxiously. - -"I certainly shall," promised Ralph. - -He bade mother and son good-bye. Then Ralph proceeded in the direction -of the old Farrington factory. - -Great crowds lined the ravine and surrounded the site of the factory. -This had been burned to the ground. The ravine in places was still a -nest of fire, but the flames were confined there. The fires in the -grass and in the shrubbery had been beaten out. - -Ralph passed from crowd to crowd, gleaning many a bit of exciting -gossip. - -He heard a local insurance agent say that the fire had done damage to -the extent of a hundred thousand dollars. The factory represented the -bulk of the loss. - -"And no insurance, did you say?" someone asked the agent. - -"Not on the building. The insurance expired there only last week." - -Ralph finally found the person he was in search of--Slavin. He had made -up his mind that something must be done promptly in regard to the -documents stolen from Mrs. Davis' tin box. - -Ike Slump and Mort Bemis tallied precisely to the old woman's -description of her "insurance inspectors" visitors. - -Their call at the old house had evidently been made on the afternoon of -the day when Slump and Bemis had decoyed Ralph to the Stiggs cottage. - -Ralph reasoned that if they had got the documents in question, they had -them now, for their arrest had followed within a few hours of their -rifling of the trunk. - -"I want you to do something for me, Slavin, if you will," said Ralph, -leading his companion out of hearing of the crowd. - -"All right," was the prompt response. - -"Something urgent and important." - -"Fire away--I'm yours truly." - -"Can you get word for me to my friend, Van Sherwin?" - -"Sure." - -"To-night?" - -"At any and all times. We arranged that with the road detective." - -"Very well," said Ralph. "I want you to deliver a note to Van. It will -take some time to write it, so you will have to come up to the house -with me, and wait till I get it ready." - -They proceeded forthwith in the direction of the Fairbanks homestead. -Ralph invited his companion to stay to supper. - -"Say," observed Slavin, as they had proceeded on their way some distance -and he took a last backward glance at the dying flames--"say, Ralph -Fairbanks, I wonder if it looks to you--that fire I mean--like it does -to me?" - -"How do you mean, Slavin?" questioned Ralph. - -"That some of old Gasper Farrington's chickens are coming home to -roost!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII--SLAVIN GETS A JOB - - -"Good-morning, Mr. Fairbanks." - -"Why, good-morning, Mr. Slavin, but--quite formal, aren't you?" said -Ralph with a smile. - -It was the second day after the factory fire. Ralph and Knight, both -busy at their duties, had been visited by Slavin. - -He came up the ladder and into the switch tower with a certain slow -dignity of manner that made Ralph stare. - -"Hello, Slav," nodded old Jack Knight carelessly. - -"How do you do--sir?" answered Slavin with rigid courtesy as he sank to -the armchair--always a welcome visitor, nowadays. - -"Bust me!" whispered Knight with a keen glance at Slavin, and -suppressing a quick snicker--"what's in his crop now, Fairbanks?" - -Ralph wondered, too. He stole a second furtive look at Slavin. Then he -had to turn his head aside to hide a smile. - -Slavin sat like a statue. The one impelling motive of his life at -present, it seemed, was to suggest the idea that he had weighty matters -on his mind. - -He looked like a being struggling with the most momentous -responsibilities. His eye ran over the long array of levers as if he -had been officially delegated to inspect them. His bearing -was--profound. - -Ralph noticed a change in his general dress. So did Knight, and in a -hoarse, undertoned guffaw he observed to his young assistant: - -"The spell is on, and he's got himself up regardless!" - -Knight could hardly hold himself in. The old veteran had seen every -phase of railroad rgime and railroad vanity in his long career. At a -glance he had guessed what was up with Young Slavin. - -Ralph noticed that Slavin wore a new head gear. It was a direct copy of -the touring cap affected by the depot master. - -The top button of Slavin's coat was a brass one. It was either a -conductor's or a Pullman porter's official insignia--at a distance Ralph -could not tell which. - -Sticking out from one of Slavin's coat pockets was an assortment of -folders. Ralph recognized them as including all the official time -schedules of the Great Northern. - -Besides that, in his hand Slavin carried a somber-looking, -flexible-covered book. This suggested some technical engineering or -scientific work. - -Slavin consulted its pages as he sat in the armchair. Ralph and Knight -scented fun in the air. They went on silently with their duties. - -This grew irksome to Slavin. He finally arose to his feet, and began -restively pacing about the switch tower. - -"H'm," he observed at length. "Saw a great article on the combustion of -coal gases in locomotives, last night." - -"That so?" nodded Knight, and proceeded to whistle industriously. - -Slavin looked hurt at the repulse. In a minute or two he blurted out -again: - -"I see there's a new invention for economizing steam in short-run -engines. Sort of studying up things, see? This here book----" - -"What book is it, Slavin?" inquired Ralph pleasantly. - -"Yes, what's this high jinks in railroad education you're firing at us?" -demanded Knight, suddenly seizing the volume from Slavin's hand. "Oh, -my! hold me! ha! ha!" roared the veteran towerman. "Listen, Fairbanks: -'Technical Topography of High Grade Elevations in Asiatic Railways.' -Oh, me! Oh, my! Slavin, you take the cake!" - -"Mr. Knight, I didn't come here to have my feelings trampled on," spoke -Slavin in tones of offended dignity. - -"Right, old son. You came here to show how hard you'd got the railroad -fever--hey, you spoony? Why, it's sticking out all over you. I had it -once. They all get it at first. Why, you ambitious young lunkhead," -cried Knight, slapping Slavin's shoulder with a hearty whack that nearly -knocked him over, "you're simply tickled to death about something, and I -can tell it in three words." - -"What is it, Mr. Knight?" asked Ralph innocently. - -"'Got a job!'" - -"Good!" cried Ralph, grasping Slavin's hand in congratulation. "Is it -true?" - -"Why, yes, it is," answered Slavin proudly. "So, what's the harm in -trying to post up, hey?" - -"My son," observed Knight in a patriarchal fashion, "posting up and -looking railroady is all right, but there's many a long, tough reach in -plain buttons, and a long distance away from combustion and high grades, -before you even begin to guess what you know about practical -railroading. Who did you see--the master mechanic?" - -"No--depot master." - -"What--not put on duty here with us?" exclaimed Ralph in a really -pleased tone. - -"That's it," announced Slavin grandly. - -"Well, I am truly glad," said Ralph. - -"So am I," put in Knight--"I'll catch your mistakes like a true friend, -and help you along like a brother." - -"I am not going to make any mistakes," declared Slavin confidently. - -"Oho! aint?" said Knight softly. - -"No, sir. I've watched you two closely. It's simple. You get 7. Pull -7. Muscle does it." - -"That so?" continued old Jack, in a slow, pitying drawl. "Well, well! -Now, just to demonstrate, suppose you take a test?" - -"I'm your man!" cried Slavin, pulling off his coat and striking an -attitude. - -"Double switch," called out Knight--"18 and 19." - -Slavin wavered, Knight had called out two levers way down the line, -rarely used. Slavin's eyes ran the long array. Then he got his -bearings, and swung his arms down into the battery with a ponderous -swoop. - -His great strong fists clasped the lever handles in a really admirable -manner, and he looked the prodigy of muscle he claimed to be. - -"Open 'em up!" shouted Knight - -Slavin bent to his task. - -"Pull--you lubber, pull!" yelled old Jack Knight. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII--WHAT THE "EXTRA" TOLD - - -"They won't move!" cried Young Slavin disgustedly. "They don't budge. -Oh, rot on you! guying a fellow," and he slunk back to the armchair in -chagrin. - -Old Jack laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. He had tricked his -new apprentice into a "grand-stand" display at two levers that had been -wedged tight shut and out of use for a month. - -He rallied the would-be railroader for a few minutes. Then in his -kind-spirited way he took up the matter seriously. - -He told Slavin just what his initial duties would be: sweeping out the -tower, keeping the fuel supply handy, oiling the lever and rod sockets, -cleaning the windows. - -Slavin was somewhat disappointed at this dreary routine. When, however, -Knight recited his own early experience and what it led to in -proficiency and promotion, Slavin became more resigned. - -"It looks good," he said longingly. "The day I draw more than board and -lodging wages and pull a lever, I'll give you two a banquet. Say, I can -hardly wait to begin!" - -"When do you begin, Slavin?" asked old Jack. - -"Next Monday." - -Slavin hung around the switch tower till Knight went away in answer to a -'phone call from the limits tower. Then he sidled up to Ralph. - -"Been waiting to tell you," he said in a low tone. - -"Something about Van?" - -"Yes." - -"Did you get any word from him?" - -"This morning. Came to the rear jail window, where I wait for him. Said -just one word." - -"What was it?" - -"To-night." - -"That was all?" - -"Someone inside interrupted him, I think, so that was all." - -"'To-night,'" repeated Ralph musingly. "I wonder what he means?" - -"Action to-night, of course. Something is going to happen. Last -night--you remember what he told me?" - -"Yes, Van said he felt sure that Slump and Bemis had the documents -stolen from Mrs. Davis." - -"That's it," nodded Slavin. "You know Slump wrote a sassy letter to old -Farrington." - -"So you told me." - -"Farrington paid no attention to it. Then Van overheard these two -precious schemers concocting a new note. It told old Farrington that -they had something better than merely knowing where a certain woman -was." - -"They meant Mrs. Davis." - -"Of course. In this last note they said that they had some very -valuable papers belonging to Mrs. Davis. They threatened that if -Farrington didn't get them out of that jail inside of forty-eight hours, -they would send for Ralph Fairbanks and turn the papers over to him." - -"This is getting interesting," remarked Ralph. - -"And exciting. Oh, something is sure to drop, soon. That old miser -will never go any twenty thousand dollars' bonds on those two -scape-graces." - -"It is not likely," said Ralph. "Do you think Farrington paid any -attention to the second note?" - -"I think he did." - -"Why so?" - -"As I left the jail, I saw his coachman come out of the building. He -had an empty basket on his arm. I think he had been taking some food -and such fixings to Ike Slump & Co." - -"And the latest is Van's 'To-night'," mused Ralph. "Slavin, you will -keep a close watch on things, won't you? I believe affairs are very -near a crisis." - -"I'll not miss anything," Slavin assured Ralph stanchly--"least of all -you, when there's any important word to report." - -Ralph was restless and expectant all that evening at home. He sat up -till ten o'clock, hoping that Slavin might bring him some word. - -None came, however. He went to bed, and as usual left the house for the -switch tower at 7.30 in the morning. - -Just as Ralph neared the depot yards, a small boy with a bundle of -papers under his arm darted down the street. - -Ralph remembered that this was "paper day." He paused and listened as -the lad shouted out his wares. - -"Extry! extry!" he called. - -"Here, boy--what have you got extra?" asked a passer-by. - -"Full account of the great Stanley Junction jail escape!" - -"What's that?" cried Ralph irrepressibly. - -"Hey, never mind--I'll tell you," pronounced Slavin's voice suddenly at -his elbow. "I'm out of breath. Just missed you at your house, and ran -all the way here after you." - -"Slavin, what is this I hear--a jail escape?" - -"Yes--Slump and Bemis. It seems someone smuggled some tools in to them -yesterday." - -"Farrington's man." - -"That's how I figure it out," assented Slavin. "Anyhow, they discovered -that the prisoners were gone about midnight. I didn't hear of it until -about an hour ago. I hurried to the road detective. He got a 'phone -from Van Sherwin at the jail about two o'clock this morning. It was to -wire to the jailer to give him his liberty." - -"What--Van gone, too!" exclaimed Ralph. - -"That's the way it looks. I just came from the jail. They had let -Sherwin go. The jailer said he had left a note. For Ralph Fairbanks. I -took it to deliver. Here it is." - -Ralph eagerly tore open the letter Slavin handed him. - -It contained Van's signature in initials, and one line only. This read: - -"Got track of Mrs. Davis--I have the stolen papers." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX--GUESSING - - -Young Slavin was marking some initials on the current date on a big -calendar hanging up on the door of the coat closet of the depot switch -tower. - -It was his third day of service. As old Jack Knight came up the trap -ladder, his grim face broke into an expression of sincere approbation. -He took a keen look around the place. - -"Neat and tidy," he observed. "You'll do, Slavin. But what's those -hieroglyphics on that calendar for?" - -"Oh, just a memoranda," explained the new tower hand, with a conscious -flush. - -"'P.I.N.' eh?" said Knight. - -The initials were blue-penciled in the date space of each of the three -days of Slavin's employment. - -"Yes, sir." - -"What's the answer? Something about a coupling pin?" - -"Naw. Those initials, Mr. Knight, represent the boiling down of the -rules for employees printed on the card of instructions." - -"That so?" - -"Yes, sir, Promptness, Industry, Neatness. I'm trying to fill that -bill." - -"You've done it so far," observed old Jack. "I hear you show up an hour -before time." - -"Can't sleep, thinking of my grand luck!" chuckled Slavin. - -"You're certainly all the time fussing around, if that's industry," went -on Knight. "Those windows shine like headlights. You've oiled up -everything till the lack of creaking makes a fellow lonesome. As to -neatness--well, if you haven't actually scrubbed the floor here!" - -"I thought it needed it," said Slavin. - -"Keep it up, son," encouraged old Jack. "You're making a fine -beginning." - -Slavin went singing and whistling about his work the whole day long. It -did Ralph's heart good, when he arrived, to see his protg happy, -industrious, and headed in the right direction. - -Things were going on famously smooth and satisfactory at the switch -tower. A friend of old Farrington's, and by no means of Ralph's, one -Bardon, an inspector, had looked over the layout with a critical eye the -day previous. - -"You'll find no flaws here, friend," old Jack had announced. - -Bardon had to admit that the switch tower rgime was in perfect working -order. - -Since the escape of Ike Slump and Mort Bemis and the new disappearance -of Van Sherwin, not a clew as to the course or whereabouts of the -missing trio had reached either Ralph or his friends. - -There had been a big row up at the jail, and one of the under officers -had been discharged under suspicion. - -It was evident that someone had smuggled tools and ropes into the jail, -for these were found in the cell through the forced window of which -Slump and Bemis had escaped. - -These could hardly have passed proper inspection, if hidden in food or -clothing brought to the prisoners by outsiders. - -"Of course old Farrington's man did the job," asserted Slavin. - -"Of course he did," assented Ralph. "It was the cheapest way of giving -his troublesome pensioners their liberty." - -Van's message to Ralph had a very encouraging tone to it. He evidently -had a clew to Mrs. Davis' place of confinement, and "he had the stolen -documents." - -As the days went by, however, Ralph began to grow anxious, and his -mother shared his worry. Ralph had told her everything concerning the -rifled tin box. Mrs. Fairbanks was mainly troubled over the possible -imprisonment and mistreatment of Mrs. Davis. - -"The poor lady has suffered a great deal of trouble," she remarked. "Her -mind was none too strong. It is wicked to torture her further, Ralph, -can we do nothing to force Mr. Farrington to tell where she is?" - -"He would deny having ever heard of Mrs. Davis," asserted Ralph -convincedly. "Of course, if any mishap or failure comes to Van, and he -doesn't report soon, I will see a lawyer and try and compel Farrington -to some action. He is a shrewd, cruel man, though, mother. I am afraid -our only hope is in Van, or the recapture of Slump and Bemis." - -"Have they tried to find them?" - -"Mr. Adair has been searching for them everywhere. He believes that -Farrington assisted in their escape, and gave them a large amount of -money to leave the country." - -Gasper Farrington was not having a very happy time of it. Ralph decided -this that morning, as he noticed the magnate pass on the other side of -the street. - -Farrington looked bent, old, and troubled. He had sustained a total -loss at the factory fire. His tricky methods were becoming known to the -public. He was losing the respect of people. This he realized, and -showed it both in bearing and face. - -Ralph was thinking about all this about three o'clock in the afternoon, -when the depot master's messenger came up the tower ladder. He had a -pocketful of mail. - -"Postal card for you, Fairbanks," he said. - -Ralph took the card and went to the window to inspect it. The postal -was blurred over and wrinkled, back and front. It looked as if it had -been posted after being wetted by snow or rain, or in some stage of its -transmission had fallen into a mess of wet dirt. - -Its address was clear enough. It bore a railway mail postmark. On its -reverse side the letters had run with the moisture. - -"From Van," said Ralph, setting himself the difficult task of -deciphering the blurred lines. "I know his handwriting, and it is -signed 'V.' It was written in a hurry, that looks certain. What has he -to say?" - -Ralph conned the imperfect message over and over. After many -interruptions, at the end of fully half an hour's careful study, these -were the only coherent words he could formulate from the blurred scrawl: - -"----hurry--and important. Don't miss telling--Slump--Bemis--Wednesday -evening--safe--bank shipment--express--found out, and special -freight--sure to be there--not later--near South Dover--don't delay a -minute--will soon--back at Stanley Junction." - -"What is he trying to tell me?" murmured Ralph in a puzzled and anxious -way, after a third and fourth reading of the perplexing message. - -He finally gave up guessing what the missing links in the postal screed -might be. - -"One thing is certain," reflected Ralph. "Wednesday evening something -is on the books. The only other definite clew is South Dover. Does he -mean for me to meet him there? Does he mean that Slump and Bemis are in -that neighborhood? There is something about a bank shipment, express, -and special freight. That means the railroad is somehow interested. -'Don't miss,' he writes, 'don't delay.' I won't," resolved Ralph -keenly. "I wouldn't dare to, with such a word from Van. He has kept mum -all along. Now that he does speak out, it certainly means something -important." - -Ralph thought things over for another half-hour, and then made up his -mind what he would do. - -He consulted the train schedules. Then he explained to Knight the -necessity for a brief absence from duty. Without seeing Slavin, who had -been sent for some report blanks to the depot, Ralph hurried home. - -He told his mother about the postal card, dressed for the trip down the -road, and caught the 4.30 train. Ralph was cordially invited to a seat -in the cab by his loyal old friend, Engineer Griscom. - -It was nearly dusk when the train reached South Dover. The place was -only a name. There was not a building within a mile of the tool sheds -and water tank that marked the spot. - -The train slowed up for Ralph, who jumped off. He waved his hand to -Griscom in adieu, and looked all about him. - -South Dover was a switching and make-up point for the accommodation of -Dover freight transfers. It had a dozen sidings and spurs. Freight -coming into Dover on a north destination was switched here, and made -ready to be taken up by through trains. - -A man on a track bicycle had just set some lights. He whirled away -towards Dover as Ralph stood looking about him. - -No other human being was in sight. On a near siding stood half a dozen -freight cars. Over on another track, near the water tower, stood a dead -freight dummy. - -"I can't make out much here," reflected Ralph. "No one in sight, no -indication why Van mentioned the place." - -He strolled over to the dead locomotive. Its tender was full of coal. -Ralph opened the furnace door. Everything was ready to kindle up, and -the gauge showed a full water supply. - -"I see," mused Ralph. "There is to be some switching, or a night run. I -don't know how soon, though. Well, I'll hang around a bit. Something -may develop." - -Ralph walked down the short line of freights, casually inspecting the -cars. As he came to the last one he dodged back in a very lively -fashion. - -Climbing up the embankment to the left were four persons. They had just -emerged, it seemed, from thick underbrush lining the tracks. - -Two of them were grown men--bearded, rough-looking fellows, resembling -tramps. - -The other two persons of the group had a prompt and distinct interest to -Ralph. He at once recognized Ike Slump and Mort Bemis. - -They were coming directly towards the freights. Ralph saw the danger of -discovery. - -The door of the car next to the last box freight was ajar. - -Ralph leaped up into the car just as Ike Slump reached the top of the -railroad embankment. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX--PRECIOUS FREIGHT - - -"Here we are!" almost immediately sounded out the tones of Mort Bemis. - -"Glad of it," growled a gruff, breathless voice, unfamiliar to the -listening Ralph. "We are about done out lugging these heavy crowbars -over swamps and up this steep climb." - -"Quick action, now," broke in Slump. "Here, give me a crowbar." - -Ralph glided to the end of the box car he was in. He got near its -little rear grated window. - -Cautiously he looked out. Standing at the side of the track were Bemis -and the two tramps. One of them held a crowbar. Another like it Ike -was extending between the bumpers. He knocked up the coupling pin -connecting the rear car with the rest of the train. - -Then he pried against the head of the pin, and forced it out. As it -fell to the roadbed, he said: - -"Watch up and down the tracks, Mort." - -"Oh, there's no likelihood of anybody coming for three hours," retorted -Bemis. "The express has passed, and the signal man. The switching crew -will keep snug and cozy in Hank Allen's restaurant up at Dover till -schedule time, and that isn't till nine o'clock." - -"Well, keep a sharp lookout, all the same," directed Ike. "I worked up -this deal, and I reckon I have a right to boss the job. Come, my -friend," to the tramp holding the other crowbar. "Pry on that left -wheel. I'll take the right. Soon as we get momentum, you two give us a -shoulder. Push, till I say let go. Understand?" - -Ralph was momentarily bewildered. The quartette were about to separate -the last car from the train. Why? - -Ike and his helper got their crowbars each under a wheel. They budged -the car, and got it fairly started. Then they yelled to the other two, -and, dropping the crowbars, joined them in pushing the car along by -sheer shoulder strength. - -Ralph stared after them in doubt and concern. Then as they took a -switch with rusted rails, he clearly saw their object. - -The wheels of the detached freight car, striking a sharp slant, ran away -from the persons who had started it up. - -They stood still, gazing after the runaway. It moved on with sharpening -speed, took a curve, and was shut out from view. - -For fully two minutes afterwards, however, Ralph could catch the -diminishing clatter of the fast revolving wheels. The others stood -listening, too. - -It was fairly dusk now. As the quartette approached the remaining cars, -Ralph noticed that Mort Bemis was chuckling. Ike Slump's face wore an -expression of intense satisfaction. They all halted as they reached the -stationary freights. - -"Here," spoke Ike, "we don't need those any longer." - -He seized the crowbars in turn lying on the roadbed. He gave them a -swing, sending them in among the long grass at the side of the -embankment. - -"Done quite neatly," spoke Bemis. "Now then, fellows--back the way we -came. Horse and wagon all ready?" - -"Yes," assented one of the tramps. - -"Make it lively, then. We can get around to the switch off where that -car has come to a stop, in about an hour." - -"Then for the safe, and a fortune apiece!" cried Ike excitedly. "Say, -Mort, the five hundred we lost on the races looks a fleabite to what -we'll divide up in the next two hours!" - -"I don't see why you didn't drive right up here and dump the safe?" -suggested one of the men of the party. - -"Don't you?" spoke Ike. "Well, you'd have a fine time, driving over, -that boggy waste, wouldn't you? Besides, that spur is never used. No -chance of any meddlers where that car is now. The train crew won't be -here till nine o'clock. When they do come, even if they miss the car, -they won't suspect where it has gone to." - -"Correct," assented Mort Bemis in a jubilant tone. "Oh, we're working -on greased rollers! Come, let's go around for the horse and wagon, and -get that safe in our claws." - -The quartette descended the embankment and disappeared from view. Ralph -jumped from the car the moment they were out of sight. - -In the light of the overheard conversation and recent doings of Slump -and his companions, the young leverman was pretty well able to -conjecture what they were doing. - -Van's blurred message grew clearer now. Ralph doubted not but that -Slump and Bemis had projected and were carrying out a daring robbery. - -According to what they had said, the detached car had aboard some very -valuable freight: nothing less than a safe. And Ike had intimated that -it contained "a fortune apiece." - -This seemed incredible to Ralph. All the same, he realized that they -had isolated the car to loot it. - -"In an hour they will have their booty," he reflected rapidly. "Can I -foot it to Dover in time? No way to wire. Why, I'll do it!" - -A quick idea came into Ralph's mind. He would anticipate the robbers. -He ran fast as he could to the locomotive on the siding. - -Ralph Fairbanks never valued his practical roundhouse experience so -greatly as during the ensuing fifteen minutes. - -He knew all about a locomotive, for he had been a shop hand to some -profit. He lit the fire, set the steam gauges, piled on the coal. Steam -up, he backed towards the spur, stopped, opened a switch, and glided -west after the runaway car. - -As he rounded a curve he noticed that the spur had two tracks, and he -had by chance taken the outer one. - -The tracks ran parallel, however. There must be switches further on, he -decided, and he put on a fair head of steam and sped on his way. - -The spur ran in and out a hilly district with numerous curves. At -length there was a level stretch. Ralph whizzed by the detached car, -standing stationary at the end of a steep grade about a quarter of a -mile from the main rails where it had been started. - -He took a new curve, slowed up, and began looking for a switch. The -tracks ended near a dismantled ruin. It had evidently once been in use -as a factory, but now, like the spur tracks, was abandoned. - -At this terminus were several switches. Ralph got righted on the inside -rails and started back for the detached car. - -There were as many as four curves to pass, all breasting elevations at -the side. Ralph proceeded rather slowly. As he reached the final open -stretch, however, his hand came down sharply on the lever. - -He pulled the throttle open. A glance had warned him that there was no -time now to dally. - -It was not quite dark yet. Some lanterns were now at the side of the -detached car. - -Near it was a horse and wagon. The side door of the car was open. One -of the tramps was carrying a rope from the wagon. The other was just -climbing into the car. - -Ralph drove the locomotive forward so promptly that the alarmed shout of -the man coming from the wagon was mingled with a resounding crash, as -the bulkheads of the cow-catcher struck the end of the car. The freight -was momentarily lifted from its trucks. Then car and engine swept on. - -The tramp, just climbing into the car when the contact came, was knocked -free of his hold by the shock. He went keeling over and over in the -gravel by the side of the track. - -From the inside of the car sounded loud and fervent yells. Ralph kept -his eye fixed on the side of the freight. A head was thrust out--two of -them. - -Staring back in startled wonder, Ike Slump and Mort Bemis saw what had -happened, and marvelled. - -They did not attempt to jump. Ralph believed that they recognized him. -Whether this were true or not, just as the locomotive reached the main -road bed a report rang out. A bullet smashed in the front window of the -cab. - -Ralph dodged down. His enemies were driven to desperate straits. He -held back from the window out of range, but kept his hand firmly on the -lever. - -A glance showed what he was running into. The stationary freights -blocked his course. Ralph slowed up. Then, as the expected contact -came, he put on full steam again. - -A momentary halt had given Bemis a chance to leave the detached car in -safety. As the locomotive glided by he grabbed at its step. - -Ralph threw out one foot. It met Mort's jaw, and sent him spinning -clear of his hold. - -The locomotive was now pushing the entire train. Ralph's heart began to -beat fast. He dared not stop, for Slump was probably armed, and his -confederates might come in pursuit. - -Ralph did not know what he might run into, or what might run into him. -He was a "wild" of the most reckless description. It was make or break -for Dover, now! - -"He's jumped!" exclaimed Ralph. - -A dark form, that of Ike Slump, leaped from the car ahead as it passed a -morass. Ralph ventured to lean out of the cab window. - -He could make out the nearing lights of Dover. Glancing back, he saw by -the signals that the tracks were clear for the regular service. - -Toot-toot-too-oot-too-oot! - -Far and wide rang the ear-splitting alarm signal. Ralph kept it up -continuously. Then, as he neared the crossings tower lights at Dover, -he shut off steam and jolted down to a dead stop. - -Glancing back and ahead, he saw the signals change in a flash, blocking -all rails. - -A lantern moved down the tracks. Two men came running towards the -freights and along them till they reached the locomotive. - -One of the men was evidently the head towerman. He glared wildly up at -Ralph. - -"What in thunder is this?" he cried. - -"Why, you may call it a special," answered Ralph promptly. - -"Special?" roared the irate towerman--"special what?" - -"A special treasure train, I would call it, from what I learn," said -Ralph coolly. "I have just run it clear of four robbers, and I -understand it has 'four fortunes' in it." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI--HALF A MILLION DOLLARS - - -"Name?" - -"Fairbanks." - -"Ah, I have heard of you. Towerman at Stanley Junction--first name -Ralph?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Wasn't it you who made that terrifically heroic run through the fire at -the Acton freight yards with engineer John Griscom?" - -"I was there, yes," admitted Ralph modestly. - -"Thought so. Shake. Proud to know you, Mr. Fairbanks, and glad to see -you are keeping your name clean and bright on the railroad roll of -honor." - -"Thank you." - -Ralph sat in the room of the assistant superintendent at Dover, an hour -after taking the special into safety. He had made a brief explanation -to the towerman. The freights were sidetracked, a dozen watchmen -guarded the cars, as many specials were sent back to South Dover to -attempt the capture of the robbers. - -"Here," spoke the assistant superintendent, summoning a messenger, "take -that wire for Stanley Junction. Fairbanks, do you happen to know that -you have done an amazing thing?" - -Ralph shook his head with an uncertain smile. - -"Well, you have. I have wired the Junction that you can't go back -to-night." - -"But my leave of absence was only temporary." - -"Don't let that disturb you at all," said the assistant superintendent. -"The road needs you here at present. I fancy the road will be very -likely to acknowledge your services of to-night. You have prevented the -theft of half a million dollars." - -Ralph started at this monstrous statement. It seemed incredible. - -"That is right. The real owner of the sum will probably give you a bank -calendar free, or sue the Great Northern for delay. All the same, the -road feels its obligation to you, and I want you to know it. You will -have to stay here till we get this matter straightened out. You see, -you are the only person who can identify those robbers--if they are -caught. You will stay at my home to-night." - -The assistant superintendent then went over the entire matter in detail, -and Ralph heard an interesting story. - -A parsimonious country banker--who seemed to be a sort of second edition -of Gasper Farrington--had decided to move his bank from its original -location to a point two hundred miles distant. - -Too niggardly to purchase the security of his money by sending it by -express, he had put it and his securities in a small safe. This he had -boxed up, and had shipped it by special freight as merchandise. - -How Slump and Bemis had got wind of the proceeding, Ralph could only -theorize. They had certainly planned well to make off with this -magnificent booty. - -How Van Sherwin had been able to send the intimation he had to Ralph, -was yet to be explained. - -The railroad official treated Ralph like a prince. Both of the tramps -were captured and placed in jail. They claimed they had simply been -hired by Slump and Bemis to work for them. - -The next morning the banker who had so nearly lost his banking capital -arrived in hot haste. - -He proceeded to express his precious belongings the rest of the way--for -which the express company proceeded to charge him as strong as the case -would stand. - -"Ha, hum," this individual observed, as he shook Ralph's hand--"a -slight--ha, hum--testimonial. Don't mention it!" - -Ralph exhibited a dollar bill to the curious and furious assistant -superintendent as the banker withdrew. Then he handed it to the -messenger, with the remark: - -"You take your own risk in trying to pass it!" - -Just before noon Ralph was given a telegram from Stanley Junction, -signed by Slavin. - -It read: - -"Hear you are at Dover, so I will wire. Needed in S.J. V.S. and Mrs. -D. here, G.F. in a panic. Quick action needed. Come." - -Ralph told the assistant superintendent of the urgent message. - -"Of course you must go," said the latter, "but you will have to come -down and identify the two prisoners in court in a day or two. By the -way, we have sent a full report of the case to headquarters. I would -suggest, Fairbanks, if you are tired of tower service, you won't have to -ask for promotion." - -"Not tired of it, sir," explained Ralph, "only anxious to get higher up -the ladder as fast as I can." - -"Very good. You've earned a good boost this time," declared the -assistant superintendent. - -Ralph reached Stanley Junction just after dark. He left the train at -the limits and took a short rut home. - -The front of the little cottage was aglow with cheerful light, and he -knew there was "company." - -Ralph burst in upon his good friend, Van, with a boisterous welcome. -More gently, but none the less sincerely, he greeted Mrs. Davis. She -sat in a comfortable armchair, rather pale and feeble-looking, but -smiling through her happy tears. - -Young Slavin occupied a humble seat at one side of the room. - -"Lawyer made me come," he whispered to Ralph,--"waiting for him now." - -"What lawyer?" inquired Ralph in surprise. - -"One Van got. Oh, he's been running all the switches this afternoon, I -can tell you!" - -Just there Van beckoned to Ralph, and led him into an adjoining room, -closing the door on the others. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII--CONCLUSION - - -"You had best know just how things stand," remarked Van Sherwin, as he -proceeded to tell an interesting story. - -Van had learned from Ralph's note sent to him to the town jail that Ike -Slump or Mort Bemis had the documents stolen from Mrs. Davis' little tin -box. - -He had watched his fellow prisoners closely, finally discovering that -the papers were carried by Slump in a secret inner coat pocket. - -The very night that Slump and Bemis escaped, Van with a window pole -reached into the cell, got the garment in question, and left his own -coat in its place. - -He secured the stolen documents. Folded in with them was a receipt for -somebody's board at a place called Millville. Van decided that this was -the place where Mrs. Davis was imprisoned, or detained. - -He intended to gain his freedom in the morning early. In the meantime, -as the reader is aware, Slump and Bemis escaped. The former was -probably unaware in the darkness that he was wearing Van's coat instead -of his own. - -Van started forthwith to locate Mrs. Davis. He found there were two -Millvilles, and it was several days before he settled down on the right -one. It took several more to locate Mrs. Davis' present guardians. - -They proved to be a wretched couple in an isolated farmhouse. They kept -their prisoner in a barred attic room. - -Mrs. Davis had missed a paper which told where the tin box was secreted. -This her jailers had probably given to Slump, who thus obtained a clew -as to the whereabouts of the documents. - -Van managed to rescue Mrs. Davis without being discovered by her -guardians. That very day he came upon Slump and Bemis near the old -farmhouse. - -He secreted himself and overheard some of their conversation. They had -squandered all of their ready money, and dared not return to Stanley -Junction. They had come to the farmhouse to remove Mrs. Davis, and with -her in their hands blackmail Farrington afresh. - -They had discovered her escape, and then they talked of a last desperate -scheme. It was to "hold up" something or somebody at South Dover. - -Van could not leave Mrs. Davis, to follow or pursue them. He wrote the -hurried postal to Ralph that had got wet and blurred in transmission, -but, despite which fact, Ralph had managed to utilize with such grand -results. - -Mrs. Davis' secret was a simple one. As has been said, her husband was -none other than Van's adopted father, Farwell Gibson, who had been -fleeced by Gasper Farrington along with Ralph's own father. - -The magnate had maligned Gibson so that Mrs. Gibson left him. They -became strangers, and later Farrington claimed he was dead. - -Mrs. Gibson, or Mrs. Davis as she now called herself, became quite poor. -She discovered among some old papers an agreement between herself, Mr. -Fairbanks, and Gasper Farrington about the twenty thousand dollars' -worth of railroad bonds. - -This document showed plainly that in equity she had a quarter interest, -and Mrs. Fairbanks the balance in these bonds really held in trust by -Farrington. - -She had come to Stanley Junction to sell this paper to Farrington. -Embittered by her sad past, she had no thoughts of the rights of others, -until Ralph did her a kindly act and changed all the motives of her -life. - -Now, after learning from Van how her husband had been wronged and -misrepresented by Farrington, she longed to secure her five thousand -dollars to assist him in beginning his short-line railroad. - -"There will be a happy reunion," Van told Ralph. "As to the money, the -twenty thousand dollars, I have had a lawyer working on her claim and -yours all day long. They say that Slump wrote a letter to some friend -here, telling all about Farrington's dealings with him. The local paper -threatens an expos, and this, with the factory fire and our claim, has -driven the miserable old schemer nearly to his wits' end. Ah, there is -the lawyer now." - -Ralph knew the legal gentleman in question. They rejoined the others in -the front parlor. - -"Have you seen Farrington?" asked Van promptly. - -"No," responded the lawyer. "He has secluded himself, and refuses to be -seen. I have had to deal with him through his attorney. It has been -quibble and evasion all day long. Just now, however, they arrived at an -ultimatum." - -"What is it?" inquired Ralph. - -"Farrington is near to nervous collapse. His losses and his fears of -disgrace have driven him to leave Stanley Junction until the storm has -blown over. His lawyer admits the justice of our claim. He asks that -they be given a little time to settle it." - -"Not an hour, if the claim is just and right!" declared Ralph sternly. -"We have been kept out of our rights all these years." - -"Then I have a suggestion to make," said the lawyer. "I have no doubt -whatever of your forcing payments in time. The only thing is, that -crafty old fox, Farrington, will scheme for delay. He intends to get it -by taking a trip to Europe." - -"Out of the country?" exclaimed Ralph. - -"So I learn. In fact, he has left, or is leaving now. That will be -unfortunate for your case. Now, if you could get service on him before -he leaves, you head off his dilatory arrangements." - -"What kind of service?" asked Van. - -"A legal demand of your claim, to be proven in court if he does not -settle. That would bring his lawyer to time. I have prepared the -demand--in fact, I have a man waiting outside to serve it--if you can -suggest any way to reach Farrington." - -"Why, if he is leaving for Europe to-night," said Ralph, arising to his -feet and consulting his watch, "he will have to take the southern -train." - -"Not from the Stanley Junction depot, I fancy," observed the lawyer. - -"No, he will probably get on at the limits, or down at Acton, and take -the train there." - -"See here," spoke up Slavin suddenly--"leave this to me, will you?" - -"How do you mean?" inquired Ralph. - -"Send your man with me," said Slavin to the lawyer. "The railroad -people will give me every chance to nab my man, if I tell them it's for -Ralph Fairbanks." - -"Very good," nodded the lawyer with satisfaction, "try it with my man, -if you will." - -There was so much to discuss, that Ralph, Van, and the two ladies sat up -until long past midnight. - -Just as they were retiring, the lawyer's messenger appeared at the front -door of the cottage. - -"O.K.," he said, with a chuckle. - -"Got your man?" asked Van. - -"Sure thing. Farrington sneaked on to the train at Acton, disguised, -and hid in a sleeper. The conductor knew Fairbanks here, and Slavin did -the rest. Snaked him out of his berth, and made him acknowledge our -legal demand. He's off for Europe, but I'll warrant won't tangle up his -affairs here by letting you sue. But he has already wired his lawyer to -settle with you people." - -"Good!" shouted Ralph, and his face showed his pleasure. - -Everything seemed working out happily. Ralph came up into the switch -tower with a bright, cheery face, next morning. - -"Hello, Slavin," he said, noticing his muscular young friend at the -levers--"practicing?" - -"No, sir--on duty," answered Slavin with great dignity. - -"What's that?" demanded Ralph sharply. - -"Sure," coolly nodded Slavin, giving the levers a truly professional -swing. "Don't talk to the leverman when he's busy--rule of the office, -you, know, for outsiders." - -"Ho! ho!" chuckled old Jack Knight. - -"Outsiders?" repeated Ralph. "Call me one?" - -"Ask Mr. Knight." - -Ralph looked inquiringly at the veteran towerman. - -"That's right," assented Knight. "Superintendent was just here. Put -Slavin on the levers, and wants you up at headquarters." - -"What for?" asked Ralph. - -"Says you're due for promotion. Asked me what I thought about your -choice. I told him fireman." - -Ralph's eyes sparkled with pleasure. - -"Thank you, Mr. Knight," he said. "If it's to be another step up the -ladder, I would like it to be in just that line." - -"You take another rung sure, that's settled," declared old Jack proudly. -"And--you'll get to the top!" - -One hour later Ralph Fairbanks was officially instructed by the -superintendent of the Great Northern, that he had been promoted to a new -branch of service. - -How did he succeed? How well, and how his influence and example helped -the success of his loyal railroad friends, will be told in a succeeding -volume to be called "Ralph on the Engine; or, The Young Fireman of the -Limited Mail." - -For the time being he was very happy and so was his mother. Mrs. -Fairbanks felt certain that they would soon be in possession of the -property Gasper Farrington had so long kept from them. - -"I think so myself, mother," said Ralph, and then he added with -enthusiasm: "Isn't it wonderful how we have prospered!" - -"Yes, Ralph." - -"And to think that I am to be a regularly appointed fireman," he -continued. - -"I can see that you are bound to be a railroad man, Ralph," answered the -fond parent with a faint smile. "Well, you take after your father. I -surely wish you the best of luck in your chosen calling." - -And so do we; is that not so, gentle reader? - - THE END - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39051 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the <a class="reference internal" href="#project-gutenberg-license">Project Gutenberg License</a> -included with this eBook or online at -<a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a>.</p> -<p class="noindent pnext"></p> -<div class="noindent vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<div class="align-None container noindent white-space-pre-line" id="pg-machine-header"> -<p class="noindent pfirst white-space-pre-line"><span class="white-space-pre-line">Title: Ralph in the Switch Tower<br /> -<br /> -Author: Allen Chapman<br /> -<br /> -Release Date: March 04, 2012 [EBook #39051]<br /> -<br /> -Language: English<br /> -<br /> -Character set encoding: UTF-8</span></p> -</div> -<div class="noindent vspace" style="height: 2em"> -</div> -<p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-start-line">*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span>RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER</span> ***</p> <div class="noindent vspace" style="height: 4em"> </div> <p class="noindent pfirst" id="pg-produced-by"><span>Produced by Al Haines.</span></p> @@ -5423,347 +5398,6 @@ I surely wish you the best of luck in your chosen calling."</p> <!-- -*- encoding: utf-8 -*- --> <div class="backmatter"> </div> -<p class="pfirst" id="pg-end-line">*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span>RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER</span> ***</p> -<div class="cleardoublepage"> -</div> -</div> -<div class="language-en level-2 pgfooter section" id="a-word-from-project-gutenberg" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<span id="pg-footer"></span><h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title">A Word from Project Gutenberg</h2> -<p class="pfirst">We will update this book if we find any errors.</p> -<p class="pnext">This book can be found under: <a class="reference external" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39051"><span>http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39051</span></a></p> -<p class="pnext">Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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-
-.. meta::
- :PG.Id: 39051
- :PG.Title: Ralph in the Switch Tower
- :PG.Released: 2012-03-04
- :PG.Rights: Public Domain
- :PG.Producer: Al Haines
- :DC.Creator: Allen Chapman
- :DC.Title: Ralph in the Switch Tower
- :DC.Language: en
- :DC.Created: 1907
-
-.. role:: small-caps
- :class: small-caps
-
-=========================
-RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER
-=========================
-
-.. pgheader::
-
-
-.. figure:: images/img-front.jpg
- :align: center
- :alt: RALPH QUICKLY AND DEFTLY ATTENDED TO THE CALL FOR SEVERAL SWITCHES.
-
- RALPH QUICKLY AND DEFTLY ATTENDED TO THE CALL FOR SEVERAL SWITCHES.
-
-
-----
-
-
-.. class:: center large
-
- | RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- | OR
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- | CLEARING THE TRACK
-
-
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- | BY
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- | ALLEN CHAPMAN
-
-
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- | NEW YORK
- | GROSSET & DUNLAP
- | PUBLISHERS
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- | Made in the United States of America
-
-
-----
-
-
-.. class:: center small
-
- | COPYRIGHT, 1907
- | BY
- | THE MERSHON COMPANY
- | *Ralph in the Switch Tower*
-
-
-----
-
-
-.. contents:: CONTENTS
- :depth: 1
- :backlinks: entry
-
-
-----
-
-
-.. class:: center large
-
- | RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I--DOWN AND OUT
-=======================
-
-"Get out of here!" said Jack Knight, head towerman of the Great
-Northern Railroad, at Stanley Junction.
-
-"Why, I ain't doing no harm," retorted Mort Bemis, ex-leverman of the
-depot switch tower.
-
-"And stay out. Hear me?" demanded Knight, big as a bear, and quite as
-gruff.
-
-"What's the call for sitting down on a fellow this way, I'd like to
-know!" muttered Bemis sullenly.
-
-"You're a bad lot, that's what," growled the veteran railroader. "You
-always were and you always will be. I'm through with you. So is the
-railroad company. What's the call, you meddlesome, malicious
-reprobate? That's the call!" fairly shouted the towerman, red of face
-and choleric of voice.
-
-He moved one arm as he spoke. It hung in a sling, and the hand was
-swathed in bandages.
-
-"There's some of your fine, Smart-Aleck work," he went on angrily.
-"Come now, take yourself out of here! This is a place for workers, not
-loafers."
-
-Mort Bemis gave Jack Knight a revengeful look. Then he moved towards
-the trap in the floor.
-
-The scene was the depot switch tower at Stanley Junction, in sight of
-the local passenger depot. It loomed up thirty feet in the air,
-glass-windowed on every side. It was neat, light, and airy. In its
-center, running nearly its length, was the row of long heavy levers
-that controlled the depot and siding switches of the terminus of the
-Great Northern Railroad.
-
-The big-framed, business-faced man who bustled among these, keeping an
-angry eye meantime on an unwelcome visitor, was a veteran and a marvel
-in local railroad circles.
-
-When the Great Northern had come to Stanley Junction, ten years back,
-it brought old Jack Knight with it,
-
-He had an eye like an eagle and the muscles of a giant. The inside of
-his head was popularly believed to be a vast railroad map. He
-controlled the main rails, switches, and sidings, like a woman would
-the threads of an intricate knitting piece. He directed the
-locomotives and trains up and down that puzzling network of rails, like
-puppets moved by strings. In ten years' service he had never been
-responsible for an accident or a wreck.
-
-Old Jack, therefore, having never made a mistake in railroading, had
-little patience with the careless, lazy specimen whom he had just
-ordered out of the place.
-
-Mort Bemis had been his assistant in the tower. The fellow's record
-had always been full of flaws. He was slow and indifferent at the
-levers. He associated with a shiftless crowd outside. He borrowed
-money and did not pay it back. He was unreliable, disagreeable, and
-unpopular.
-
-Three days previous, old Jack was adjusting a heavy weight bar on the
-lower story of the switch tower.
-
-Mort, upstairs, was supposed to safely hold back a spring-bar apparatus
-while his superior was fixing the delicate mechanism below.
-
-His mind everywhere except on his task, Mort for an instant took his
-hand off the bar to wave a recognition to a chosen chum, "flipping" a
-passing freight train.
-
-There was a frightful yell below. Mort, terrified, pulled back the
-bar. Then he stuck his head through the trap. There stood old Jack,
-pale as death, one hand crushed and mutilated through his helper's
-outrageous lapse of duty.
-
-The old railroader's rage was terrible, as he forgot his pain and hurt
-in the realization that for the first time in ten years he was crippled
-from active service.
-
-The frightened Mort made a dive for a window. He slid down the
-water-spout outside, got to the nearest switch shanty, telephoned the
-depot master about the accident,--and made himself scarce.
-
-Mort joined some chosen chums in one of the haunts of Railroad Street.
-He reported by 'phone "on the sick list" next morning. He did not show
-up until two days later, "after a good and easy rest," as he put it,
-and then fancying old Jack's "grouch" had cooled down.
-
-Mort's reception has been related. He was informed that the railroad
-company had peremptorily discharged him. As to old Jack himself, Mort
-readily discerned that the veteran railroader was aching to give him a
-good hiding.
-
-Mort did not wait to furnish an excuse for this. He now started down
-the trap-door ladder, grumbling and growling.
-
-"Be careful!" rapidly but pleasantly warned someone whom Mort jostled a
-few feet from the bottom.
-
-Mort edged over and dropped to the floor. He gave the speaker a keen
-look.
-
-"Hello! Oh; it's you?" he muttered with a scowl; "Ralph Fairbanks."
-
-The person addressed responded with a short nod. Then he continued to
-mount the ladder in an easy, agile way.
-
-"Hold on," challenged Bemis.
-
-He had planted his feet apart, and had fixed a fierce and malignant
-glance upon the newcomer.
-
-Suspicion, disappointment, and rage showed plainly in his coarse,
-sullen face.
-
-There was something in the striking contrast between himself and the
-other that galled Mort.
-
-He was "down and out," he realized, while the neat, cheery, ambitious
-lad whom he had hailed, three years his junior, was "going up the
-ladder" in more ways than one.
-
-The latter wore a new, clean working suit, and carried a dinner pail.
-He suggested the wholesome, energetic worker from top to toe.
-
-"I am holding on," he observed to Mort, stopping half-way up the ladder.
-
-"Thought you was working at the roundhouse?" said Mort.
-
-"I was," answered Ralph Fairbanks. "I have been promoted."
-
-"Where to?"
-
-"Here."
-
-"What!" flared out Mort. "What do you know about switch-tower duty?"
-
-"Not much, only what Mr. Knight has shown me for the past two days.
-But I'll catch on, I guess."
-
-Mort Bemis struck a tragic pose and his voice quavered.
-
-"Oho! that's the game, eh? All cut and dried! My bread and butter
-taken away from me, to give to one of the master mechanic's pets.
-Augh!"
-
-Mort retreated with a grimace of disgust. He was standing under a
-floor grating. Purposely or by accident, Knight, overhead, had dropped
-a dipperful of water through the grating.
-
-Mort jumped outside the lower tower room, growling like a mad
-catamount. He shook his fist menacingly at Ralph.
-
-"Fairbanks," he cried, "I'll fix you for this!"
-
-Ralph did not even look at his enemy again. He completed his ascent of
-the ladder, and came up through the trap with a bright, cheery hail to
-old Jack, whom he liked and who liked him.
-
-"I report for active duty, Mr. Knight," he announced briskly.
-
-"Oh, do you?" retorted the old railroader, disguising his good nature
-under his usual mask of grimness. "Well, you're ahead of time fifteen
-minutes, so just sit down and behave yourself till I get those freights
-over yonder untangled. Anxious for work, are you?" he pursued
-quizzically. "You'll have enough of it. I'm ordered up to the
-crossings tower, and you'll have to take the first half-night shift
-here alone. Think you can manage it?"
-
-"I can try, Mr. Knight," was the modest but resolute reply.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II--UP THE LADDER
-=========================
-
-Ralph Fairbanks was a full-fledged railroader, young as he was.
-
-Those who have read the preceding volume of this series, will have no
-difficulty in recognizing the able and intrepid hero of "Ralph of the
-Roundhouse" in the manly young fellow who had just reported for duty to
-grim old Jack Knight.
-
-Ralph had lived at Stanley Junction since childhood. His father had
-been a railroad man before him. In fact, John Fairbanks had been
-instrumental in bringing the Great Northern to Stanley Junction. He
-had in part supervised its construction.
-
-He had died before reaping the reward of his services. However, Mrs.
-Fairbanks and his friends knew that he owned some twenty thousand
-dollars' worth of railroad stock besides his home. This stock could
-not be located after his death, and Ralph and his mother found
-themselves totally unprovided for.
-
-They knew that in his stock deals Mr. Fairbanks had a partner. This
-was Gasper Farrington, a miserly but wealthy magnate of the town.
-
-To their astonishment, this man now came forward with a mortgage on the
-homestead that Mrs. Fairbanks was positive had been paid off before her
-husband's death.
-
-Of this, however, she could furnish no written proof. Farrington
-professed great sympathy for the family of his dead partner, but
-nevertheless he insisted on collecting the interest on the mortgage.
-
-He seemed very anxious to get the Fairbanks family away from Stanley
-Junction, and even offered them a bribe to go.
-
-This fact aroused Ralph's suspicions.
-
-He got thinking things over. He suddenly realized what a sacrifice his
-noble mother was making to keep him at school.
-
-One day he went home with a great resolve in his mind. He announced to
-his mother that he had decided to put aside boyish sports for hard work.
-
-Ralph was a favorite with local railroaders. The freight yards at
-Acton caught fire, and Ralph was impressed into temporary service.
-
-The lad's heroic acts won the attention and friendship of the master
-mechanic of the railroad. Next day Ralph found himself an employee of
-the Great Northern, as wiper under the foreman of the local roundhouse.
-
-They had offered him a clerical position in the general offices down
-the line at Springfield, but Ralph declined. He announced his
-intention of beginning at the very bottom of the railroad ladder and
-working his way up.
-
-How promptly and triumphantly he reached the first rung, "Ralph of the
-Roundhouse" has narrated.
-
-It was a hard experience, but he soon won the reputation of turning out
-the cleanest, brightest locomotives in the service.
-
-Ralph made many friends and some enemies. Among the latter was a
-dissolute boy named Ike Slump. This young rascal stole nearly a
-wagon-load of valuable brass fittings from the railroad supply shops,
-and not a trace of the thief or booty could be discovered by the road
-detectives.
-
-Ralph had in the meantime befriended and practically adopted a poor
-waif, named Van Sherwin. The latter had been accidentally struck in
-the head by a baseball. His reason seemed gone. Ralph's
-tender-hearted mother cared for him as if he was an only son.
-
-Strange to say, it was through this lone waif whom Ralph had so
-befriended that the young railroader was led to know a certain Farwell
-Gibson. This man turned out to be, like Ralph's father, a victim of
-the wiles of old Gasper Farrington.
-
-Ralph and he got comparing notes. Gibson lived in a lonely stretch of
-woods. He was day by day doing some grading work, which enabled him to
-keep alive a legal charter for a cut-off railway line.
-
-He furnished Ralph with the evidence that the mortgage on the Fairbanks
-home had been paid.
-
-Incidentally, near the woodland seclusion of Farwell Gibson, Ralph ran
-across a wrecked wagon in a ravine. In this he discovered the metal
-fittings stolen from the railroad company.
-
-Ike Slump got away, but Ralph secured the plunder. When he returned to
-Stanley Junction, through a lawyer he made Gasper Farrington
-acknowledge the mortgage on their home as invalid, much to the chagrin
-of the old miser.
-
-He told Farrington, too, that he believed he had his father's twenty
-thousand dollars' worth of railroad bonds hidden away somewhere, and
-notified him that he should yet try to unravel the mystery surrounding
-them.
-
-Ralph now reaped the reward of duty well done. Life grew brighter.
-They had a home, and Mr. Blake, the master mechanic, showed his
-appreciation of the recovery of the stolen plunder.
-
-Ralph was officially notified that he was promoted to duty at the depot
-switch tower.
-
-For two days he had been under the skilled tuition of old Jack Knight,
-learning the ropes. Now, at the noon hour of a bright, balmy autumn
-day, he entered upon this second grade of service in the employ of the
-Great Northern.
-
-It was a pleasure to the ardent young railroader to view the panorama
-of rails and switches in plain view of the switch tower.
-
-It was a fascinating novelty to study old Jack Knight at the levers.
-One-handed as he was for the occasion, he went through his duties like
-some skilled master giving an expert exhibition.
-
-The switch levers were numbered up to twenty. In their center was a
-dial, a foot across. Over its surface ran an indicator, moved by an
-electric button one mile south, at the main signal tower at the limits
-of the town.
-
-"Passenger No. 8," "Freight 10," "Express 3," "Special," "Chaser," and
-half a dozen other regular trains were marked on this dial.
-
-Nearby was a telephone, also connecting with the limits tower. This
-was in requisition every minute to announce when trains had passed a
-certain switch, closed again behind them.
-
-A large megaphone hung in readiness near an open window behind the
-operator, who darted from lever to lever according as he received his
-orders by 'phone or dial.
-
-For two days, as Ralph had told Mort Bemis, he had been under the
-skilled tuition of old Jack, learning the switches.
-
-He had gone down the tracks to the limits, foot by foot slowly, twenty
-times or more that morning, until he had a perfect map in his head of
-every rail and switch on the roadbeds.
-
-He had familiarized himself with every lever number, and that of every
-train on the road. He realized that trained eye, ear, and muscle must
-be ever on the alert, or great loss of life and property might result
-at any moment.
-
-There was a lull in active duty for the veteran towerman as the noon
-whistles blew. Knight set the lever for a lazy switch engine taking a
-siding, sent the noon accommodation on her way, closed the switches
-after her, and gave attention to Ralph.
-
-"Well, Fairbanks," he said, slipping his coat over one arm and changing
-his cap, "think you can manage?"
-
-"I can obey orders," answered Ralph.
-
-"That's all you have to do. The limits gives you your cue. Never
-forget that they are the responsible party. If they say six, make it
-six, if you see that it's going to bust a train of Pullmans, depot, and
-all. Obey orders--that's the beginning and end. Number two is: Use
-your own judgment with chasers and freights when the tracks are full."
-
-Just then the telephone bell rang. Ralph grasped the receiver.
-
-"No. 4, express, backing in," and Ralph repeating it casually for old
-Jack's benefit, stepped on the long, narrow plank lining the lever
-platform.
-
-"Three for the yards switch, 7 for the in main, and 4 for the express
-shed siding," he pronounced.
-
-It took some muscle to pull over the big heavy levers in turn, which
-were not operated on the new-style compressed air system.
-
-Knight watched him closely, nodding his head in approval as Ralph
-closed the switches on limits' 'phoning as the express passed certain
-points. As a locomotive backing three express cars passed the tower
-and took the sheds tracks, old Jack observed:
-
-"You'll do. I'll drop in later. Your shift runs till 9 P.M. Then Doc
-Bortree will relieve you."
-
-"All right, Mr. Knight. And thanks for all your trouble in teaching
-me," said Ralph.
-
-The old towerman disappeared down the trap ladder. Ralph did not sit
-down. He was alone now, and it would take time and experience to
-dissipate the natural tension of anxiety he felt.
-
-"It's a big responsibility for a boy," he spoke musingly. "They know
-their business, though," he went on, "and have confidence in me, it
-seems. Well, I'll make good, if strict obedience to orders is the
-keynote."
-
-The ensuing hour was a great strain on Ralph's nerves. It was a
-critical situation, for at one o'clock it seemed as if every switch
-engine in the service started up simultaneously.
-
-Three freights and one out and one in passenger complicated the
-situation. Ralph's eye never left the dial. His ear got trained to
-catching the slightest click on the telephone.
-
-He felt as flabby as a doormat and was wet with perspiration, as he
-finally cleared the yards.
-
-"Never a miss!" he panted, with a good deal of satisfaction. "It
-couldn't come much swifter than that at any hour of the day or night.
-It's genuine hard work, though, and expert work, too. Well, I've made
-a fair beginning."
-
-Ralph had it quite easy for an hour now. He rested in the big cane
-armchair on a little elevated platform directly in front of the levers.
-From there he had a clear view of every foot of the yards.
-
-Some roundhouse hands, passing by, waved him a genial hail. The depot
-master strolled by about three o'clock, and called up to know how
-Knight's hand was getting on. Just after that, Ralph fancied he
-recognized Mort Bemis in a group of loaferish-looking fellows on the
-freight tracks. A call to the levers, however, distracted his
-attention, and when he looked again the coterie had disappeared.
-
-"I'll have a stirring report to make to mother to-night," reflected
-Ralph, with pleasurable anticipation.
-
-A short freight had just taken the far siding. Its engineer held up
-two fingers to Ralph. This indicated that he wanted main two. After
-that his crew set the unattached switches beyond themselves.
-
-The freight was slowing up, when Ralph saw a female form come over the
-bumpers of two of the moving cars. She leaped to the ground as nimbly
-as an expert switchman.
-
-The fireman of the freight yelled at her and shook his fist. She
-tossed her head in the air and proceeded across the planked passenger
-roadbeds, dodging a hand-car, climbing over a stationary freight, and
-continuing recklessly across the railroad property where outsiders were
-not allowed.
-
-She was a somewhat portly, red-faced woman of about forty. She wore a
-hideous poke bonnet, and carried a bulging umbrella with a heavy hooked
-handle.
-
-In crossing between the cars she simply reached up with this, encircled
-the brake-rod with the umbrella handle, and pulled herself to the
-bumpers.
-
-A flagman came rushing up to her. He pointed to the painted sign on a
-signal post near by, warning trespassers.
-
-Ralph watched the determined female flare up. The flagman tried to
-stop her. She knocked off his cap with a sweeping blow of the
-umbrella, and proceeded calmly on her way with the stride of some
-amazon.
-
-Ralph was wondering at her temerity and mission. She was headed
-straight for the switch tower.
-
-Just then the dial clicked. "Chaser" it indicated, and down the main
-track came a locomotive and tender at full speed.
-
-The 'phone gave the direction: Track 11. This was a set of rails
-rounding beyond the blank wall of the in freight on a sharp curve.
-
-It took one lever to set the switch from the main track, another to
-open the rails inside track eleven.
-
-On the main, forty feet farther on, stood the made-up afternoon
-accommodation train. On No. 12 were two dead Pullmans, ready for the
-night express.
-
-The levers of in main and track eleven were less than three feet apart.
-Ralph grasped one with each hand, to slide the main with his right and
-complete the switch circuit with his left.
-
-It was an easy task, knowing just what was wanted, and a full thirty
-seconds to act in.
-
-The minute that Ralph's hands struck the levers, a thrill and then a
-chill--strong, overpowering, and deadly--paralyzed every nerve in his
-body.
-
-Every vestige of sensation left his frame--his hands, perfectly
-nerveless, seemed glued to the levers.
-
-He could not detach them, strive as he might--he could not exert a
-single ounce of pulling power.
-
-With a gasp Ralph saw the chaser engine dash down the rails, a hundred,
-eighty, seventy, fifty feet from the main switch, tender in front, so
-engineer and fireman, relying on the tower service, never noticed that
-they were headed for a tremendous crash into the made-up accommodation.
-
-With a sickening sense of horror Ralph strove to pull the levers.
-Impossible!
-
-Something was wrong! He could not move a muscle. Like one petrified
-he glared down at the flying locomotive, headed straight for disaster
-and destruction.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III--A CLOSE GRAZE
-==========================
-
-Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
-
-Ralph's strained hearing caught these sounds vaguely. All his
-attention was centered on the locomotive apparently speeding to sure
-disaster.
-
-The next instant, however, he became aware that in some mysterious way
-these noises signalized his rescue from a terrible situation.
-
-The lever rods his hands clasped vibrated harshly. As if by magic that
-glue-like suction tension on his fingers was withdrawn.
-
-His hands still burned and tingled, but a great gasp of relief left his
-lips. His eyes fixed on the rushing engine, his hands now pulled the
-levers in order.
-
-Not six inches from taking the in main rails, not eight seconds from
-reducing the accommodation to a heap of kindling wood, the "chaser"
-shot switch eleven, and glided smoothly to the terminus. Its serene
-crew never dreamed how they had grazed death by a hair's breadth.
-
-Ralph half fell between the levers. He felt that his face must be the
-color of chalk. His strength was entirely spent. He still grasped the
-levers, hanging there for a moment like a person about to faint.
-
-Fortunately there was no call for switch-tower service during the
-ensuing minute or two. Ralph tried to rally his dazed senses, to
-comprehend what was going on below.
-
-For again a swishing, cracking, clattering sound rang out. This time
-it was followed by a curdling cry of pain.
-
-"You'll blind me--you're tearing my hair out by the roots!" screamed a
-voice which Ralph instantly recognized.
-
-It belonged to Mort Bemis. Ralph began to have a coherent suspicion as
-to the cause of his recent helplessness.
-
-"I'll tear twenty-six dollars out of you, or I'll have your hide!"
-proclaimed strident feminine tones.
-
-"I hain't got no money."
-
-"You'll get it for me. What, strike me with that piece of wire! You
-wretch, I'll----"
-
-There was a jangling crash, as of some heavy body thrown back against
-the lever cables in the lower story of the switch tower.
-
-Then its door crashed open, and glancing through the windows Ralph saw
-Mort Bemis dash into view.
-
-He sped across tracks as if for his life. He was hatless, his face was
-streaked with red welts. From one hand trailed a piece of insulated
-electric light wire.
-
-Giving a frightened backward glance as he reached a line of freights,
-the ex-towerman leaped the space between two cars and disappeared from
-view.
-
-From the lower story of the switch tower there now issued exclamations
-of rage and disgust.
-
-Ralph started to look down the ladder trap. Just then the dial called
-for a switch, and duty temporarily curbed his interest and curiosity.
-As he set clear tracks again, a head obtruded through the trapdoor.
-
-It was that of the resolute woman Ralph had noticed a little time past
-so audaciously crossing the rails and defying instructions. Her face
-was red and heated, her eyes flashing. Her hair was in disorder, and
-the poke bonnet was all awry.
-
-"Be careful--don't fall, madam," said Ralph quickly, with inborn
-chivalry and politeness, springing to the trap.
-
-He put out a hand to help her. She disdained his assistance with an
-impatient sniff, and cleared the ladder like an expert.
-
-"Don't trouble yourself about me, young man," she observed crisply.
-"I'm able to take care of myself."
-
-"I see you are, madam."
-
-"I've run an ore dummy in my time, when my husband was head yardman at
-an iron works, and I know how to climb. See here," she demanded
-imperatively, fixing a keen look on the young railroader, "are you boss
-here?"
-
-"Why, you might say so," answered Ralph. "That is, I am in charge
-here."
-
-The woman put down her umbrella to adjust her bonnet. Ralph observed
-that the umbrella was in tatters and the ribs all broken and twisted.
-He comprehended that it was with this weapon that she had just
-assaulted Mort Bemis.
-
-"If you're the boss," pursued the woman, "I'm Mrs. Davis--Mort Bemis'
-landlady, and I want to know what I've got to do to get twenty-six
-dollars thet he owes me for board and lodging for the last six weeks."
-
-"I see," nodded Ralph--"slow pay, that fellow."
-
-"No pay at all!" flashed out the woman wrathfully. "He came to me
-month before last with a great story of promotion, big salary, and all
-his back funds tied up in a savings bank at Springfield. Last pay day
-he claimed someone robbed him. This pay day he dropped from the garret
-window, leaving an old empty trunk. I got on his trail to-day, and I
-want to garnishee his wages. How do I go about it?"
-
-"I don't know the process," said Ralph, "never having had any
-experience in that class of business, but I should say garnisheeing in
-this case would simply be sending good money after bad."
-
-"How?" demanded Mrs. Davis sharply.
-
-"Bemis has very likely drawn every cent the company owes him."
-
-"But his pay is running on."
-
-"Not now, madam. He was discharged two days ago."
-
-"W-what!" voiced Mrs. Davis, in dismay. "And won't he be taken back?"
-
-"From what I hear--hardly," said Ralph.
-
-The woman's strong, weather-beaten features relaxed. All her
-impetuosity seemed to die out with her hope. Ralph felt sorry for her.
-She was brusque and harsh of manner, masculine in her ways, but the
-womanly helplessness now exhibited was pathetic.
-
-She tottered back to the armchair, every vestige of willfulness and
-force gone. Apparently this odd creature never did things by halves.
-She sunk down in the chair, and began to cry as if her heart would
-break. Ralph was called back to the levers and had no time to console
-her. He watched her pityingly, however. Between her sobbings and
-incoherent lamentations he pretty clearly made out the history of her
-present woes.
-
-Mort Bemis had, it seemed, shown himself a "dead beat of the first
-water." Mrs. Davis had recently come to Stanley Junction, and had
-rented an old house near a factory owned by Gasper Farrington.
-
-Bemis had applied for board and lodging. With what he promised to pay,
-and with what she could make off an orchard, vegetable patch, and some
-poultry, this would give Mrs. Davis a fair living.
-
-"And he never paid me a cent," she sobbed out. "Last Saturday my last
-cent went for flour. Yesterday I used up the last bread in the house.
-I haven't eaten a morsel this blessed day. The man who owns the house
-threatens to turn me out if I don't pay the six dollars rent by six
-o'clock to-night, and all for that rascally, thieving Bemis! A
-full-grown man, and robbing and cheating a poor lone widow like me!"
-
-Ralph glanced up and down the rails. Then he glided over to the
-clothes closet at the end of the tower room and secured his dinner pail.
-
-"And what was the scoundrel up to below, when I discovered him just
-now, I'd like to know?" went on Mrs. Davis. "Some dirty mischief, I'll
-be bound. He had a wire fixed around a bigger one, and was holding the
-scraped copper ends against the lever cables till they sparked out
-little flashes of fire. Say, can't he be arrested for swindling me?
-The reprobate deserves to suffer."
-
-Ralph gave a little start of comprehension just there. The woman's
-last recital had cleared up the mystery of his recent sudden
-helplessness.
-
-There was no doubt whatever in his mind but that the revengeful Mort
-Bemis had started in to "fix" him, as he had threatened earlier in the
-day. His knowledge of the details and environment of the switch tower
-had enabled him to work out a well-devised scheme.
-
-Ralph knew that Bemis was determined to undermine and discredit him at
-any cost.
-
-He theorized that in some way Bemis had connected the current from the
-wires that looped up from the road boxes into the tower. He had the
-practiced eye to know what levers Ralph would use. Bemis had thrown on
-the current, magnetizing the new leverman at just the critical moment.
-
-But for the providential intervention of Mrs. Davis a destructive
-collision would have occurred, Ralph would have been disgraced, and
-there would have been a vacancy at the switch tower.
-
-"The villain!" breathed Ralph, all afire with indignation, and then his
-glance softened as he turned to the woman seated in the armchair. Her
-grief had spent itself, but she sat with her chin sunk in one hand,
-moping dejectedly.
-
-There was a short bench near one of the windows. Ralph pulled this up
-in front of the armchair. He opened his lunch pail and spread out a
-napkin on the bench. Then on this he placed two home-made sandwiches,
-a piece of apple pie, and a square of the raisin cake that had made his
-mother famous as a first-class cook.
-
-All this Ralph did so quickly that Mrs. Davis, absorbed in her gloomy
-thoughts, did not notice him. He touched her arm gently.
-
-"I want you to sample my mother's cooking, Mrs. Davis," he said, with a
-pleasant smile. "You will feel better if you eat a little, and I want
-to tell you something."
-
-"Well, well! did you ever?" exclaimed Mrs. Davis, noting now the sudden
-transformation of the bench into a lunch table. "Why, boy," she
-continued, with a keen stare at Ralph, "I can't take your victuals away
-from you."
-
-"But you must eat," insisted Ralph. "I had a hearty dinner, and have a
-warm supper waiting for me soon after dark. I brought the dinner pail
-along just as a matter of form in a way, see."
-
-"Yes, I do see," answered his visitor, with a gulp, and new tears in
-her eyes--"I see you are a good boy, and a blessing to a good mother,
-I'll warrant."
-
-"You are right about the good mother, Mrs. Davis," said Ralph, "and I
-want you to go and see her, to judge for yourself."
-
-Mrs. Davis munched a sandwich. She looked flustered at Ralph's
-suggestion.
-
-"I'm hardly in a position to make calls--I'm dreadfully poor and humble
-just now," she said in a broken tone.
-
-"Well," repeated Ralph decisively, "you must call on my mother this
-afternoon. You see, Mrs. Davis, that rent of yours has got to be paid
-by six o'clock, hasn't it?"
-
-"The landlord said so."
-
-"I have only a dollar or so in my pocket here," continued Ralph, "but
-my mother has some of my savings up at the house. I want to let you
-have ten dollars. I will write a note to my mother, and she will let
-you have it."
-
-Mrs. Davis let the sandwich she was eating fall nervelessly to the
-napkin.
-
-"What--what are you saying!" she spoke, staring in perplexity at Ralph.
-
-"Why, you must pay your rent, you know," said Ralph, "and you need a
-little surplus till you get on your feet again. There may be some way
-of shaming or forcing Mort Bemis into paying that twenty-six dollars.
-If there is, I will discover it for you."
-
-"But--but you don't know me. I'm a stranger to you. I couldn't take
-money from a boy like you, working hard as you must, probably for
-little enough wages," vociferated Mrs. Davis, strangely stirred up by
-the generous proffer. "I might take a loan from somebody able to spare
-the money, for I can write to a sister at a distance and get a trifle,
-and pay it back again, but not from you. No--no, thank you just the
-same--just the same," and the woman broke down completely, crying again.
-
-Ralph sprang to the levers at a new switch call. Then he resumed his
-argument.
-
-"Mrs. Davis, you shall take the ten dollars, and you shall have twenty
-if you need it, and that is an end to it. First: because you are in
-distress and I have it to spare. Next: because I owe you a debt money
-cannot pay."
-
-"Nonsense, boy," spoke Mrs. Davis dubiously.
-
-"It's true. You don't happen to know it, but you have saved my
-position and my character this afternoon. You have probably saved the
-railroad company great loss of property, if not of life itself. I
-should be a grateful boy to you, Mrs. Davis. Let me tell you why."
-
-Ralph did tell her. He recited the story of the last hour at the
-levers. Before she could make a comment at its termination, he had
-written and thrust into her hand a note addressed to his mother.
-
-"I'll take the ten dollars," said Mrs. Davis, in a subdued tone, after
-he had directed her to his home, "but only as a loan. You shall have
-it back quick as I can get word from my sister."
-
-"As you like about that," answered Ralph. "I hope you will make a
-friend of my mother," he added. "She has had her troubles, and you
-would be the happier for asking her counsel."
-
-"Yes, I've had a heap of troubles, boy," sighed Mrs. Davis. "Oh, dear!
-I may be a little good in the world, after all. And," with a wistful
-look at Ralph, "it's hopeful to think all boys aren't like bad Mort
-Bemis. And here I'm borrowing money from you, and don't even know your
-name."
-
-She groped in a pocket and drew forth a worn memorandum book and a
-pencil. Then, opening the book at a blank page, she looked up
-inquiringly at Ralph.
-
-"Fairbanks," dictated Ralph.
-
-Mrs. Davis had placed the pencil point on the blank page, ready to
-write. As Ralph spoke her hand seemed swayed by a great shock.
-
-The pencil and book were nervelessly dropped to the floor. She turned
-a colorless face towards Ralph, and, shrinking back in the creaking
-armchair, stared at him so strangely and fixedly that he was unable to
-understand her sudden emotion.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV--A MYSTERY
-=====================
-
-Ralph looked at his switch-tower visitor in great surprise.
-
-"Why, Mrs. Davis," he asked, "what is the matter?"
-
-"N--nothing," she stammered, trying to control herself, but her
-features were working strangely. "So your name is Fairbanks?"
-
-"Yes, Mrs. Davis."
-
-"Not John Fairbanks--how simple I am, though, of course not. He was an
-old man. Are you his son, then?"
-
-"Yes," answered Ralph, his curiosity excited. "My name is Ralph. I am
-John Fairbanks' son. He is dead, you know. Were you acquainted with
-him?"
-
-"Not acquainted exactly," replied the woman, in a certain repressed
-way. "I have heard of him, you see."
-
-"Oh, you mean since you came to Stanley Junction?"
-
-"No, no, a long way from here, and a long time ago. Where I used to
-live. I heard he was dead, and I heard you and your mother was dead,
-too. I did not dream that any of the Fairbanks were here now."
-
-"Why, you amaze me!" cried Ralph. "Who could have told you that?"
-
-"A certain man. He told a falsehood, didn't he? I might have known
-it. I see now--yes, I begin to see how things are."
-
-She said this in a musing tone, as if half-forgetting that she had an
-auditor. Ralph was more than interested. He was startled. He knew
-enough of human nature to guess that Mrs. Davis was concealing
-something from him.
-
-She arose quite flustered, and began to arrange her bonnet. She evaded
-Ralph's eye, and appeared anxious to get away. Ralph determined to
-press some further inquiries. Before he could begin, she made the
-remark:
-
-"You are a good boy, Ralph Fairbanks, and I shan't forget you. I will
-take the loan you offer me, but it will be promptly paid back, very
-soon. Boy," she continued, with a good deal of animation, as if
-suddenly stirred by some impulsive thought, "you will get a blessing
-for being good to a poor lone widow, see if you don't."
-
-"I seem to be getting blessings all the time," said Ralph lightly, but
-reverently. "I guess life is full of them, if you do right and put
-yourself in the way of them. Is there some special blessing you are
-thinking of, Mrs. Davis?" he inquired, saying the words because the
-woman had used a certain significant, mysterious tone in her last
-statement. This made him believe she could be clearer and say a deal
-more, if she chose to do so.
-
-"Yes, there is," replied Mrs. Davis, almost excitedly. "You mustn't
-question me, though, boy--not just now, anyway. You have given me a
-lot to think of. I may tell you something very important later on--I
-may tell your mother to-day. Good-by."
-
-As she approached the trap in the floor, Ralph got a call for a switch.
-He was reluctant to let his visitor depart. Her vague revelations
-disturbed him. When he had attended to the levers, he turned again to
-Mrs. Davis. In doing so he chanced to glance down at the near tracks,
-and fixedly regarded two approaching figures.
-
-"Hello," he spoke irrepressibly, aloud. "Coming here--the master
-mechanic and Gasper Farrington."
-
-"What's that--who?" cried Mrs. Davis, almost in a shout.
-
-Ralph looked at her in new amazement. As she had caught the last name
-he had spoken, she stood erect in a strained, tense way, seeming to be
-frightened.
-
-The two men Ralph had indicated now crossed the tracks and entered the
-switch tower below. Their voices could be heard distinctly.
-
-"We have a switch plan upstairs in the tower, Mr. Farrington," sounded
-the clear, incisive tones of Mr. Blake, the master mechanic of the
-Great Northern.
-
-"All right," answered his companion, and the accents of his voice
-seemed to be familiar to Mrs. Davis. She looked almost terrified. She
-glanced wildly around the tower room.
-
-"Hide me!" she gasped appealingly to Ralph.
-
-"Why, what for?" he inquired.
-
-"It's Gasper Farrington, isn't it, just as you said? And he is coming
-up here!"
-
-"It seems that he is, Mrs. Davis," responded Ralph.
-
-"I don't want to meet him. I don't want him to see me--not yet," went
-on the woman rapidly.
-
-"Are you afraid of Gasper Farrington, Mrs. Davis?" asked Ralph
-pointedly.
-
-But she did not answer him. She glided to the coat closet at the end
-of the room, as if seeking a hiding-place. As she pulled its door
-open, she noticed that it was too shallow to admit a human form.
-
-The dial again called Ralph. By the time he had attended to the
-levers, he noticed that Mrs. Davis had produced a thick heavy veil and
-was concealing her face under it. She stood fidgeting nervously at a
-window at the far end of the room, her back turned to the trapdoor, as
-if to escape direct attention.
-
-The master mechanic came into view. Then he helped his companion into
-the room.
-
-Ralph caught his breath quickly and his lips compressed a trifle, as he
-recognized Gasper Farrington.
-
-His advent was a certain new cause of some inquietude to the young
-leverman. An old-time enemy, and a bitter and crafty one, Ralph knew
-he could never expect any good from the miserly old magnate of Stanley
-Junction.
-
-Farrington's wealth and position gave him a certain influence and power
-that had been repeatedly used to crush those he did not like. He
-disliked the Fairbanks family for more reasons than one, and he had
-tried to crush Ralph more than once. In these efforts, however, he had
-failed. Ralph had come off the victor because he was in the right,
-which always prevails, sooner or later.
-
-In their last encounter, Ralph had forced the scheming Farrington to
-release the fraudulent mortgage he held on the Fairbanks cottage. He
-had bargained to keep the humiliating details of Farrington's swindling
-operations secret as long as the defeated magnate let them alone. He
-did not think that Farrington would now risk public exposure by
-attempting any further tricky measures of gain or revenge. Still,
-Ralph disliked coming in contact with the man, who would willingly do
-him an injury and gloat over his downfall.
-
-He was glad that Farrington did not notice him. The attention of the
-magnate was at once directed to a blue-print plan nailed between two
-windows.
-
-"There is the switch plan of the yards, Mr. Farrington," said the
-master mechanic, indicating the sheet of paper in question.
-
-Mr. Blake nodded to Ralph. Then he looked inquiringly at Mrs. Davis.
-
-"A lady who was looking for Mort Bemis," explained Ralph. "He owes her
-some money, it seems."
-
-"He owes about everybody he can work," said the master mechanic
-brusquely, and crossed the room after Farrington.
-
-Mrs. Davis quickly went to the trap. She kept her eye on Gasper
-Farrington until safely down on the ladder, placed her finger on her
-lips in significant adieu to Ralph, and then disappeared.
-
-The latter stood at the levers, his back turned purposely on the
-newcomers into the switch tower.
-
-There was no need of his having an encounter with Farrington, if it
-could be avoided. Ralph attended to his duties strictly. However, he
-could not help overhearing what the two men at the side of the room
-were saying.
-
-Ralph soon divined the nature of Farrington's visit to the switch
-tower. The magnate owned a factory building about half a mile from the
-railroad. It had stood vacant and abandoned for some time, as Ralph
-knew. Now, it seemed, a manufacturer had agreed to lease it for a term
-of years, provided he could have direct railroad transportation
-facilities put in.
-
-This point the two men at the switch plan were now discussing.
-Farrington was following the finger of the master mechanic, as it moved
-along over the traceries of white and red ink that crisscrossed the
-blue print.
-
-"Here is where you start your spur," Mr. Blake was explaining. "We can
-put you in a single track, you to bear half the expense."
-
-"You mean one-third," interrupted the bargaining old schemer.
-
-"I mean just what I said," observed the master mechanic grimly. "It is
-a long reach for a siding, you have no right of way, and we are
-supplying it, although we will have to run a pretty steep grade down
-the ravine, for that is the only land we own in your direction. We
-have right of way to within three hundred feet of your factory. As to
-the strip that intervenes----"
-
-"Oh, there's nothing there but an old shanty on leasehold," answered
-Farrington.
-
-"Can you get permission to cross it?" asked Blake.
-
-"He! he!" chuckled Farrington; "can I get it? I'll take it!"
-
-"Well, that is your own matter," spoke Blake. "All we want is a bond
-guarantee for five years, that you will run enough freight over the
-spur to equal a ten per cent. annual investment."
-
-"Isn't my word good enough for that?" demanded Farrington arrogantly.
-
-"The Great Northern takes no man's word where a contract is concerned,"
-was the definite answer.
-
-"All right, close the matter up as soon as you like," said Farrington.
-"Here's where you control the switches, eh?" he continued, leaving the
-plat and taking a curious glance about the tower.
-
-"Yes."
-
-"I should say it took a clear head and lots of experience to avoid
-mistakes."
-
-"It does, and lots of muscle, too--eh, Fairbanks?" spoke the master
-mechanic.
-
-Ralph nodded. He aimed to escape recognition at the hands of
-Farrington, who, in another minute, would have left the place. He
-knew, however, that he was discovered, as the magnate uttered a short,
-sharp grunt.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V--THE STOWAWAY
-=======================
-
-"What's that?" called out Gasper Farrington, hobbling up to the levers
-and staring at Ralph. "Look here, Mr. Blake," he pursued, his brows
-drawn in a mean, savage scowl. "You don't mean to tell me this boy has
-anything to do with your switching?"
-
-"He has everything to do with it," announced the master mechanic,
-looking as if he was disposed to resent the manner and words of the
-client he did not like any too well himself.
-
-"Well, then, it won't do!" snarled Farrington, getting excited. "I
-want trustworthy service, I do. I don't propose to run the risk of
-damage and loss with a road that hires kids for its most important
-work."
-
-Mr. Blake's lips drew tightly together. Then he remarked:
-
-"Mr. Farrington, the Great Northern knows its business distinctly, we
-are responsible for any damage caused by the negligence or inability of
-our employees. In this instance you may quiet your needless fears.
-Mr. Fairbanks thoroughly understands his business, and I personally
-recommended him to his present position on account of the cleanest
-record and best practical ability of any junior employee of the
-company."
-
-"H'm. Ha! That so?" mumbled Farrington, taken a good deal aback by
-Blake's definite expressions of approval, while Ralph felt his heart
-beat with pleasure, and blushed hotly. "All right. I suppose you
-think you know your business. Only--he was a barefooted urchin six
-months ago."
-
-"He has earned a good many pairs of shoes since then," observed Blake
-crisply.
-
-Ralph said not a word. A spell of silence ensued. Farrington stood
-like some baffled hyena held back from its prey. Ralph quickly and
-deftly attended to the call for several switches, with a precision and
-system that even interested the master mechanic.
-
-"It strikes me he'll do," spoke Blake, and Ralph looked grateful as the
-master mechanic plainly evidenced a pride in the demonstrated ability
-of his young protégé.
-
-All this roused the vengeful, malignant Farrington to the verge of
-impotent fury.
-
-"Ah," he growled, "favor cheap help, I suppose? All right. Though be
-sure to make it your business if any damage comes, that's all. That
-boy owes me a grudge, and if I know anything of human nature, there
-will be a wreck on the factory spur before it's been running long."
-
-Ralph felt his fingers tingle. He decided that he had a right to speak
-now. He faced about squarely. The mean-eyed magnate quailed at the
-honest indignation of his glance.
-
-"Mr. Farrington," said Ralph, "have I ever sought to do you an injury?"
-
-"Yes--no--perhaps not," stammered Farrington, "but you would like to."
-
-"Why?" demanded Ralph definitely.
-
-"Because--because--oh, I know you. I know the whole brood. You
-smashed a window in my factory, once."
-
-"Accidentally. And paid for it. Is that true?"
-
-Farrington squirmed. He wanted to back out. He found that he could
-not domineer in the present instance. More than that, he realized that
-he dared not. The master mechanic, with a grim smile on his lip,
-helped him out of the dilemma.
-
-"Come, Mr. Farrington," he said, smartly clicking his watch and helping
-him through the trap. "We will miss the superintendent, and you say
-you want to close up this business to-day. Careful, take it a rung at
-a time--you skunk!" he concluded in an undertone to Ralph, giving him a
-significant look, and meaning the words for Ralph's ear only.
-
-Ralph felt as if the air was cleared of some violent poison at the
-departure of this miserable apology of a man.
-
-"Faugh! I won't think of him," he soliloquized. "What possible
-happiness in life can such people have? I wonder which is the worst:
-Mort Bemis, poor and mean, or Gasper Farrington, rich and mean. Which
-carries out what mother has often said: 'Money is not everything.'"
-
-Ralph dismissed his enemies from his mind, whistling cheerily at his
-tasks. He thought a good deal about Mrs. Davis. He was anxious to get
-through work and hurry home, to learn if she had called on his mother,
-and if she had imparted to Mrs. Fairbanks any explanation of her
-strange acquaintance with his dead father, and of her still more
-strange fear of Gasper Farrington.
-
-From five until seven o'clock the tracks were kept pretty full. Ralph
-had a busy time of it. He got through without a delay or a mix-up,
-however. Jack Knight came up the ladder about eight o'clock.
-
-He looked pleased at the collected, business-like way that Ralph
-handled things. He finally remarked:
-
-"Met Blake a bit back, Fairbanks."
-
-"The master mechanic--yes," nodded Ralph.
-
-"Keep it under your hat, now," continued Knight significantly. "Blake
-was riled. He said he'd give half a month's salary to wallop one man
-in Stanley Junction, if it wasn't business policy to keep down personal
-feelings for the good of the service."
-
-"Who was the man, Mr. Knight?"
-
-"He didn't say, but no friend of yours, it seems. The gist of it is,
-that this man--I'd like a crack at him myself--offered Blake two
-hundred dollars to get you shifted onto some other section."
-
-"I seem to come high," smiled Ralph, although he experienced a faint
-uneasiness at mind, as he clearly comprehended that Gasper Farrington
-was up to some of his old underhanded tricks.
-
-"Well, Blake politely turned down the offer. He said to me, though,
-that if any treachery or influence got you the jacket in this position,
-if he had to fire every other man along the line, he'd find a place for
-you in the train dispatcher's office at double pay."
-
-"He is a good friend," said Ralph, with emotion--"and you, too, for
-giving me the warning, Mr. Knight. Knowing what I do, though, I think
-I can take care of myself. I do not believe the man you refer to will
-succeed in disturbing me here."
-
-"He won't, if I can help it," muttered old Jack doughtily.
-
-"Hello, there!" hailed Doc Bortree, the nightshift man, intruding his
-bulky form and big, jolly face through the trap.
-
-Bortree was a general favorite. He carried an atmosphere of good
-nature always along with him.
-
-"Well, kid," he hailed. "Busted anything to-day?"
-
-"Not yet," answered Ralph gayly.
-
-They sent him home forthwith. Ralph felt very happy as he descended
-the ladder from his first real day's service at the switch tower.
-
-His work had gone smoothly, and he loved it. A spice of new interest
-had been injected into his personal affairs that day, and his mental
-conjectures were not unpleasant ones.
-
-"I wonder if Mrs. Davis saw mother?" he mused, as he crossed the
-tracks, homeward bound. "Hello, a stowaway!"
-
-Ralph halted, just passing a line of delayed freights. A great
-thumping was going on at the side door of the end car.
-
-"Someone in there, sure," soliloquized Ralph.
-
-"A tramp, I suppose. Stowed in at some point, and side-tracked here
-this morning. Out with you, whoever you are!" ordered Ralph, unbolting
-and sliding back the door.
-
-In the dim light of a distant arc lamp Ralph made out a forlorn figure.
-The stowaway was shabby and peaked-looking, holding in one hand a piece
-of wood with which he had been hammering for release.
-
-His face was so grimed that Ralph took him for a negro at first.
-Always kind-hearted, the young leverman had not hesitated to give the
-stowaway prompt liberty, and it was in his mind to help him farther if
-necessary.
-
-The stowaway glanced all about the yards as if fearing the gauntlet of
-cuffs and kicks often in vogue for his class. Then, rubbing his eyes
-to clear the glare of sudden light, he looked sharply at Ralph.
-
-"Hello," he exclaimed, shooting back out of view. "It's Fairbanks!"
-
-"What's that?" cried Ralph, catching the name in wonderment. "Here,
-who are you? Do you know me?"
-
-Suddenly as the figure had vanished within the dark car, it now
-reappeared. With a spring the stowaway cleared the doorway of the car,
-landing on the cinders beside Ralph.
-
-"Take that!" he hissed, savagely whirling the club above his head.
-
-Ralph dodged. Mystified and unprepared, however, his usual agility was
-at fault.
-
-A heavy blow landed on the side of his head, and Ralph fell flat.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI--MRS. FAIRBANKS' VISITOR
-===================================
-
-It seemed to Ralph that his eyes closed tight shut for half a minute,
-and then came open as wide as ever.
-
-He did not believe he lost consciousness for more than thirty seconds.
-That, however, was time enough for his mysterious assailant to make
-himself scarce.
-
-Ralph got to his feet, quite shaken. His hand went to the side of his
-head involuntarily. His left cheek was scraped and full of splinters,
-though not bleeding. A big lump was rising in front of one ear.
-
-On the ground lay the club that had dealt Ralph the blow. He moved it
-with his foot to find it heavy, as if made of hard wood.
-
-"Why, the fellow might have killed me had he struck a little harder,"
-said Ralph seriously. "Who was he? It must be that he knows me, for
-he spoke my name."
-
-There was a hydrant in the center of a platform space near by. Ralph
-went over to this and turned on the water and sopped his handkerchief,
-applying it to the lump on his head.
-
-"Was it Mort Bemis?" his mind ran on. "No, I am sure it was not.
-Bemis is stubby and broad, this fellow was tall and slim. Looked like
-a half-starved rat. Who could it be?"
-
-In a minute or two Ralph went back to the car that had proven for him a
-kind of Pandora's box.
-
-He lifted himself through the open doorway and flashed some matches.
-
-The car was bare. It smelted of tobacco smoke, and there was a litter
-of cigarette stubs in one corner. The other closed door was
-back-sheathed with smooth boards. Under these Ralph discovered some
-fresh whittlings, or splinters. He inspected door and floor more
-closely.
-
-"Ah, I see," he observed: "the stowaway has been killing time by
-cutting his name on the pillar of fame."
-
-The door surface bore a record of various jackknife experts. Idle
-hands, belonging to all kinds of ride-stealers, had from time to time
-cut their initials on the smooth boards.
-
-There were some pencilings, too--all kinds of doggerel slang and
-initials. Thus: "Turnpike Tim on his fift' trip sout'." "Mugsey, the
-Terror," and the warning line: "Bad road for tramps, twice for flipping
-trains."
-
-The last stowaway, as evidenced by two letters cut into the board, had
-sought to rival his predecessors. The newly indented initials were
-nearly eight inches long, and formed an I and an S.
-
-"'I.S.,'" read Ralph. "The solution is easy. It was Ike Slump. Those
-are his initials, and, come to recall my fierce assailant, he fits
-Ike's size exactly. That mean attack, too, would be characteristic of
-Slump. He was afraid of me. He needs to be. There is a standing
-reward of twenty-five dollars from the railroad for his arrest. I
-don't want the reward, but I don't propose to have him come back to his
-old haunts and associates to bother me."
-
-Ralph walked home slowly. The blow he had received caused him some
-pain. The addition of the malignant Ike Slump to the list of his
-active enemies troubled him. Ralph knew what it was to fight a mean,
-underhanded foe. The roster so far included not only Slump, but Bemis
-and Gasper Farrington.
-
-"It's my duty to notify the railroad company that Slump is again on
-hand," declared Ralph. "That will dispose of him. As to Bemis, I
-shall seek him out and give him a warning. If he troubles me any
-further I will have him arrested for his malicious mischief of to-day.
-It would be a pretty serious charge--endangering the railroad property.
-Gasper Farrington will not do anything openly to harm me. He dare not.
-But he will work against me in the dark, if he sees the chance to do
-it. Well, I shall watch his movements mighty closely."
-
-Ralph spurred up as he came within the lights of home. The lamp
-burning brightly in the front room of the neat little cottage was
-always a cheering beacon to him, for he knew it had been placed by
-loving hands.
-
-Mrs. Fairbanks, the tender, thoughtful mother, made that home a
-peaceful paradise for her only son. She greeted Ralph at the door with
-a welcome that made him forget instantly all of the cares and troubles
-of the day in entering the sheltering of a rare haven of rest and
-contentment.
-
-Ralph took a good wash at the kitchen sink, put on a clean collar and
-tie and a light housecoat. Then he sat down to a table steaming with
-appetizing food.
-
-"Why, Ralph," instantly spoke Mrs. Fairbanks, "you have been hurt!"
-
-Ralph carelessly moved his hand over the lump on his head.
-
-"Nothing serious, mother," he declared with a reassuring smile. "A
-fellow generally gets some initiation bumps on his first day in a new
-job on the railroad."
-
-Mrs. Fairbanks was scarcely satisfied with this off-hand explanation,
-but Ralph at once shifted the conversation into other channels. He
-made up his mind he would not worry his mother with the story of his
-encounter with Ike Slump, at least for the present.
-
-"By the way," he said, as he stowed away a hearty meal, "did you have a
-visitor to-day, mother?"
-
-"Why, yes," answered Mrs. Fairbanks. "A lady--Mrs. Davis."
-
-"I am glad she came," said Ralph. "She took the ten dollars I wrote
-you about?"
-
-"Rather reluctantly. She is a strange woman," went on Mrs. Fairbanks
-thoughtfully; "I could not quite make her out. She acted quite flighty
-at times, but I believe she is honest, and very earnest in her
-gratitude and good intentions towards you."
-
-"Why, yes," answered Ralph, with a suggestive smile. "She promised me
-a blessing. Have you any idea of what she was driving at?" he
-questioned, scanning his mother's face closely, for he observed that it
-bore a vague, disturbed expression.
-
-"I think I have, Ralph. It appears that she knew--or at least knew
-about--your father, some years ago."
-
-"She told me that."
-
-"And she knows Gasper Farrington. She asked me a queer question,
-Ralph."
-
-"What was it, mother?"
-
-"If father did not once own twenty thousand dollars in railroad bonds,
-and if we had ever got them."
-
-Ralph stopped eating for a moment.
-
-"She said that, did she?" he murmured. "Mother, wouldn't it be strange
-if she knew something about those bonds?"
-
-"She does."
-
-"How do you know?"
-
-"Because she admitted it. Mrs. Davis was very much agitated. She
-seemed on the point constantly of telling me something, and then she
-would mutter to herself and apparently change her mind. When she went
-away she looked at me very strangely and said: 'Mrs. Fairbanks, when I
-get the money from my sister to pay your son back the ten dollars he
-has so kindly loaned me, I am going to tell him a little story about
-those twenty thousand dollars bonds that may interest him.'"
-
-The bonds formed the topic of conversation for mother and son for
-nearly an hour after that. They could only surmise and anticipate, but
-both were very much stirred up.
-
-"I tell you, mother," said Ralph emphatically, "that woman knows
-something of importance to us about those bonds. You and I and others
-have never doubted that Gasper Farrington stole them from father. I
-have never given up the idea that some day I would reach the truth, and
-force Farrington to disgorge, just as we made him release the
-fraudulent mortgage. I really believe things are going to turn so as
-get us our full rights."
-
-"We will hope so, Ralph," said the widow, with a dubious sigh. "And
-now tell me all about your first day in the switch tower."
-
-Ralph went to bed about eleven o'clock. He had a good sleep until
-eight in the morning, devoted an hour or two to tidying up the yard and
-assisting his mother in various ways, and at noon started for work
-again.
-
-Old Jack Knight was on duty, and spelled Ralph at the levers until
-about four o'clock. No unusual incident disturbed the usual routine
-until an hour later.
-
-In starting to give a switch engine the siding, Ralph found the lever
-would not budge. The locomotive engineer discovered the unset switch
-in time to stop. Ralph megaphoned to hold stationary till he
-investigated, and ran down the ladder.
-
-He found the lever cables chained to a wall bracket. Of course here
-was some more spite work. He removed the obstruction, hurried
-upstairs, switched the delayed engine, and kept an eye out for the
-watchman who covered that part of the yards.
-
-When he finally appeared in view, Ralph hailed him and asked him to
-come inside the tower.
-
-"Mr. Brady," he explained, "I wish you would keep a close eye on the
-lower story here for a day or two."
-
-"Why, what's wrong?" inquired the watchman.
-
-"Well, someone is up to dirty work," replied Ralph. "They tried to put
-two levers out of commission yesterday, and just now I found another
-lever chained up."
-
-The watchman looked startled, and whistled under his breath.
-
-"That's pretty serious," he remarked.
-
-"It is," responded Ralph. "I wish you would keep a watch on strangers."
-
-"And discharged employees?" interrogated the watchman, with a shrewd
-nod. "I think I know what's up, and who is up to it."
-
-Ralph felt certain that Mort Bemis was back of the last attempt to
-cripple his usefulness. He did not, however, believe that Bemis
-himself had chained the lever, for he had kept a pretty close watch of
-the yards all afternoon, and had seen nothing of the discharged
-leverman. Ralph theorized that Bemis had put some associate up to the
-trick. It was an easy matter for any passer-by to step into the lower
-story of the switch tower without being seen from above. Ralph made up
-his mind he would seek out Bemis. When he was relieved after dark he
-did not go home. He had made some inquiries of Knight as to the
-present whereabouts and haunts of Mort Bemis, and Ralph thought he knew
-where to look for the fellow.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII--"YOUNG SLAVIN"
-===========================
-
-Railroad Street to the right of Stanley Junction was a busy,
-respectable thoroughfare. There were a hotel, some restaurants, a
-store or two, and beyond these some old residences.
-
-To the left, however, the street retrograded into second-hand stores,
-junk-shops, and the like, cheap eating places and boarding-houses, with
-a mixture of saloons.
-
-The lower class of railroad employees and the scum of the Junction
-usually infested these places. At a restaurant called "The Signal"
-Ralph, from what he learned that day, felt he was pretty sure to get
-some trace of Mort Bemis.
-
-He went by the place slowly once or twice, but could not discover Bemis
-in the crowded front room.
-
-Then he paced down the alley at the side of the building. Several
-lower-story apartments showed lighted up. He approached the open
-window of one of these.
-
-As he did so, he noticed that directly under it lay some person asleep,
-rolled up in horse-blankets. Ralph nearly stumbled over this
-individual.
-
-He glanced into the room beyond the window. It held a table, at which
-was seated the object of his search.
-
-Mort Bemis was idly pawing over a greasy deck of playing cards. He
-seemed to be awaiting the arrival of congenial company. Tilted back in
-a chair against the wall near by, a skullcap pulled down over his eyes
-and seemingly asleep, was a person Ralph did not recognize.
-
-Ralph now stepped cautiously over the sleeper at his feet so as not to
-disturb him, and went around to the front of the restaurant.
-
-It was run by a man named Prince, who at one time had conducted eating
-camps for railroad construction crews. He kept lodgers upstairs, and
-derived a good deal of revenue by letting out the rear rooms of the
-lower floor to card-players.
-
-Ralph entered the restaurant and passed through a curtained doorway at
-one side. Prince, at the cashier's desk, gave him a keen look, but
-took him for some new recruit to the crowd who infested the rear rooms.
-
-A narrow passageway led the length of the rear addition. Ralph turned
-the knob of the second door he reached. He found he had correctly
-located the apartment he had viewed from the alley.
-
-Mort Bemis looked up as Ralph closed the door behind him. He started
-and stared. Ralph came around to the table, sank into the chair
-directly opposite Bemis, and looked him squarely in the face.
-
-"What are you doing here?" demanded Bemis a surly, suspicious
-expression crossing his features.
-
-"I came particularly to see you," answered Ralph calmly. "Can I have
-your attention for a minute or two?"
-
-"Just two of them," growled Bemis.
-
-Ralph did not scare at the bullying, significant manner of the
-discharged leverman.
-
-"It's just this," he said bluntly: "you visited the switch tower
-yesterday and came very nearly causing a bad wreck."
-
-"Who told you so?" demanded Bemis.
-
-"Oh, there are plenty of witnesses, your former landlady, for one.
-Another low-down trick was attempted this afternoon, instigated, I
-believe, by you. Now, Mr. Bemis, this has come to a dead-open-and-shut
-conclusion."
-
-"Has it? How?" sneered Mort.
-
-"I have legitimately succeeded to your position, and I intend to hold
-it. You seem resolved to discredit and disgrace me. It won't work.
-If you make one more break in my direction, I shall go to the
-superintendent of the Great Northern, make a formal complaint of
-malicious mischief, and then enter a regular complaint with the police."
-
-Mort Bemis did not reply. His bluff was gone, for he knew that Ralph
-meant every word that he said.
-
-"There's another thing," pursued Ralph: "you owe a poor widow money
-that she needs, and needs badly. If you have any sense of shame or
-honor in your nature, you will find honest work and pay her."
-
-"I don't want none of your advice!" flared out Bemis. "You've said
-your say! Then get out. I'll keep hands off because I don't fancy
-being locked up, but," he added with a malicious grin, "I can't hold
-back my friends from doing what they like."
-
-"You have had your warning," said Ralph quietly, rising to his feet.
-"I've given you your chance. Leave my affairs alone, if you are wise."
-
-Ralph started for the door. Suddenly his way was blocked. The person
-he had supposed to be asleep, tilted back against the wall in a chair,
-had roused up with marvelous quickness.
-
-As this individual threw back his skullcap, he revealed the coarse,
-bloated face of a boy about two years Ralph's senior. He was a
-powerfully-built fellow. Ralph remembered having seen him once in the
-hands of the police after a raid on a chicken fight at the fair grounds.
-
-"Easy," spoke this person, springing between Ralph and the door, and
-doubling up his fists pugilist-fashion. "This gent is my friend, and
-you've insulted him."
-
-"I think not," said Ralph calmly.
-
-"Do all your thinking quick, then," advised the other, "for I want
-satisfaction."
-
-The speaker drove at Ralph with one hand. It was a sledge-hammer blow.
-Ralph whirled half-way across the room.
-
-His antagonist followed him up quickly. His back now to the window, he
-put up his fists anew.
-
-"I wanted some training," he chuckled. "Come up to your punishment.
-Do you know who I am?"
-
-"I do not, and don't care," answered Ralph quickly, nettled out of his
-ordinary composure by a blow that had nearly knocked the breath out of
-his body.
-
-"Then you can't read the newspapers. I'm Young Slavin, the juvenile
-Hercules, light-weight champeen. Come, wade in; I give you one chanct."
-
-"I have no quarrel with you," remarked Ralph. "Stand aside. I wish to
-leave this room."
-
-"Ho! ho! When you do, it will be on a shutter."
-
-"And I shall not let you pound me. I warn you to mind your own
-business."
-
-"Time!" roared the pugilist gloatingly.
-
-Ralph took in the situation in all its bearings. He realized that he
-confronted a young giant. To oppose his prodigious muscular strength
-in even battle would be to be hammered to a jelly.
-
-The occasion called for action, however. Ralph reflected for a bare
-minute, and then he "waded in."
-
-With a rush he made a slanting dive for the brutal bully, aiming
-squarely for his feet.
-
-Exercising all the muscle of which he was capable, Ralph grasped his
-antagonist's ankles, took him off his guard, gave him a sudden trip,
-and sent him toppling backwards.
-
-With a yell of consternation and pain Young Slavin went crashing
-through the window sash.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII--A BAD LOT
-=======================
-
-Mort Bemis gave an astonished gasp as he saw his crony disappear like
-magic through the window sash.
-
-His respect for the nerve and prowess of his successor at the switch
-tower was immensely increased. He spoke not a word, being stupefied
-and cowed.
-
-Ralph started to leave the room, unmolested now. A sudden outcry
-checked him. He proceeded to its source--the open window.
-
-Below it on the ground a stirring scene was in progress. It seemed
-that his masterly fling of Young Slavin had landed that juvenile
-Hercules directly on top of the individual Ralph had noticed lying
-asleep under the window, swathed in horse-blankets.
-
-Aroused from dense slumber by a terrific shock, this person had
-struggled to his feet.
-
-"Well, well," said Ralph, his eyes opening wide as he recognized the
-disturbed sleeper; "Ike Slump again."
-
-Ralph at once knew the gaunt, desperate-looking fellow, who had jumped
-from the delayed freight car and knocked him down the previous evening.
-
-The stowaway's face was no longer grimed, and Ralph had a clear view
-now of its natural lineaments. It was Ike Slump, peaked and
-wretched-looking. His appearance evidenced that his stolen junk
-operations and his later fugitive role had not led him into any
-pleasant path of flowers.
-
-It seemed that Slump, skulking anywhere for hiding and repose like a
-hunted rat, had utilized the horse-blankets as a bed.
-
-It seemed, too, that he was in constant dread of discovery and arrest.
-He must have slept with a missile or a weapon always handy, for his
-fingers now clutched a brick.
-
-Suddenly disturbed, his nervous fears aroused, at sea as to the cause
-of the shock as Slavin landed on him, Ike had come erect, grabbing the
-brick instanter.
-
-He was all entangled in his bed coverings, but he maintained a
-staggering footing. He was reaching out for his disturber to beat him
-off with the brick.
-
-"You've broken my nose," he yelled; "take that--take that!"
-
-"Murder!" howled Young Slavin.
-
-He did not use his doughty fists, for he could not. In blind rage and
-terror Ike was striking out with the brick.
-
-He delivered several blows on Slavin's head and face that made Ralph
-shudder.
-
-A final one sent the young pugilist reeling back against the clapboards
-of the house. He was blinded with blood and pain, and shouted for help
-in sniveling terror.
-
-Slump kicked his feet free of the entangling horse-blankets, and darted
-away towards the railroad tracks.
-
-Ralph turned in disgust from the scene. He faced Bemis, who, his
-curiosity awakened by the tumult, had come to the window.
-
-"You are training with a nice crowd, Mr. Bemis," observed Ralph.
-"Better switch off and get back to the main tracks."
-
-"Lots of show for me, isn't there?" growled Mort sullenly.
-
-"Get a roundhouse clearance of clean flues and headlights, and try it,"
-answered Ralph.
-
-The allusions were technical ones that Bemis fully understood. But he
-only blinked his bleared eyes, and more savagely gritted his teeth on
-the cigarette he was smoking.
-
-"It's too bad," ruminated Ralph, as he left the place, shaking his
-shoulders as if to cast off a spatter of filthy mud. "It is a terrible
-warning, too," he continued. "Thank Heaven for mother, home, and
-principle! Maybe those fellows haven't got all the blessings that keep
-me in the right path. I wish I could do them some good. Well, I won't
-do them any harm. Let Ike Slump go his way. I fancy the punishment he
-has got will keep him from troubling anyone around Stanley Junction for
-a while."
-
-Ralph did not inform the local police of Ike's reappearance, nor did he
-lodge any complaint against Bemis.
-
-He imagined that his visit to the latter had scared off his enemies, as
-two days went by and there was no further attempt made to obstruct his
-services at the switch tower.
-
-Affairs there got down to a routine that pleased the young leverman.
-Not a jar or break in the service occurred. He seemed to have glided
-naturally into the details of the business, and was able to take it
-easier now. He did not worry about wrecks any more. Following out old
-Jack's definite instructions to always strictly obey orders and act
-promptly, he simply watched 'phone, dial, and levers. He let the
-limits tower and the yards switches take care of themselves.
-
-It was three days after Ralph's encounter with Young Slavin and the
-fifth of his service at the switch tower.
-
-His shift had been changed temporarily. It was divided into four hours
-in the morning and four in the afternoon.
-
-Ralph had an hour for dinner. That especial day his nooning had
-something of the element of a new interest. His mother told him she
-had received a brief note from Mrs. Davis.
-
-The latter in a penciled scrawl told Mrs. Fairbanks that the writer was
-not very well, and would like to have her call that afternoon. She
-said she wanted to pay back the ten dollars she owed Ralph, as she had
-received a remittance from her sister.
-
-"Are you going to see her, mother?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"Surely. I will run up to her house as soon as the dishes are washed."
-
-"I hope she will tell you something about those bonds," said Ralph. "I
-shall be anxious to know the result of your call."
-
-"What time will you be home, Ralph?" asked his mother.
-
-"A few minutes after five," he answered, and started for work, his mind
-filled with all kinds of anticipations regarding his mother's visit to
-Mrs. Davis.
-
-
-A crowd lined the out freight tracks as Ralph reached the depot yards.
-
-A circus had come to town, and the menagerie vans had been switched on
-the street sidings early that morning.
-
-Now the big circus wagons were unloading these, to convey them to the
-tent site up on the common.
-
-Some of the cages were uncovered purposely to advertise the coming
-show. This had drawn a throng of excited urchins and the loungers from
-lower Railroad Street.
-
-Ralph halted for a minute or two, watching the removal of some of the
-cages.
-
-He moved up to one that was the center of a peering, engrossed crowd.
-Those present acted as though something was going on out of the common.
-
-A person who seemed to be the manager of the show, and looking quite
-serious and important, was giving some instructions to half a dozen
-circus hands.
-
-Three of these latter had armed themselves with long pikes. Another
-carried a pole with a crooked iron end, resembling a giant chicken
-catcher. A fifth had a stout rope with a chain end forming a halter.
-The last of the group carried an enormous wire muzzle.
-
-They stood beside a car which held a strong iron cage. This was empty,
-and at one end its canvas covering was torn, and two of its bars were
-bent far out of regular position.
-
-Ralph ran up against an old friend as he pressed on the outskirts of
-the crowd.
-
-This was John Griscom, the veteran engineer who had impressed Ralph
-into service the day of his first railroading experience when the yards
-at Acton had caught fire.
-
-Griscom was on his way to the roundhouse to get his locomotive in trim
-for a regular afternoon trip. His dinner pail swung from his arm. He
-was such a practical old fellow that Ralph wondered at his taking an
-interest in anything so trifling as circus excitement.
-
-"What's the excitement, Mr. Griscom?" he asked.
-
-"Animal loose."
-
-"Indeed? When did it escape?"
-
-"That's what's worrying the circus people. They don't know. They just
-took off the canvas cover of the cage to make the discovery. The train
-switched here before daylight. It was in the cage then, they say."
-
-Here the six circus hands started out on the quest of the missing
-animal.
-
-"Search the yards thoroughly," ordered the menagerie manager. "Shoot,
-if you can't corner him. It won't do the show any good to have him do
-damage or scare people. Fifty dollars' reward for the capture of the
-beast!"
-
-"What kind of an animal was it?" Ralph asked of Griscom.
-
-"Toothless old bear, I suppose, or a blind lion," bluffly answered the
-railroad veteran, who did not have a very high opinion of the average
-circus wild beast.
-
-Just here the menagerie manager seemed to discover an opportunity for
-advertising the show and lauding its attractions.
-
-"I beg of you, gentlemen," he said, in a suave tone, as the crowd made
-a move to follow the searching party--"don't impede our efforts by
-getting in the way. Calcutta Tom, the largest and fiercest Indian
-tiger in captivity in any menagerie in the country, is loose. This
-superb king of the forests killed five men before he was caged, was
-brought to this country at a cost of six thousand dollars, and, if
-captured now, will be on exhibition this afternoon, along with the most
-marvelous aggregation of brute and human celebrities on the face of the
-civilized globe to-day."
-
-"And all for twenty-five cents--lemonade and popcorn a nickle extra,"
-piped a mischievous urchin.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX--CALCUTTA TOM
-========================
-
-Ralph walked in the direction of the switch tower.
-
-He noticed that all the tracks seemed unusually inactive, even for the
-noon hour. The main rails were perfectly clear, and a good many
-locomotives were on the sidings.
-
-Glancing up at the switch tower, Ralph was a good deal surprised to
-notice that it was entirely unoccupied.
-
-This was startling. Ralph had never known that post of the service to
-be untenanted at any hour of the day or night.
-
-Then he noticed on the out main rails near the tower a handcar. A
-trackman stood with his hands on the pumping bar. One foot on the car,
-his watch in his hand, old Jack Knight was looking impatient and
-excited.
-
-"Hustle, Fairbanks!" he shouted, and Ralph came up on a sharp run.
-"Here," spoke Knight, extending a slip of paper to Ralph. "Get down to
-the depot master, double-quick. Then hustle back to the tower. I'm
-bound for the limits tower, to keep things straight there."
-
-"Why, what's up, Mr. Knight?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"Mile-a-minute special from the north, due at 1.15. You've got fifteen
-minutes. The out tracks are set for the 1.05 express all right. Soon
-as she passes, set the out main after her so the special will take the
-in tracks to the limits. No. 6 will wait at the limits while we shoot
-the special to the out again."
-
-"A special?" repeated Ralph, in some bewilderment, "and from the
-north----"
-
-"Obey orders," interrupted Knight crisply. "Nothing to move except the
-express till the special passes. Understand? Don't lose any time.
-Get that slip to the depot master, and hurry back to the tower."
-
-"All right," spoke Ralph promptly.
-
-He started on a run for the depot, as Knight sprang to the handcar and
-it was whirled down the rails.
-
-Ralph had a right to be mystified. There was no special in place on
-the depot tracks. The Great Northern had its terminus at Stanley
-Junction.
-
-There was a single track running north from the depot, but it was not
-in use. It had been built by the Great Northern to connect with a belt
-line fifteen miles distant, all equipped as to rails, switches, and
-roadbed. Then the holding companies had some squabble. Suits and
-counter-suits had tied up the line, and it was temporarily out of
-service on an injunction.
-
-Ralph therefore comprehended that it was only over this stretch of road
-that any special could be expected from the north. Further, he decided
-that it must be a very important special that could gain the right of
-way under existing legal complications and interrupt the regular system
-of the Great Northern.
-
-However, the order was out and Ralph had definite instructions. He
-made the depot in three minutes, and darted into the private office of
-the depot master without ceremony.
-
-That official looked nervous and engrossed. He clicked at a telegraph
-instrument with one hand, while he hastily unfolded and scanned the
-slip of paper Ralph had brought.
-
-"Very good," he nodded. "Clear tracks to Springfield. If they boost
-the special along on the other sections as well as we have done on
-this, and our president can score a mile-a-minute run, he can reach his
-dying wife in time."
-
-Ralph hurried back towards the switch tower. He fancied he now
-understood the situation. The brief words of the depot master had been
-enlightening.
-
-He guessed that the president of the road at a distance had been
-apprised of serious illness in his family. Perhaps the attendant
-physician had wired a time limit. If the anxious husband hoped to see
-his stricken wife before she died, he must exert every privilege he
-controlled as the head of a great railroad system.
-
-Ralph reflected that he might have been a thousand miles away when he
-received the anxious summons. Influence and the wires had possibly
-called half a dozen interlocking lines into service. Even the law had
-stepped aside, it seemed, to speed the distressed official on his way,
-via the north spur of the Great Northern.
-
-The 1.05 express steamed out of the depot just as Ralph reached the
-switch tower.
-
-"That clears the situation," he reflected. "Set the out main for the
-in switch after she passes. Hark!"
-
-Ralph bent his ear at an unusual sound. This was the echo of a sharp
-locomotive whistle--to the north.
-
-"The special is coming," he observed, and naturally with some
-excitement--a mile-a-minute dash through the depot and town was a
-novelty for Stanley Junction.
-
-There was no one visible in the immediate vicinity of the switch tower.
-The unusual quietude of the yards made Ralph think of Sunday. At a
-little distance were many engines and freight trains standing on
-sidings. They were held inactive on order. Engineers and firemen
-lounged on their cab seats, looking down the yards north expectantly.
-
-Ralph rounded the tower structure briskly. He pulled out his watch.
-
-"Four minutes," he spoke, and turned into the lower doorway.
-
-In a jiffy he would be up the ladder. A turn of the lever, and he,
-too, could sit down, and from his lofty point of observation leisurely
-watch the mile-a-minute special flash by.
-
-Half-way across the lower tower space, Ralph checked himself.
-
-A chill, startled sensation crept over his nerves. He halted with a
-shock, gave a vivid stare, and uttered a sharp gasp.
-
-A growl had warned him. Ralph saw a bristling, sinuous form arise from
-the floor directly at the bottom of the ladder.
-
-Two fire-balls seemed to glow at him with venom and menace. In a flash
-the young leverman realized the situation.
-
-Ralph Fairbanks faced the escaped tiger.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X--A MILE A MINUTE
-==========================
-
-Ralph stood dumfounded as he made out the great Indian tiger, Calcutta
-Tom, that "had cost six thousand dollars to cage after it had killed
-five men."
-
-The encounter was so unlooked for that Ralph stood transfixed for a
-second or two.
-
-The escaped animal could not have been long in the switch house,
-otherwise Knight or others would have discovered it. It had escaped
-before daybreak that morning. Since then it must have been in hiding
-around the depot yards.
-
-About twenty feet away from the switch tower were some open vault-like
-recesses fitting into a brick abutment. This inclined from the depot
-baggage room. Up and down this, baggage was run on trucks. It was
-possible that for a time the tiger had lurked in some of these dark
-recesses, transferring itself to the lower tower room within the last
-fifteen minutes.
-
-Calcutta Tom was a formidable-looking beast of enormous size. Ralph
-noticed, however, that while the animal growled and bristled fiercely,
-it did not crouch or threaten to spring. It posed clumsily, showed no
-teeth--if it had any--and seemed determined to act simply on the
-defensive and repel intruders.
-
-Toot-toot-toot-too-ooo-oot!
-
-The shrill, strange whistle in the distance cut vividly on Ralph's ear
-because it proceeded from that unusual locality--the north spur.
-
-With a thrill he caught its signal warning. The limited was coming,
-the mile-a-minute special would be hammering the main depot rails in
-less than three minutes now!
-
-Its engineer had right of way track signal from fifteen miles back. He
-was not expected to be looking out for obstructions. The "O.K. clear"
-order meant that he need not trouble his mind as to complications in
-unfamiliar territory. The delayed express on the out track was hidden
-from view by a curve. Even if discovered, the special, going at a
-tremendous rate of speed, could not slow up in time to avoid a
-collision.
-
-All these thoughts flashed through the young leverman's mind within the
-space of a single second. Ralph knew that he must instantly scale the
-ladder and set the levers, or else all would be lost.
-
-He made a reckless run for the iron ladder. Four feet from it, he went
-bounding back like a rubber ball.
-
-Calcutta Tom had simply raised a ponderous paw. It dropped on Ralph's
-breast with the force of a sledge-hammer.
-
-Ralph landed with a thud against the inside sheathing of the tower.
-Then he stumbled flat, but came erect, grasping a broken brake-rod his
-hand had chanced to touch on the floor.
-
-Again the "Clear the way!" signal of the speeding special to the north
-sent the blood rushing through his veins like quicksilver.
-
-Ralph sprang at the tiger, striking out with all his strength.
-
-The bar was wrenched from his grasp by his formidable brute foe. He
-saw it twisted up like a bit of flexible licorice. The tiger made a
-spring. Its bristling form filled the doorway almost as quickly as
-Ralph had sped through it.
-
-There the tiger stood, blinking at the light, and snarling fiercely.
-Ralph gave a great gasp of desperation, and looked wildly all about him
-for escape from his dilemma.
-
-No one on the sidings was near enough to signal to any advantage. By
-the time he could summon help and explain matters, the special would be
-on hand and the damage done.
-
-A cold sweat came out all over his body. Ralph began to quake. It
-meant sure death to oppose the stubborn brute in the open doorway.
-
-"What shall I do--oh, what can I do?" panted Ralph in a torment of
-agony.
-
-He ran out a few steps and looked up at the tower room. This loomed
-twenty feet aloft, flanging out mushroom-fashion over the lower story,
-which presented a solid base.
-
-The tower room was inaccessible, even if he could scale the lower
-building. Ralph ran a complete circuit of the structure. Then his eye
-flashed with sudden hope.
-
-As nimbly as though his tiger foe was directly at his heels, Ralph
-sprang at and clasped a telegraph pole. Its surface was roughened and
-indented by the hooks of linemen, allowing him to get a lifting grip.
-
-Ralph drew himself up slowly. The ascent to his overwrought mind
-seemed to consume an age. It was just forty-five seconds, however,
-when twenty-five feet from the ground, his slivered and bleeding hands
-grasped the first cross-bar of the telegraph pole and he lifted himself
-to it.
-
-A foot or two down and six feet away was the glass-windowed side of the
-tower room. Ralph pulled himself erect till both feet rested on the
-narrow cross-bar.
-
-He steadied himself on his dizzy perch. He seemed to have ceased to
-breathe, and his heart stood still, so intense was the strain on his
-nerves. The wreck and ruin of a great railroad system to his
-exaggerated senses seemed to impend on his success in a daring dive.
-
-For a dive it was, and a desperate one. All the upper sashes fronting
-him were lowered, as was the usage in clear weather. Ralph caught the
-shrieking blast of the special. His expert ear told him that it was
-less than a mile distant. He poised, wavered, and then made a forward
-spring.
-
-There was a great clatter of glass. Ralph half hung over the top of
-the lower and the lowered sashes, but his feet had kicked in the double
-panes. He fairly fell over the sashes into the tower room.
-
-On his feet in a flash, the youth darted a swift glance at the tower
-clock. It was just 1.15.
-
-"Made it!" he cried, but in a faint, hoarse tone--"made it, but just in
-time!"
-
-He was so overcome that it was his sheer weight rather than any
-exertion of muscle that pulled bar 4 over into place. Then Ralph
-staggered back, and fairly fell into the armchair.
-
-The ordeal had been a terrible one. He understood how a man's hair
-turned white sometimes in an hour. His teeth were chattering, his
-cheeks blanched. He turned his eyes to the north, chained to the chair
-momentarily in a kind of a dread stupor.
-
-A flagman across the rails was yelling up at him. He had witnessed
-Ralph's sensational proceedings, and was staring at the broken window
-panes. Ralph did not hear him.
-
-Instead, his ears were filled with a grinding on the north rails.
-Tearing down them, swaying from side to side, shrieking out constantly
-for clear tracks, a locomotive with one car attached reached the far
-depot end and went its length like a flash of light.
-
-"The special!" breathed Ralph,--"on time!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI--SPOILING FOR A FIGHT
-================================
-
-As Ralph spoke the special was a blur as it passed the tower, a flying
-spot as it flashed to the in rails, a speck as it turned the curve.
-
-Ralph sat motionless till he caught its whistle past the limits tower.
-Then he realized that his crucial test was past and done.
-
-The telephone bell rang noisily. The dial indicator began to move.
-The delayed freights set up a piping call for service. For five
-minutes Ralph jumped actively from lever to lever. He was glad of the
-task--it diverted his mind from the harrowing ordeal that had so nearly
-unmanned him.
-
-As there was a lull in the service, Ralph thought of the tiger below.
-He started to send a message for relief over the 'phone. Just then he
-noticed a familiar form smoking a pipe on a baggage truck near by.
-
-"Hey, Stiggs!" he called from the open window.
-
-The person addressed was a simple-faced, smiling man of about fifty.
-He wore a railroad jumper and overalls, but they were spotless, as if
-he had pretty light work. He wore, too, a regular fireman's peaked
-cap--in fact looked like a seasoned railroad hand, but moved as
-placidly towards the tower at Ralph's hail as though he was
-inspector-general and main owner of the railroad.
-
-Stiggs was a character about the yards. He was one of the first
-switchmen employed by the Great Northern. About two years previously,
-however, he had got terribly battered up in trying to rescue an express
-driver and his horses who had got wedged in on an X-switch. Stiggs
-succeeded, but paid the penalty.
-
-When he came out of the hospital he was sound of limb, but his mind was
-affected. He was not dangerous or troublesome, but he still imagined
-that he was in active service for the railroad company.
-
-The Great Northern pensioned him, and he and his wife got along quite
-comfortably on the sixteen dollars a month allowed them, as they owned
-their little home. Stiggs, however, haunted the yards. He put on a
-fresh, clean working suit twice a week, and went the rounds of depot,
-flag-shanties, switch tower, and roundhouse twice a day regularly.
-
-He was so pleasant and inoffensive that all hands gave him a welcome.
-He ran errands for men on duty, and at times unofficially spelled the
-crossings flagmen while they went to their meals.
-
-His great need was tobacco. His wife would buy him none, saying they
-could not afford it. When the railroad men rewarded his little
-services with a pipeful or a package of his favorite brand, Stiggs was
-a very happy man.
-
-"Want me?" he called up to Ralph as he neared the tower.
-
-"Yes," answered Ralph. "Will you do an errand for me?"
-
-"Sure pop. That's what the company hires me for, isn't it?" demanded
-Stiggs cheerfully.
-
-"You know where the circus train is unloading?"
-
-"Over near the street--of course. I supervised getting their band
-chariot down the skids. New men here--never handled chariots before.
-They'd have smashed her if I hadn't been on deck to direct them."
-
-"Experience counts, Mr. Stiggs," remarked Ralph indulgently.
-
-"You bet it does--that's what the company hires me for."
-
-"Well, you go down and see if any of the circus people are still
-around."
-
-"They were ten minutes ago."
-
-"Find the manager. You know one of their wild animals is loose?"
-
-"I heard so."
-
-"Then you bargain for a reward. Tell them you can produce their
-escaped tiger if they pay you for your trouble."
-
-Stiggs stared in perplexed simplicity at Ralph.
-
-"But I can't," he demurred, "and I never tell a lie, you know."
-
-"Yes, you can," asserted Ralph--"at least I can. I know where the
-animal is. You hurry the circus manager here, and I will show up the
-tiger."
-
-Simple-minded Stiggs craned his neck as if expecting to see the animal
-in question in Ralph's company. Then his face grew mildly reproachful.
-
-"I didn't think you would try to hoax me, Fairbanks!" he said
-sorrowfully.
-
-"I wouldn't for the world, Mr. Stiggs," said Ralph. "I have too much
-respect for you. Do as I say now--only hurry. Make a good bargain,
-for a little money won't do Mrs. Stiggs any harm. Hustle, though--for
-tigers are slippery customers, you know."
-
-Stiggs nodded dubiously, and set off on his errand. Ralph kept an eye
-on the side of the tower where the lower entrance was, ready to warn
-anyone approaching.
-
-He could hear the animal occupant of the room below moving about. Then
-it quieted down, after a jangle of metal pieces. Ralph figured out
-that it had made its lair in the darkest corner of the apartment where
-there was a heap of old junk.
-
-He looked down the ladder, but did not venture below.
-
-It was about ten minutes after Stiggs had departed on his errand, that
-Ralph had occasion to warn a newcomer.
-
-He had watched this person cross the tracks from Railroad Street in a
-rather lurching, irresponsible way.
-
-As he came nearer, Ralph recognized the belligerent friend of his
-predecessor at the switch tower, Young Slavin.
-
-Ralph had not seen nor heard from Slavin, Bemis, or Ike Slump since his
-adventure with the trio at "The Signal" restaurant on lower Railroad
-Street.
-
-As Slavin drew nearer, Ralph judged, from the way that he glanced up at
-the tower, that this was his intended goal, and, from the way he
-clenched his fists and hunched up his shoulders, that he had got
-himself primed for some mischief.
-
-Slavin halted as he got within ten feet of the switch tower. In a
-stupid, solemn sort of way he scanned its side, trying to determine
-where its entrance was located. Ralph stuck his head out of the window.
-
-"Hello, there!" he hailed.
-
-"Hello, yerself!" retorted Slavin, finding some difficulty in steadying
-himself as he crooked his neck to make out his challenger. "Who's
-that? Fill my heart with joy by just telling me it's the fellow I'm
-looking for--young Fairbanks!"
-
-"That is who it is," responded Ralph promptly. "Want me?"
-
-"Do I!" chuckled Slavin, cutting a pigeon-wing and giving a free
-exhibition of pugilist fist play. "Oh, don't I! Business, strictly
-business--young man. Will you come down, or shall I come up?"
-
-"I don't want to see you bad enough to come down," observed Ralph. "As
-to coming up, I warn you not to attempt it, just at present."
-
-"Afraid, eh?" jeered Slavin.
-
-"Was I the other night?" asked Ralph pointedly.
-
-"That was a foul," cried Slavin wrathfully. "I've come for
-satisfaction now, and I'm going to have it."
-
-"Not in working hours, and not here," declared Ralph definitely. "Hold
-on, Slavin!" he called in some alarm, as his irresponsible visitor
-rounded the structure, bent on forcing an entrance. "Hey, stop! Don't
-go in there."
-
-Slavin had reached the lower door of the tower room.
-
-"I tell you to stop!" cried Ralph strenuously. "There's a wild beast
-in there--the tiger that escaped from the circus."
-
-"You can't bluff me," retorted Young Slavin, making a determined lurch
-through the doorway.
-
-Ralph ran to a window sill and seized a long iron wrench lying there.
-He was really alarmed for the safety of his would-be visitor.
-
-At all odds, he felt it his duty to save even an acknowledged enemy
-from a foolhardy fate.
-
-Ralph got to the trap, and started to descend the ladder.
-
-A curdling yell rang out from below, and Ralph saw tiger and pugilist
-whirling together in a maze of wild confusion.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII--THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OPINION
-=========================================
-
-It seemed as if the escaped circus tiger had disputed the intrusion of
-Young Slavin just as it had previously that of Ralph.
-
-Whether his belligerent enemy had tried to beat off the animal, or it
-had attacked Slavin as he attempted to ascend the ladder, Ralph could
-not tell. One thing was sure, however: the impetuous "champeen" found
-himself in the mix-up of his life.
-
-The tiger was growling and snarling. Slavin was uttering muffled
-shouts of terror and pain. Ralph fairly dropped down half a dozen
-rungs of the ladder.
-
-The wrench with which he had armed himself was heavy, and had a very
-long handle. Six feet from the floor of the lower tower room, Ralph
-leaned as far out as he could, holding on to the ladder by one foot and
-one hand.
-
-Swinging the wrench in the other hand and watching his opportunity,
-Ralph landed a sturdy whack directly on top of the head of the
-infuriated tiger.
-
-The blow was severe enough to crack the skull of a human being. The
-tiger, however, only ducked its head and sneezed, but it relaxed its
-hold of Slavin.
-
-Ralph saw its great paw cut the air in one lightning-like downward
-stroke. He saw Slavin, with a curdling shriek, bound through the
-doorway like a ball. Then the tiger turned, caught sight of his new
-assailant, and crouched with a malignant snarl, posing for a spring.
-
-Ralph took aim. He let go of the heavy wrench, using it as a missile
-now. It struck the tiger squarely between the eyes, throwing the
-animal off its balance. Then with due agility Ralph shot up the ladder
-like a steeple-jack.
-
-Once in the tower room he closed the trap and fastened it down. A
-glance from its window showed some commotion in the yards round about.
-
-A wild, tattered figure was scudding in frenzy for the street. It was
-Young Slavin. He was hatless, and, from neck to heel down his back,
-every garment he wore was ripped exactly in two as if slashed
-scientifically by a butcher-knife.
-
-This envelope of tatters and Slavin's fearful outcries had attracted
-the attention of flagmen, engineers, and brakemen in the vicinity.
-They shouted after the scurrying fugitive, they even tried to head him
-off for an explanation. Slavin, however, lost to reason for the
-moment, made a mad bee-line for Railroad Street, and disappeared behind
-some freight sheds.
-
-Ralph hailed a roundhouse hand carrying a bucket of oil.
-
-"Shut the lower door, will you?" he asked.
-
-The man did so. It operated on a spring, and all he had to do was to
-detach a hook from a staple that held it open.
-
-"Slip the padlock," continued Ralph.
-
-"Why, that will lock you in!" exclaimed the bewildered oilman.
-
-"That's all right," answered Ralph. "Thanks."
-
-He smiled to himself as he answered some switch calls. The smile
-broadened as he ran over the exciting incidents of the hour.
-
-Young Slavin was probably more scared than hurt. In his muddled
-condition, amid the semi-darkness of the lower tower room he might not
-have discerned or realized what had attacked him.
-
-"He will report me a demon, and his friends will think me one, if he
-shows up in those tatters, laying his plight to my charge," smiled
-Ralph. "Well, I fancy 'the young Hercules' has got all the
-satisfaction he wants for the present."
-
-In about fifteen minutes Ralph leaned from the window to greet a
-coterie he had been expecting for some time.
-
-Stiggs, placid-faced and leisurely as usual, led a party Ralph had seen
-grouped around the circus cages on the street tracks at noon.
-
-The six menagerie men still carried their equipment for capturing the
-escaped tiger: pikes, hooks, halter chain, and muzzle.
-
-The manager, his hat stuck back on his head, nervously chewing a match
-and urging Stiggs to hurry, looked very much excited.
-
-"Come, can't you hustle a bit?" Ralph heard him say to Stiggs.
-"Where's your tiger?"
-
-Stiggs pointed up to the switch tower.
-
-"What are you giving me?" demanded the circus manager in
-disgust--"that's a boy."
-
-"He sent me--he knows where the tiger is," asserted Stiggs.
-
-"Oh, that's it. Young man!" called up the circus manager. "Do you
-know this man?"
-
-"Very intimately. I sent him to you. I have located your escaped
-animal, as he told you, I presume?" said Ralph.
-
-"He did. It's true, then?" cried the circus manager eagerly. "Where
-is the brute?"
-
-"Mr. Stiggs," called down Ralph, "are these people going to pay you for
-your trouble?"
-
-"Oh, sure," replied Stiggs animatedly. "See there--they gave me a
-whole package of tobacco."
-
-Ralph regarded the simple-minded railroad pensioner pityingly. He
-fixed a censorious glance on the circus manager. The latter flushed
-and looked embarrassed.
-
-"He said that was all he wanted," stammered the man.
-
-"Oh, well, that won't do at all," declared Ralph. "Your animal has
-done some damage--in fact, came very nearly doing a great deal of
-damage. Besides that, Mr. Stiggs is a poor man. You offered a liberal
-reward for the capture of the animal this morning, I believe. Does
-that offer stand good now?"
-
-A little crowd had been drawn to the spot by the presence of such an
-unusual group. Among them was a young fellow who had kept with the
-party since it had started out.
-
-The circus manager knew this young man to be a reporter on the local
-paper, in the quest of a sensation. He could not risk an effective
-free advertisement by an exhibition of niggardliness on the part of the
-proprietors of the circus.
-
-"Sure," he said importantly; "our people spare no expense in catering
-to the great show-going public. They spent six thousand dollars in
-caging the famous Calcutta Tom, the wonder of the animal universe, and--
-
-"You went over all that this noon," said Ralph, in a business-like way.
-"What about the fifty dollars?"
-
-"Have you got the tiger?"
-
-"I have," answered Ralph definitely.
-
-"Produce him, and the money is yours."
-
-"Very good," nodded Ralph, tossing down the key to the padlock of the
-lower door. "You will find the escaped animal downstairs here."
-
-The local reporter made himself unduly active within the ensuing thirty
-minutes. He had written up Ralph Fairbanks once before. That was when
-the young railroader had acted as substitute fireman during the big
-fire in the yards at Acton, as already related in "Ralph of the
-Roundhouse."
-
-Ralph had proven "good copy" in that instance. The fact of his having
-the escaped animal in custody, the litter of glass under the tower
-windows, some vague remarks of the flagman who had witnessed Ralph's
-sensational ascent of the telegraph pole, set the young reporter on the
-trail of a first-class story in a very few minutes.
-
-The circus manager and his assistants soon had Calcutta Tom in fetters.
-As they pulled him out into daylight the manager cuffed and kicked him
-till the animal slunk along, spiritless and harmless as some antiquated
-horse.
-
-He drew out a roll of bank bills, counted out fifty dollars, made sure
-the reporter was noticing the act, and with a flourish tossed the money
-up to Ralph.
-
-He wrote out a free pass to the show for Stiggs, slapping him on the
-shoulder and calling him a royal good fellow.
-
-"Don't know if the railroad company can spare me," said Stiggs, shaking
-his head slowly.
-
-"Come up here, Mr. Stiggs," said Ralph.
-
-Jack Knight came along from the limits tower just then. He was halted
-by the reporter. Stiggs joined Ralph a few minutes later.
-
-"I want to tell you, Mr. Stiggs, about this fifty dollars' reward from
-the circus people," began Ralph.
-
-"Yes, glad you got it, Fairbanks," said Stiggs heartily. "If it wasn't
-for you I wouldn't have got the tobacco."
-
-"Well, I want you to tell Mrs. Stiggs when you go home that I've got
-twenty-five dollars for her," went on Ralph.
-
-"My! that's a lot of money," exclaimed the old railroad pensioner,
-opening wide his eyes. "Say, Fairbanks, that would stock me up with
-tobacco for the rest of my life!"
-
-Knight came through the trap, the local reporter at his heels.
-
-"What's been going on here?" demanded the veteran towerman, with a
-glance at the broken window panes.
-
-Ralph glanced at the reporter. That individual had a paper tab in his
-hand all covered with notes, and looked eager and expectant.
-
-"If our friend here will excuse our attention to railroad business
-strictly, I will try to tell you," said Ralph.
-
-"Certainly," nodded the reporter, but disappointedly, as Ralph took
-Knight to the end of the room and a low-toned conversation ensued.
-
-The same was interspersed with sensational, startling ejaculations of
-wild excitement, such a vivid play of interest and wonder on the part
-of old Jack, that the reporter wriggled in a kind of professional
-torment. He knew that Ralph must have a graphic story to relate.
-
-"Mr. Fairbanks," he said anxiously, as the two terminated their
-conversation, "I hope you will give me a brief interview."
-
-"Really, I couldn't think of it," answered Ralph, with a genial smile.
-"A tiger escaped from the circus and hid in the switch tower. That's
-about the facts of the case."
-
-"You're a deal too modest," snorted old Jack. "You see, he's a
-stickler for railroad ethics," he explained to the reporter. "Well,
-that's all right in a young man, for the company usually want to give
-out their own reports to the press. In this instance, though, I don't
-think they will hold back the credit young Fairbanks deserves. You
-come with me, young man, and as soon as I report to the superintendent,
-I think you can get the facts for the liveliest railroad sensation you
-have had in Stanley Junction for many a long day."
-
-Ralph had no right to interfere with this arrangement.
-
-Knight came back in thirty minutes, chuckling gleesomely.
-
-"Shake, old man!" he called out, grasping Ralph's hand with a
-switch-lever clutch that would have made his assistant wince a week
-back. "I guaranteed you to the company when they put you on here. The
-man with the iron mask just thanked me for it. Thanked me for it, just
-think of it--and smiled!"
-
-"Who is the man with the iron mask?" asked Ralph innocently.
-
-"The superintendent, of course. Ever see him? Well, they say he was
-born with a frown on his face, called down his father and mother when
-he was six months old, and spent ten years at a special actors' school
-where they learn the ebony glare, the tones that chill a fellow, and
-that grand stern air that makes a railroad employee shake in his boots
-when the superintendent passes by."
-
-"Why, I have found him rather dignified, but a thoroughly just and
-genial gentleman," said Ralph.
-
-"Thank you, Fairbanks!" interrupted a voice that made the two friends
-start, and the head of the superintendent of the Great Northern came up
-through the trap. "Quite a word-painter, Mr. Knight!" he continued,
-glancing at old Jack with a grim twinkle in his eye.
-
-"Ah, overheard me, did you?" retorted Knight, never abashed at
-anything. "You didn't wait till I got through. I was going to add,
-for the benefit of our young friend here, that all the qualities I was
-describing have made you the most consistent, thoroughgoing railroader
-in the country, that back of the mask were more pensions to deserving
-disabled employees than the law allowed, and a justice and respect for
-loyal subordinates that made you an honorary member of our union, and
-the Great Northern the finest railway system ever perfected."
-
-"Thank you, Mr. Knight!" retorted the superintendent, a genuine flush
-of pleasure on his face. "I know you are sincere, so you will join me,
-I am certain, in telling our young friend that the risk he took to save
-the special this day entitled him to a high place in the esteem of his
-employers and associates."
-
-"Right you are, sir!" answered Knight emphatically. "I'm proud of
-Ralph Fairbanks--and so are you."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII--SQUARING THINGS
-=============================
-
-Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of
-the Great Northern. He started for home, his work through with for the
-day, feeling that life was very much worth living.
-
-He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage.
-He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother.
-
-Ralph found the front door locked. He had a key to it however, let
-himself in, and was wondering at this unusual absence of his mother at
-a regular meal hour, when he caught sight of a folded note on the
-little table in the hall.
-
-"I am at Mrs. Davis'," his mother's note ran. "She is not very well,
-and wishes me to stay with her for a few hours. Please call for me at
-her house at about nine o'clock."
-
-Entering the little dining room, Ralph found the table all set. He
-proceeded to the kitchen, and discovered under covers on a slow fire
-his meal ready to be served.
-
-"Always kind and thoughtful," he reflected gratefully, as he sat down
-to his solitary repast. "Nine o'clock, eh? That gives me time to
-attend to some pressing duties. Perhaps Mrs. Davis may have something
-to say about those bonds."
-
-Ralph's mother had done her duty in seeing to it that he was not put
-out by her absence. He now proceeded to do his by clearing up the
-table and washing the dishes. He had everything in order before he
-left the house.
-
-He sauntered downtown, changed a twenty-dollar bill that was among
-those the circus manager had given him, and started down a humble side
-street.
-
-In about ten minutes Ralph reached the Stiggs home. It was a small
-one-story structure, but comfortable-looking and well-kept.
-
-In the garden was a small summerhouse. A spark of light directed Ralph
-thither. It appeared that Stiggs was banished from the house while
-using his favorite weed. This was his "smokery."
-
-Before Ralph could announce his presence, someone spoke from an open
-window of the house.
-
-"John Jacob Stiggs--smoke! smoke! smoke!" proclaimed a high-pitched
-voice-. "I should think you'd be ashamed--at it all the time. If you
-are so valuable to your railroad cronies why don't you bring home a
-chicken, or a watermelon, or a bag of potatoes once in a while, instead
-of your perpetual 'plug cut,' and 'cut loaf,' and 'killmequick'? Oh,
-dear! dear! you are such a trial."
-
-"That's so--never thought of that," responded Stiggs from his snuggery,
-in his usual quiet way. "But, my dear, something is coming. Some
-money--you know I told you."
-
-"Nonsense!" retorted Mrs. Stiggs violently. "They stuff you full of
-all kinds of stories. Last week you said they were going to make you
-master mechanic."
-
-"I declined it! I declined it!" answered Stiggs in quick trepidation.
-"The responsibility of the position--think of it, my dear!"
-
-"Well, I suppose you're my cross," sighed his helpmate patiently.
-"Only, don't get a woman's hopes all alive with your story of five
-dollars coming, and a new shawl for me."
-
-"Ten, my dear," interrupted Stiggs. "I've quite forgotten the amount,
-but I am sure it was more than five. You see, I helped catch a
-tiger----"
-
-"John Jacob Stiggs!" cried his wife severely, "you'd better keep those
-wild notions out of your head. Tigers! Who ever saw a tiger in
-Stanley Junction?" she sniffed disdainfully.
-
-"Why, I did, Mrs. Stiggs," broke in Ralph, stepping to the window with
-a pleasant smile, and lifting his cap politely. "It escaped from the
-circus now in town. Your husband helped me get it into the hands of
-the show people, they paid us fifty dollars' reward for our services,
-and half of it belongs to Mr. Stiggs. There is his share, madam."
-
-"Laws-a-mercy!" cried the astounded woman, as the crisp green bills
-were placed on the window ledge. "You don't mean----"
-
-"Twenty-five dollars," nodded Ralph.
-
-"His? mine? ours?"
-
-"Yes, Mrs. Stiggs. You can have a famous new shawl now, can't you,
-madam?"
-
-"Oh, come in. Oh, dear! dear! it don't seem real."
-
-Ralph stepped around to the door and entered the little sitting room.
-Mrs. Stiggs could not keep still for excitement. She was laughing and
-crying by turns.
-
-Old Stiggs followed after Ralph in a kind of dumb amazement, and stood
-staring at the banknotes in his wife's hand. She chanced to observe
-him. For the first time in his life, it seemed, her husband had
-ventured inside the house smoking his despised tobacco.
-
-"John--Jacob--Stiggs!" she screamed.
-
-"Oh--my!" gasped the horrified culprit.
-
-The lighted pipe dropped from his mouth, and he bolted out of doors as
-if shot from a cannon.
-
-Mrs. Stiggs was profuse in her thanks. She got more coherent, and
-poured out her little troubles to Ralph, who was a sympathetic
-listener. He gave her some advice, and his heart warmed as he finally
-left the house, happy in the consciousness that he had bestowed some
-pleasure and benefit where he felt sure they were fully deserved.
-
-"Anybody but mother would call me a chump for what I've got to do
-next," he mused, as he proceeded briskly in the direction of lower
-Railroad Street, "but I've got the impulse, and it looks clear to me
-that I'm doing the right thing all around."
-
-Ralph proceeded past the long line of poor buildings just back of the
-depot tracks. He looked into the restaurant where he had found Mort
-Bemis and Young Slavin some evenings previous.
-
-They were not in evidence now, however, at this or other places he
-inspected. Ralph made inquiries of some "extras," who had a good deal
-of spare time, and were likely to know the denizens of Railroad Row.
-
-No one could tell him of the whereabouts of the persons he sought,
-until he met a young urchin whom he questioned.
-
-"Slavin?" pronounced the precious street arab. "Champeen? He's at
-Murphy's shed."
-
-A man named Murphy ran a cheap ice cream place further down the street,
-Ralph remembered. The shed he also recalled as a loafing place for
-juvenile road hands around the noon and evening hours.
-
-It was a great open structure where expressmen stored their wagons for
-shelter. Ralph reached its proximity in a few minutes. He glanced
-around the open end of the place.
-
-Three or four boys were squatted on the ground. Two of them had a coat
-and a vest, on which they were clumsily sewing. Near by, wrapped in an
-old horse-blanket, seated on a box, his eyes fixed gloomily on the
-ground, was the object of Ralph's visit--Young Slavin.
-
-Ralph went forward at once. Two of the group sprang to their feet,
-startled. Young Slavin, looking spiritless and cowed, craned his bull
-neck in silent wonder and uncertainty.
-
-"Mr. Slavin," spoke Ralph promptly, "I have been trying to find you."
-
-"What for?" mumbled Slavin in a muffled tone. "I'm ripped up the back.
-Out of training--see you later."
-
-"Oh, I haven't come to fight," Ralph assured him. "It is this way: I
-saw you meet with an unfortunate accident this afternoon."
-
-"If you mean you made rags of the only suit of clothes I've got, it's
-correct," admitted Slavin dejectedly.
-
-"Well, I warned you, but you would rush on your fate," said Ralph.
-"Pretty badly used up, are they?"
-
-"Are they?" snorted Slavin bitterly. "They were ripped from stem to
-stern. And what's worse--look at them now!"
-
-Ralph could scarcely keep from laughing outright. One of the amateur
-tailors had essayed to mend Slavin's trousers.
-
-He had taken up a seam four inches wide. In pursuing the seam, he had
-sewed it into bunches, knobs, and fissures. One leg was shorter than
-the other, and stood out at an angle from the knee down.
-
-"No, that won't do at all," said Ralph gravely. "I felt sorry for you,
-Slavin. As I warned you, that tiger was in the switch tower. I got a
-reward for telling the circus people where it was, and I think it is
-only fair that they pay for the damage the animal did. They advertise
-a good eight-dollar suit down at the Grand Leader. Go and get one.
-That squares it, doesn't it?"
-
-Ralph extended a ten-dollar bill to Slavin. The eyes of his engrossed
-companions snapped at the sight of so much money. As for Slavin
-himself, he stared at the bill and then at Ralph in stupid wonder.
-
-"Take it," urged Ralph.
-
-"Mine?" gulped Slavin slowly.
-
-"Of course it's yours."
-
-"You give it?"
-
-"Why not? I collected damages from the circus people--that's your
-share."
-
-Slavin's fingers trembled as he took the proffered banknote. He
-wriggled restively, looked up, and then looked down.
-
-"Say," he spoke hoarsely at last, "your name is Fairbanks."
-
-"Yes," nodded Ralph.
-
-"A good name, and you're a good sort. I jumped on you wrong the other
-night, and I want to say it right here. I thought Mort Bemis was my
-friend. This afternoon he took up with a fellow named Slump, broke
-open my trunk, stole two of my silver medals, and sloped. That's what
-I got for being his friend. Now you come and do me a good turn. I'm
-not your kind, and we can't ever mix probably, but if ever you want
-anyone hammered, I'll be there. See? I'm--I'm obliged to you,
-Fairbanks. You've taught me something. There's something better in
-the world than muscle--and you've got it."
-
-When Ralph left the old shed, he was pretty certain that he had made a
-new friend. He had, too, won the respect of the little coterie who had
-seen the terrible "champeen" eat humble pie before a fellow half his
-size.
-
-Ralph went to a millinery store next. The Saturday evening before he
-had accompanied his mother on her shopping tour. She had admired a hat
-in a show-window, but had said she could not spare the money for it
-just then.
-
-Ralph proudly walked home with the self-same hat in a band-box.
-
-"I have made quite a hole in that fifty dollars," he mused, as he left
-the band-box at the home cottage, and started for Mrs. Davis' house.
-"I wonder if I would be as extravagant on a bigger scale, if we should
-be fortunate enough to get back those twenty thousand dollars' worth of
-railroad bonds?"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV--A BUSY EVENING
-===========================
-
-The nearest cut to the house where Mrs. Davis lived was along a sort of
-a ravine, and Ralph pursued this route. It was the shortest, and it
-was here that the switch spur was to run up to Gasper Farrington's old
-factory.
-
-Ralph was interested in this as a railroader. The work of grading had
-already commenced. It was not to be a very particular job, as the
-service would be only occasional. The company was using old rails and
-second-hand ties.
-
-There was a natural rock shelf on the north side of the ravine. This
-the roadbed would follow. There were several sharp grades, but there
-would be no heavy traffic. The entire factory output, which was in the
-furniture line, would not exceed a carload a day.
-
-Mrs. Davis' home stood back from the ravine about a hundred feet. It
-was some three hundred yards from the factory building. Between it and
-the latter structure was a low two-story house, very old and
-dilapidated. Ralph wondered if this was the spot which Farrington had
-said he would appropriate, law or no law, as the connecting link in his
-right of way.
-
-"Mr. Farrington may well look out for wrecks," soliloquized Ralph, as
-he passed along the ravine. "The freight business from the factory is
-not worth enough for the company to put in a first-class roadbed. A
-poor one means danger. They will have to go slow on some of those mean
-curves and crooked grades, if they want to avoid trouble."
-
-Ralph turned from the ravine as he caught the gleam of a light in the
-house he knew to be occupied by the mysterious Mrs. Davis.
-
-It was a desolate place, and he felt sorry for anyone compelled to live
-so remote from neighbors. He felt glad, however, that the lonely widow
-had been so fortunate as to find a friend in his mother.
-
-Mrs. Davis had proven her honesty by wishing to repay him the
-ten-dollar loan. Ralph in a way counted that evening on some
-intimation concerning the twenty thousand dollars railroad bonds. He
-was naturally wrought up and anxious over this particular phase of the
-situation.
-
-The house did not front on the ravine. In approaching it, Ralph came
-up to its side first. The light that had guided him was in a middle
-room. Its window was open and the shade was lowered, but the breeze
-blew it back every little while.
-
-It was a bright moonlight night. Ralph could make out the house and
-its surroundings as plain as day. As he walked beside a hedge of high
-alders, he paused with a start.
-
-Someone stood directly beside the open window where the light was. The
-house shadowed him, but even at a distance Ralph could see that the
-lurker was a boy about his own height.
-
-This person stood with his face to the window. Every time the breeze
-moved the curtain, he bobbed about actively. He craned his neck, and
-made all kinds of efforts to look into the room.
-
-"Why," said Ralph indignantly, "it is someone spying!"
-
-The breeze freshening, the curtain was just then blown on a forty-five
-degree slant. A perfectly plain view of the room and its inmates was
-momentarily shown.
-
-Even at a distance Ralph could make out Mrs. Davis propped up in a
-chair with pillows, and his mother seated near by.
-
-The lurker at the window was taking a good clear look. He suddenly
-whipped a card out of his pocket. He glanced at it quickly, then
-inside the room again. The breeze let down, and the curtain dropped
-plumb once more.
-
-Ralph made an impetuous run for the window. He came up to the lurker,
-grabbed his arm, and still at full momentum ran him twenty feet along
-from the window. He did not wish to startle the inmates of the house.
-The astonished boy he had seized Ralph landed against the side of a
-summerhouse. He never let go of him. His prisoner wriggled in his
-grasp.
-
-"Hey, what's this?" he began.
-
-"Who are you and what are you up to?" challenged Ralph sharply.
-"What!" he cried, loosening his hold in stupefaction. "Van--Van
-Sherwin!"
-
-"Hello!" muttered his companion, now faced squarely about, and staring
-in turn. "It is you, Fairbanks? Well, that's natural, seeing your
-mother is here, but you took me off my feet so sudden. Shake. You
-don't seem glad to see me one bit, although it's an age since I met you
-last. How goes it?"
-
-Ralph shook the hand affectionately extended. It was not the hearty
-greeting, however, he usually awarded to this his warmest boy friend.
-Ralph looked grave, uncertain, and disappointed.
-
-Of all the chums he had ever known, Van Sherwin had come into his life
-in a way that had appealed strongly to every friendly sentiment.
-Deprived of reason temporarily through a blow from a baseball, and
-practically adopted by the Fairbanks family, Van's gentle, lovable ways
-had charmed them. When he recovered his reason and was the means of
-introducing Ralph to Farwell Gibson, Van was cherished like a brother
-by Ralph.
-
-Less than two weeks previous Van had gone back to the wilderness
-stretch beyond Springfield, where Gibson was keeping his railroad
-cut-off charter alive by grading the roadbed so much each day, as
-required by law.
-
-Through Gibson Ralph had got the information that enabled them to prove
-Gasper Farrington's mortgage on their home a fraud. Naturally he felt
-thankful to the queer old hermit who was working out an idea amid
-Crusoe-like solitude.
-
-As to Van,--mother and son made him a daily topic of conversation.
-They had longed for a visit from the strange, wild lad who had
-unconsciously brought so much good into their lives.
-
-Now Van had appeared, yet a vague distrust and disappointment chilled
-the warmth of Ralph's reception. Van had always been frank,
-open-minded, aboveboard. Ralph had just discovered him apparently
-engaged in eavesdropping.
-
-Thinking all this over, Ralph stood grim and silent as a statue for the
-space of nearly two minutes.
-
-"Hey!" challenged Van suddenly, giving his arm a vigorous shake. "Are
-you dreaming, Ralph?"
-
-Ralph roused himself. He determined to clear the situation, if it
-could be cleared.
-
-"Van," he said definitely, "what were you doing at that window?"
-
-"Why, didn't you see--looking in."
-
-"I know you was. In other words, spying. Oh, Van--spying on my
-mother!"
-
-Van Sherwin's eyes flashed. In a trice he had whipped off his coat.
-His fists doubled up. He advanced on Ralph, his voice shaking with an
-angry sob.
-
-"Take that back, Ralph Fairbanks!" he cried. "Do it quick, or you've
-got to lick me. Me spy on your mother? Why, she's pretty near my
-mother, too--the only one I ever remember."
-
-"But I saw you lurking at that window," said Ralph, a good deal taken
-aback by Van's violent demonstration.
-
-"Lurking, eh?" repeated Van sarcastically. "I'm a lurker, am I? And a
-spy? Why don't you call me a bravo--and a brigand? Humph--you chump!"
-
-The impulsive fellow shrugged his shoulders in such a pitying,
-indulgent way that Ralph was fairly nettled.
-
-"I won't fight you," declared Van, putting on his coat again. "You
-think so much of your mother that I'll forgive you. But I think a lot
-of her, too, as you well know, and, knowing it, you ought to have
-thought twice before you--yes, imputed to me any action that could do
-her any harm."
-
-"You're right, Van," said Ralph, grasping both hands of his eccentric
-chum, heartily enough this time. "I am so strung up, though, with
-things happening, and so much suspicion and mystery in the air, that
-I'm jumping to all kinds of conclusions helter-skelter. I hate
-mystery, you know."
-
-"Sit down," said Van, moving around to the door of the dismantled
-summerhouse, and dropping to its worm-eaten seat. "I want to tell you
-something. I wasn't looking in that window expecting to see your
-mother."
-
-"No?"
-
-"Not at all."
-
-"Then it must have been Mrs. Davis, the woman who lives there."
-
-"Is that her name?" inquired Van, with a shrewd smile.
-
-"She says it is."
-
-"You know her, then? Well, I don't, Ralph. Never saw her before.
-Yet, I've traveled a long distance to get a look at her. See here--can
-you make it out?"
-
-Van took from his pocket the card Ralph had seen him consult at the
-window. Ralph held it up to the moonlight.
-
-It was an old-fashioned card photograph. Judging from its yellow,
-faded appearance, it seemed taken in another generation. It presented
-the face of a woman of about thirty years of age.
-
-Ralph scanned this with a certain token of recognition.
-
-"This picture resembles Mrs. Davis," he said.
-
-"Think so?" asked Van. "I know it does. It's meant for the lady in
-that room yonder--when she was younger, though."
-
-"How do you come by it?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"It's a secret for the present, but I don't mind telling you. A
-friend--a long distance away--asked me to locate the original of that
-picture. Somehow he got a clew to the fact that she was living in this
-district."
-
-"Yes, she came to Stanley Junction recently."
-
-"Anyhow, I followed out directions," narrated Van. "I've done what I
-came for. The woman lives in that house yonder. I must go back and
-inform my friend."
-
-"Not right away. Mother will want to see you, Van."
-
-Van shook his head resolutely.
-
-"I'll be back again soon, Ralph," he promised. "I wish I could tell
-you more, but it's not my business."
-
-"That's all right, Van. I don't want to pry into your secrets."
-
-Van restored the picture to his pocket. He sighed with a glance at the
-house, as if it would indeed be a pleasure to have a chat with his
-adopted mother, Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-"Oh, Ralph!" he said suddenly, checking himself as he was about to move
-away--"have you ever heard anything more about those twenty thousand
-dollars railroad bonds?"
-
-"Have I?" spoke Ralph animately; "I seem to be hearing about them every
-step I take, lately!"
-
-"Is that so?"
-
-"Yes, but always in a vague, unsatisfactory way. What made you ask
-that question, Van?" inquired Ralph, with a keen glance at his
-companion.
-
-"Oh, nothing," declared Van carelessly. "I was just thinking, that's
-all. You see, Mr. Gibson is a rare, good fellow."
-
-"He did me some rare, good service--I know that," said Ralph warmly.
-
-"Well, he's pegging away at that railroad of his, wasting valuable
-time. He don't dare to leave it, because he might vi--vi--bother the
-word--oh, yes! vitiate his legal rights. He told me, though, that if
-he could get someone to put up a few thousand dollars so he could hire
-help, he would go to some big city and interest capital and rush the
-road through."
-
-"I will bear that in mind," said Ralph thoughtfully. "I believe he has
-the nucleus of a big speculation. There are rich men in Stanley
-Junction who might be induced to help him."
-
-"Suppose you got those twenty thousand dollars bonds, Ralph," said Van
-suddenly. "Would you be inclined to invest?"
-
-"I would feel it a duty, Van," responded Ralph promptly. "I believe my
-mother would, too. You will remember that if it was not for Mr.
-Gibson, we would probably be without a home to-day."
-
-"You're a good fellow, Ralph Fairbanks!" cried Van, slapping his chum
-heartily on the shoulder. "I knew you'd say that. And say--I guess
-you're going to hear something about those bonds, soon."
-
-"The air seems full of those bonds!" half smiled Ralph. "I wish
-something besides shadows would materialize, though."
-
-Ralph felt that Van was keeping something back--certainly about the
-person so interested in the mysterious Mrs. Davis, possibly in
-reference to the railroad bonds, as well.
-
-Before he could express himself further, Van grabbed his sleeve and
-pulled him into the shelter of the summerhouse with a quick warning:
-
-"S-sh!"
-
-"What is it, Van?" inquired Ralph in surprise.
-
-"Speak low, look sharp!" whispered Van, pointing through the
-interstices of the trellis in the direction of the house. "You hate
-mystery, you say. Then how does that strike you?"
-
-"Why," exclaimed Ralph, after a steadfast glance in the direction
-indicated--"it is Gasper Farrington!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV--A HERO DESPITE HIMSELF
-==================================
-
-Ralph did not have to look twice to be sure that it was the village
-magnate who stood just where he had discovered Van Sherwin a few
-minutes previous.
-
-Gasper Farrington was stooping stealthily under the open window. He
-did not seem to care so much to see who was inside. Perhaps he had
-already seen. His whole attitude showed that he was listening intently.
-
-Ralph disliked Farrington. He had reason for the sentiment. He could
-not recall one gracious action on the part of the miserly old man in
-all the years he had known him.
-
-His present occupation, that of an eavesdropper, was so expected and
-characteristic of Farrington, that Ralph's indignation was less than
-his contempt.
-
-"What is he after here?" reflected Ralph; "no good, of course. Mrs.
-Davis knows him and fears him, it seems. He is going."
-
-Before Ralph could make up his mind to any definite course of action,
-Farrington, after a meditative pause, slunk from under the window.
-Then he disappeared briskly around the corner of the house.
-
-Ralph ran softly after him and peered around the end of the structure.
-He saw Farrington headed for town, across lots to the nearest highway.
-
-Ralph came back to the old summer house to find Van gone. He looked
-for him, even tried a whistle signal both understood, but obtained no
-response.
-
-"It's all a queer affair," mused Ralph. "Mrs. Davis seems to be a
-great center of interest just at present. Perhaps she has told mother
-something that explains matters."
-
-Ralph was doomed to disappointment in this hope. When he knocked at
-the door of the Davis home, his mother answered the summons.
-
-"Mrs. Davis is resting nicely," she whispered. "It would only excite
-her to see you to-night. Just wait outside, and I will slip away and
-join you in a few minutes."
-
-Mrs. Fairbanks was soon on the way homeward with Ralph. She explained
-that Mrs. Davis was quite unwell and nervous. She had stayed with her
-and nursed her, and left her comfortable for the night.
-
-"She gave me the ten dollars for you, Ralph," said Mrs. Fairbanks, "but
-she said very little about the bonds. I have an idea that she knows
-something about them, and I think she has been writing to Gasper
-Farrington. The last thing she said as I left her, was for both of us
-to come to see her to-morrow night. She said she would get something
-in the meantime she had placed with a friend to show us, in which we
-would both be interested."
-
-Ralph said nothing to his mother about meeting Van, nor did he mention
-Farrington's visit to the Davis home. He did not wish to worry his
-mother, and he hoped that another twenty-four hours might somewhat
-clear the situation.
-
-Of course Mrs. Fairbanks was more than pleased over her present of the
-new hat. Her son's recital of the tiger episode frightened and
-thrilled her by turns.
-
-Ralph did a good deal of thinking after getting to bed. He wondered if
-Mrs. Davis was up to any double-dealing. Perhaps she knew something of
-importance about the bonds. She might have come to Stanley Junction to
-sell her secret to Farrington. Possibly later she became undecided as
-to her course, her accidental meeting with Ralph moving her to favor
-him in the matter.
-
-Ralph guessed that no one but Farwell Gibson could have sent Van to
-Stanley Junction. Gibson had been mixed up in the matter of his
-father's railroad bonds, years back. Was there some kind of a
-three-cornered complication, in which Farrington, Gibson, and Mrs.
-Davis each had a share, and all three playing at cross-purposes?
-
-At ten o'clock that night the local newspaper left the press, weighted
-with the biggest sensation of the year, but Ralph did not know it.
-
-He was made aware of it next morning, however, as he left the house.
-Ned Talcott, an old school chum, came running up to him fluttering a
-freshly-printed sheet.
-
-"Did you see it? Did you really do all that?" he demanded, in
-breathless excitement.
-
-"See what--do what?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"Well, just run your eagle eye over these two front columns!" chuckled
-Ralph's ardent admirer.
-
-"Oh, dear!" said Ralph, in faint stupefaction.
-
-The ambitious newspaper reporter had dished up a wonderfully graphic
-and interesting story. He did not seem to have missed a point in the
-episode of the escaped circus tiger.
-
-He had got every fact about the special, every detail of Ralph's
-encounter with Calcutta Tom, the sensational climb of the telegraph
-pole, the swing of the lever just in time. He even touched on the
-accident to Young Slavin, Ralph's benevolence to that enemy, and his
-generous division of the reward with the Stiggses.
-
-"Whew!" gasped Ralph, concluding the article with a whirling head.
-"Why, if I wasn't mad at all the bosh he has put into this screed, I
-could laugh--it is simply ridiculous!"
-
-All the same, the reporter had written a very entertaining article. It
-was the "fancy touches" that seemed preposterous to Ralph, who had gone
-through the episode practically.
-
-All through the story the writer held the tension high as to suspense
-and impending peril. He made the reader fairly see the glaring
-eyeballs of the defiant tiger. He almost made him hear the wild
-beatings of the heart of the desperate but intrepid young leverman.
-
-The warning shrieks of the devoted special on the verge of destruction,
-the nearing hiss and splutter of the steam jets, the thunderous thunder
-of the grinding wheels--all these were the thrilling concomitants of a
-breathless description. It ended in the crash of the tower window, the
-leap to the levers, the action that made of Ralph Fairbanks the hero of
-the hour.
-
-The grand finale was a pathetic touch. It alluded to the great
-throbbing heart of humanity always electrically responsive to such
-appeals as that involved in the anxious haste of the distressed
-railroad president to reach a beloved wife at the door of death.
-
-Three people whom Ralph knew stopped him to congratulate him before he
-reached the depot yards.
-
-A cheer greeted him as he crossed from Railroad Street to the switch
-tower. It came from a flag-shanty, where four of his firemen friends
-were standing. Two of them waved papers. Ralph laughed and nodded
-carelessly, but flushed with pleasure.
-
-"There's two men I would like to have see that article," spoke old Jack
-Knight, emphatically slapping the newspaper in his lap as Ralph came on
-duty. "One is the master mechanic. The other is that old skeesicks,
-Farrington."
-
-Ralph was embarrassed by further congratulations all through the
-morning. He had a pleasant day, however. The praises of his real
-friends were very sweet, and the sense of duty well done was a spur to
-his noblest ambitions.
-
-It was toward five o'clock that the crowning episode of the day
-occurred. Ralph was busy at the levers, Knight was at the telephone,
-as the superintendent came up the trap ladder.
-
-His manner to both these valued employees was more than usually genial.
-
-"Dropped in on my way to the roundhouse," he observed. "I received a
-wire from the president of the Great Northern about an hour ago,
-Fairbanks."
-
-"Yes, sir?" said Ralph, wondering what was coming.
-
-Shrewd Jack Knight gave a wise chuckle, and his eyes twinkled.
-
-"He mentioned you," pursued the superintendent. "He sent a long wire,
-requesting an expression of his thanks for prompt service all along the
-line. He added a paragraph that may interest you. As I take you to be
-too practical a young man to get the swelled head, or impose on an
-appreciation of duty well done, I will read the paragraph to you."
-
-The speaker drew a typewritten yellow sheet from his pocket. He
-resumed:
-
-"The president says: 'I imagine that by young Ralph Fairbanks, who has
-shown such devotion to his duty and saved the special under such
-extraordinary circumstances, the intelligence will be gladly received
-that my timely arrival at home probably saved my dear wife's life. The
-morning papers here have a full account of his remarkable adventures at
-the switch tower. I desire that you commend him warmly in my behalf,
-and it is the sense of the road directors that, while you do not
-promote him too fast, you must see that he gets what he deserves
-promptly."
-
-Ralph flushed with emotion. He could not speak.
-
-"Good!" commented blunt old Jack. "The president is a brick. You're
-another one, Mr. Superintendent, and you don't lose, let me tell you,
-by warming up a thrifty employee's heart by giving him the real stuff,
-right from the shoulder, when he deserves it."
-
-The superintendent smiled and bowed, and went on his way.
-
-"Stiff as a poker, looks as if his only thought was to catch a chance
-to fire someone," observed Knight, watching the prim, dignified
-official crossing the tracks below. "Look at him--cold as an iceberg.
-You've thawed him out, though, Fairbanks!" chuckled the veteran
-towerman. "That's so--there is something I wanted to find out."
-
-He pretended to be mightily busy poring over a little red memorandum
-book for a few minutes.
-
-"Got it," he called out finally: "Chief Train Dispatcher. One hundred
-and seventy-five dollars a month. Keep it in view, kid. You heard
-what the president said."
-
-"Nonsense!" flushed Ralph; "my highest ambition for a long time to come
-is to run a locomotive."
-
-Mrs. Fairbanks regarded her son with humid eyes as he told the story of
-the day that night.
-
-She did not try to express her emotion. She could not. Ever since
-Ralph had resolutely started at work, there had been what she greeted
-as a continual round of blessings. And Ralph shared her heartfelt
-gratefulness.
-
-Right after supper they started together to visit Mrs. Davis. Ralph
-carried a basket which contained some dainties his mother had prepared
-for the invalid.
-
-On their way Ralph told his mother of the suspicious circumstances of
-Gasper Farrington's visit to the Davis home the evening previous. He
-thought she ought now to know of it. He intimated, too, that it might
-be wise to warn Mrs. Davis.
-
-"If she would only talk out what is evidently preying on her mind,"
-observed Mrs. Fairbanks, "we could understand the situation much more
-clearly."
-
-"You know she has promised to enlighten us in a way, this evening,"
-suggested Ralph.
-
-"The house is dark," said his mother, as they neared it.
-
-"Yes, and--why, mother! the door is open."
-
-Ralph knocked loudly. There was no response.
-
-"I hope nothing is amiss," murmured Mrs. Fairbanks, in a fluttering
-tone.
-
-She groped her way down the dark hall and into the sitting room,
-stumbling over some garments lying on the floor which nearly tripped
-her up.
-
-"Mrs. Davis! Mrs. Davis!" she called, "are you here?"
-
-Again there was only silence. Mrs. Fairbanks sighed with deep suspense.
-
-"Perhaps I had better get a light," suggested Ralph.
-
-"I wish you would," said his mother.
-
-Ralph flared a match. He discovered a lamp on a mantel-shelf and
-lighted it. Mother and son glanced about the apartment searchingly.
-
-On the floor lay the heavy shawl Mrs. Fairbanks had stumbled over. A
-little table was overturned. A drapery that had festooned the entrance
-doorway from the hall was torn half loose, as if someone had grasped it
-in being dragged from the room.
-
-"That looks bad," said Ralph gravely.
-
-He took up the lamp and went all through the house. In the one upper
-chamber the contents of the bureau drawer were scattered all over the
-floor. A trunk was broken open, and its interior all in disorder.
-
-"Is she here, Ralph?" questioned his mother anxiously, as he returned
-to the sitting room.
-
-"No," answered Ralph. "Mother, there is foul play here."
-
-"Oh, Ralph!"
-
-"I am sure of it. Someone has ransacked the house, and I believe they
-have kidnapped Mrs. Davis."
-
-"But--why?" stammered the affrighted Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-"Why?" cried Ralph, greatly stirred up by tumultuous thoughts and
-suspicions that irresistibly thronged his brain. "To secure something
-that Mrs. Davis had in her keeping, I believe."
-
-"But who would do it?"
-
-"Who?" responded Ralph. "I can imagine only one person who might be
-interested."
-
-"And that is?"
-
-"Gasper Farrington."
-
-"Right!" pronounced a new voice, startlingly near. "You have hit the
-nail squarely on the head this time, Ralph Fairbanks!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI--KIDNAPPED
-======================
-
-Mother and son turned quickly towards the open doorway of the little
-sitting room.
-
-It framed a forlorn figure--a boyish form covered with mud, hatless,
-and disheveled.
-
-"Van!" cried Mrs. Fairbanks in astonishment.
-
-She had a warm corner in her heart for the refugee who had made her
-home his for so many weeks when his poor mind was distraught.
-
-Her motherly face lit up, and she extended her arms in greeting.
-
-But Van edged up to her gingerly, and kissing her cheek quickly drew
-back with the remark:
-
-"I've been homesick and hungry for a week just to see you smile and to
-hear you call me your boy, but I'm too muddy and torn up for even a
-second-class prodigal son!"
-
-"Why, Van!" cried Ralph; "how did you get in that fix?"
-
-"Run down by a team."
-
-"And you are hurt--there is a deep cut on your cheek."
-
-"Oh, that's a whip-handle clip from a very particular friend of yours,"
-responded Van carelessly. "Ike Slump."
-
-Mrs. Fairbanks shivered at the mention of that detested individual.
-Ralph was eagerly inquisitive.
-
-"And about Mrs. Davis?" he asked hurriedly.
-
-"The woman who lived here--the photograph woman?"
-
-"Yes, Van. Do you know anything about her?"
-
-"I fancy I do. She has been kidnapped."
-
-"We feared that!" murmured Mrs. Fairbanks anxiously.
-
-"Yes," nodded Van briskly, "it looks that way, and I have had a lively
-time of it. Did you tell your mother about meeting me here last night,
-Ralph?"
-
-"No, Van."
-
-"Then I will tell her now. You see, Mrs. Fairbanks, I was caught by
-Ralph peeking into this very room, last night. I explained to him how
-it was. I had an old photograph of a woman who turns out to be this
-Mrs. Davis. I had been instructed to locate her."
-
-"By whom, Van?" inquired the astonished Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-"It's a secret, it is not my business in a way," he burst forth
-abruptly, "but I can't keep the truth from you two. I think you ought
-to know it. I think, too, that the person for whom I am acting, the
-way things have turned out, would also wish you to know it. Here is
-the fact: Farwell Gibson is the person who got me to come here to
-locate this Mrs. Davis."
-
-"Farwell Gibson?" repeated Mrs. Fairbanks in wonderment, though Ralph
-was not surprised at the statement. He had already half guessed out
-what his chum now disclosed.
-
-"Yes," nodded Van.
-
-"Then he knows Mrs. Davis?" asked Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-"Ought to," answered Van promptly, "seeing she is his wife."
-
-"You astound me, Van!" murmured the mystified Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-"Well, she is. At least, the original of the photograph I showed Ralph
-is his wife. I don't know all the details, only it's some more of
-Farrington's fine work. You know Gibson was in his clutches for years.
-Mr. Gibson and his wife had a bitter quarrel over money matters many
-years ago. It seemed he had used some of her means in his
-stock-jobbing operations with Farrington. They separated. Later
-Farrington made Gibson believe his wife was dead. He did this to get
-Gibson to consent to sign certain papers that furthered Farrington's
-schemes. Then he got Gibson under his thumb, and drove him into exile."
-
-"I wonder the villain sleeps nights!" said the indignant Ralph.
-
-"Well, anyhow," proceeded Van, "Gibson got looking into matters, when
-his meeting with Ralph led to your having your rights, and old
-Farrington taking the clamps off Gibson by destroying the forged note
-he had held over him for so many years. Gibson learned that his wife
-was not dead. He sent me to try and locate her--which I have done."
-
-"But she is lost again," suggested Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-"Oh, don't fret about that," spoke Van coolly. "I'll find her again,
-don't you doubt it. You see, all this concerns you and Ralph very
-closely, I am sure. In fact, Mr. Gibson intimated to me that if he
-could get into communication with his estranged wife, he believed she
-could give information that would lead to the recovery of those twenty
-thousand dollars in railroad bonds."
-
-"Everything fits to one conviction," mused Ralph aloud. "All this
-being true, it is certainly to Farrington's interest to drive Mrs.
-Davis away from Stanley Junction."
-
-"They drove her away, right enough," nodded Van vigorously--"in a close
-carriage, behind a spanking team. It was old Farrington's, and the
-drivers were Ike Slump and a fellow I heard him call Mort."
-
-"Mort Bemis," murmured Ralph.
-
-"You see," said Van, "when I left you last night, I had only one idea:
-to get back to Mr. Gibson and report. I started for the depot to take
-the train for Springfield, intending to come back and see you all in a
-day or two. Well, on my way to the depot I ran across old Farrington I
-got thinking that his appearance on the scene, spying on the woman
-Gibson, was sig--sig--what's the word, anyhow?"
-
-"Significant," suggested Ralph.
-
-"That's it--significant. I thought I would watch him a bit. He did
-not go home. He went to an old abandoned shanty near the fair grounds.
-He met two fellows there, apparently waiting for him. They strolled up
-and down the road, talking together. As soon as I recognized Ike
-Slump, I knew deep mischief was up. I saw Farrington give them money.
-I caught the name of the other fellow--Mort. I saw old Farrington to
-bed, and lay down in one of his comfortable garden hammocks to think.
-When I woke up it was daybreak."
-
-"Why didn't you come to the house and see us?" inquired Mrs. Fairbanks
-reproachfully.
-
-"Couldn't bring my mind to disturb you, with business on hand,"
-declared Van sturdily. "I hung around, and saw old Farrington go about
-as if nothing unusual was on the string. Then about noon I went down
-to the shanty where he had met Slump & Co. No one there. They had
-moved quarters, it seemed. I nosed around generally. About four
-o'clock I ran across that Mort. He was visiting some stores. Acted as
-if it wasn't exactly safe to linger around people, for he didn't lose
-much time in buying some neckties, collars, cigars, and two new hats."
-
-"He robbed a chum day before yesterday," explained Ralph.
-
-"Oh, that was it? He looked like a thief. I suppose Slump didn't care
-to show his face at all. Well, I took up the trail of his crony. He
-started out the west turnpike. I kept safely in the rear. He beat me."
-
-"How?"
-
-"A man came along with a fast team. This fellow, Mort, begged or paid
-for a lift. They disappeared in a cloud of dust. I went back to town,
-saw your railroad detective, told him Ike Slump was on the scene, and
-he is looking for him with a warrant for stealing those brass fittings
-from the roundhouse. I thought I'd clip Slump's wings for good. It
-made one the less to watch."
-
-"Whew!" whistled Ralph slowly, "you're action when you get started,
-Van."
-
-"There is only a little more to tell," continued Van. "I went back to
-the Farrington place. Just at dusk, who should drive out but old
-Farrington himself, with his best team hitched to a close carriage.
-The fates were again against me. He got out by the rear, and he, too,
-took the west turnpike. I ran for a mile, keeping tab on a cloud of
-dust. It was no use. I sat down on a log by the roadside to rest. In
-a few minutes I keeled over double-quick, and lay flat. Farrington was
-coming back--on foot."
-
-"He had left his team somewhere?"
-
-"That's it. I waited until he was out of sight. Then I reasoned out
-that this was a very queer proceeding. I made up my mind that somehow
-he had given that team over into the keeping of his two young scallawag
-friends. I put for the country. I inquired along half a dozen
-branching country roads I took. About an hour ago I gave it up, was
-trudging back for town, when down the road came a team--Farrington's
-team. One of its drivers flashed a match to light a cigarette. Then I
-knew my people. I edged aside, but as the carriage flew by I jumped on
-the rear axle, drew myself up, and tried to look in through the rear
-little glass window. Someone was lying on the back seat. There was a
-smell like chloroform in the air. I managed to climb right up on the
-smooth, slippery top of the carriage."
-
-"What was your idea?" asked Ralph.
-
-"I hardly knew. Somehow, a quick suspicion came into my mind that the
-person inside that carriage was Mrs. Davis."
-
-"It was."
-
-"I know that now, sure enough. I crept forward. That fellow, Mort,
-happened to turn. Our faces came nearly together. I grabbed at him,
-he at me. He must be a pretty husky specimen. Before I could save
-myself, he gave me a pull and a fling. I went down between the horses."
-
-Mrs. Fairbanks shuddered, and looked solicitous and alarmed.
-
-"Ike Slump reversed the whip and struck out at me. I dropped into a
-mud-puddle. For a minute anyhow I was insensible from the blow and the
-fall. When I picked myself up the team was nowhere in sight. I came
-back to find out if they had really kidnapped Mrs. Davis, and met you."
-
-Van sat down, pretty well tired out, at the conclusion of his recital.
-Mrs. Fairbanks looked very serious, Ralph worried and excited.
-
-"Something must be done instantly," Ralph declared.
-
-"Hold on," interrupted Van coolly, "make this strictly my affair, if
-you please. From what I hear, you need all your time and ability for
-the splendid railroad service you are doing. You can't corner old
-Farrington--he's too foxy. You can't overtake Slump & Co.--they've got
-too good a start. It's a simple matter: Farrington is sending Mrs.
-Davis out of the way. That team has got to come back. The police will
-find Ike Slump. They don't dare seriously molest Mrs. Davis. I shall
-keep on the watch. In the morning I will get word somehow to Farwell
-Gibson. Then I will devote my time strictly to finding Mrs. Davis,
-and--I intend to find her."
-
-They closed up the deserted house. Then all three took their way
-homewards.
-
-"Of course you are coming with us, Van?" said Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-"Yes, ma'am," answered Van promptly. "I want to forget all about this
-worrying business for twelve hours, so as to be fresh and bright for a
-new trail in the morning. And I'm just pining for a good, thick slice
-of your home-made bread."
-
-"You shall have it, Van," smiled Mrs. Fairbanks, trying to momentarily
-put aside her troubles, "and half a mince pie, as well."
-
-"Home-made, too?" interrogated Van, in a famished way.
-
-"Only to-day."
-
-"M-m-m!" mumbled Van ravenously. "I'm homesick for one of your rare,
-square meals. Hustle, Ralph--lead the way to the royal banquet!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII--A MIDNIGHT VISITOR
-================================
-
-Ralph was a month old at switch-tower service.
-
-Looking back over thirty days, it seemed more than four weeks, so many
-varied and important incidents in his career had been crowded into that
-space of time.
-
-It was a wild, stormy night. Sleet and wind were battering the switch
-tower windows. Although there was a chill in the air, the lightning
-was vivid and the thunder roll incessant.
-
-The clock showed even midnight. Ralph for over a week had been on
-night duty solely. Doc Bortree was laid up with a fever, and Ralph and
-Jack Knight had been running the place on two shifts.
-
-Since the night of her disappearance, neither Ralph nor his anxious
-mother had learned a thing as to the fate or whereabouts of Mrs. Davis.
-
-Van had left them the following day. Upon that day, too, Gasper
-Farrington appeared, imposing and self-contained as ever, driving about
-the town with his team. It had returned, it seemed, but Ike Slump and
-Mort Bemis had not. Ralph looked for them and inquired about them at
-many sources, friendly and unfriendly. They had completely vanished.
-
-Ralph and his mother had many consultations over the situation. The
-former was for interviewing Farrington. He even suggested going to
-some lawyer or to the police with his story of the disappearance of
-Mrs. Davis.
-
-On second thoughts, however, he realized that he had very little
-tangible evidence implicating the magnate to offer. Farrington was
-wealthy, influential. To make a mistake at this juncture would be to
-only strengthen and warn the scheming magnate.
-
-So Ralph concluded to wait patiently, hoping day by day that Van would
-get some word to them.
-
-A week went by, two of them--no token from Van to show that he was
-following up the Davis affair.
-
-About the middle of the third week, however, Ralph received a brief
-note from Van. It had been mailed at Springfield.
-
-"I am laid up at Farwell Gibson's with a sprained ankle," the brief
-letter ran. "Don't worry. Will soon be on deck again. Things
-working."
-
-This was pretty vague encouragement, but Ralph was forced to be content
-with it for the time being.
-
-"There's one thing," he told his mother: "Mr. Gibson knows all that we
-know, and all that Van knows, and probably a great deal more. He is
-not the man to be idle in a matter like this. Between them, he and Van
-will probably do all that can be done in finding Mrs. Davis, and we
-shall hear from them in due time."
-
-Ralph met Gasper Farrington face to face several times. The magnate
-did not speak to him. He did, however, look very sneeringly and
-significantly at the young towerman with a kind of triumphant
-vindictiveness, Ralph fancied.
-
-Farrington was busy pushing along the work of the switch spur up to his
-factory. It had progressed rapidly, adding two new levers to the
-battery that Ralph operated.
-
-Another person Ralph was somewhat interested in crossed his path
-occasionally. This was Young Slavin. He would simply nod to Ralph,
-but the old rowdyish swing was gone. There was a strange, grave
-respect in his manner. When Ralph tried to engage him in any
-protracted conversation, however, Slavin backed off with an embarrassed
-excuse about being busy.
-
-Ralph was pretty lonesome and weary that night in the switch tower. A
-couple of night watchmen had alternately kept him company up to ten
-o'clock. Since that hour he had been completely alone.
-
-The tracks were comparatively idle. There was a west train at 12.15,
-the night out mail. The night in express train from the switch was due
-at 12.05, but was reported delayed by a washout beyond Acton. Behind
-her was the through freight.
-
-These were all the regulars Ralph had to look out for. About eleven
-o'clock two trains had come in. The limits tower had given siding
-directions on one, and a new depot terminal on the other.
-
-This led to a mix-up, nothing worse, but Ralph wondered why the
-peculiar orders had been given. At 11.30, limits dialed for "Chaser on
-the way." None came. At 11.15 the telephone called for a double
-switch on a freight special. It did not show up.
-
-"Strange!" reflected Ralph. "Old Bryson is on duty at the limits. He
-is exact as a die, and never jokes. Is the electricity playing tricks
-with the wires, or is some one at the limits spelling Bryson and having
-some fun with me? Pretty serious business to fool with, and a pretty
-bad night to indulge in jokes."
-
-Ralph swung the out rails for the 12.15. He sat down in the
-comfortable old armchair in ready reach of the telephone and plain
-sight of the dial, and spread out his lunch for a midnight nibble.
-
-He was just realizing what famous doughnuts his mother made, when the
-trap came up. Ralph had closed it to shut out the draught.
-
-A familiar head came up from the ladder. Ralph in some wonderment
-recognized Young Slavin.
-
-"Oh, it's you?" he said pleasantly. "Come in--sit down."
-
-"No, I won't stay," demurred Slavin, shaking his outer coat, which was
-dripping with wet. "I--you see, I was strolling by. Saw you up here,
-and thought I'd drop in for a minute."
-
-"I am glad. It is pretty lonesome up here, you know," said Ralph.
-
-He noticed a certain embarrassment in Slavin's manner. It was a queer
-night and a queer hour for Slavin to select for a stroll. Ralph
-wondered what really was the motive of his visit.
-
-As Slavin shook his outer coat Ralph caught a gleam of bright red
-beneath it. He was quite surprised to observe that this was a sweater,
-bearing the initials "S.A." braided across its front.
-
-"Why, Mr. Slavin," he said with an inquisitive smile, "is that a
-uniform you are wearing?"
-
-"Why, yes," admitted Slavin, turning as red in the face as the sweater
-itself--"Salvation Army, you know."
-
-"I thought so. Joined them?"
-
-Slavin fidgeted, and regarded Ralph suspiciously from the corner of one
-eye to see if he was laughing at him. Ralph preserved a reassuring
-gravity on purpose.
-
-"N-no," said Slavin. "You see, I got tired of that mob I was training
-with. They borrowed and stole all I earned."
-
-"I am glad you have left them," said Ralph.
-
-"Thought you would be, and thought I'd come and tell you," stammered
-Slavin in a floundering way. "Oh, I'm playing no goody-goody act. I
-am just holding my mouth, and watching those preacher fellows at the
-army barracks. They're all right. Wish I was. 'Live and let live,' I
-told them, when some rowdies pelted them and smashed a hole in their
-big bass drum. So, just at present I am acting as their bouncer."
-
-"Good for you!" commended Ralph heartily.
-
-"You know I can bounce all right?" said Slavin significantly. "Well, I
-must be going. So long. Oh, say--by the way, Fairbanks."
-
-It was evident to Ralph that Slavin was now about to reveal the real
-motive of his midnight call.
-
-"I wanted to ask you," proceeded Slavin, rather lamely--"has anyone
-been troubling you lately?"
-
-"Why, no," answered Ralph in quick surprise at the pointed
-inquiry--"but who, for instance?"
-
-"Mort Bemis, for one. And do you know the fellow he went off with?"
-
-"You mean Ike Slump?"
-
-"That's his name. Look out for him--for both of them. I'll do the
-rest," rather emphatically observed Slavin, doubling up his fist till
-it resembled the hammering end of a big sledge.
-
-"It seems strange, your asking me about them," remarked Ralph. "I
-would like very much to know where they are at present."
-
-"You would? I can tell you--they are right here in Stanley Junction.
-I'm laying for them. That's why I'm up so late. I know they have it
-in for you."
-
-"Why?"
-
-"Oh, on general principles of meanness. That's why I came to warn you.
-I think," continued Slavin with a dangerous gleam in his eye, "I think
-I'll get there first. Don't you worry--I'm pretty sure to head them
-off. Only keep an eye open."
-
-"Thank you," said Ralph. "So they are back in town? Are they going
-about openly?"
-
-"They came late this afternoon. A friend told me he saw them driving
-along in a cab, fixed up reckless. He said they had on the latest new
-togs, diamond pins, kid gloves, et settery, till you couldn't rest."
-
-"I should think that was rather venturesome on Slump's part," said
-Ralph.
-
-"You mean, because there's a warrant out for him on that old
-junk-stealing case?"
-
-"Yes," answered Ralph.
-
-"It's settled."
-
-"It's--what?" demanded Ralph in profound astonishment.
-
-"Settled--at least fixed up in some way."
-
-"How do you know?" inquired Ralph skeptically.
-
-"Adair, the road detective, told a crossings man, boiling hot over it.
-Said that Slump had gone to the justice, put in an appearance, and was
-bound over to next court term."
-
-"Why," said Ralph, "that looks incredible. He would have to give
-bonds."
-
-"Yes, five hundred dollars' bail. He gave it, right enough. Bondsman
-was right there. The thing had been cut and dried beforehand."
-
-"Who was his bondsman--did you learn?" asked Ralph.
-
-"Sure--it was old Gasper Farrington."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII--A DESPERATE CHANCE
-=================================
-
-"Gasper Farrington again!" cried Ralph.
-
-His thoughts ran rapidly. At a good many turns of late, it seemed, the
-miserly magnate of Stanley Junction was coming into his life.
-
-To Ralph the solution of the present problem was prompt and logical:
-Farrington probably had the unfortunate Mrs. Davis in his power. He
-had hired Mort Bemis and Ike Slump to kidnap her. Now he himself was
-at the mercy and in the clutches of his conscienceless confederates.
-
-Ralph theorized that he had paid his accomplices a goodly sum of money
-for their assistance. For a time, with plenty of ready cash in their
-possession, they had found diversion in the city. The longing to cut a
-dash at home, however, had brought them back to Stanley Junction.
-
-It looked as if Slump had set a price for his silence and secrecy
-regarding the magnate's schemes. He had probably demanded that
-Farrington go on his bail bond, and afterwards stand back of him in the
-trial with his wealth and influence.
-
-"I am very much obliged to you for what you have told me, Slavin," said
-Ralph at last. "Also for your kindly intentions toward me. If I were
-you, though, I wouldn't go getting into trouble with those two fellows."
-
-"Trouble?" cried Slavin wrathfully. "I want to get back my medals.
-Say, if those fellows who stole them have sold them where I can't get
-them, or melted them down, I'll pretty near cripple them for life. But
-you mind what I came to tell you. They hate you, and they'll try and
-trap you. So, you watch out close. As I say, I'll do the rest. I'm
-going."
-
-"Good-night, Slavin," answered Ralph, extending his hand.
-
-Slavin started at the sight of it. He flushed, looked pleased, and his
-big broad paw shot out.
-
-"You honor me," he said, "and I'm proud of it. Oh, say--'sense!
-'sense!"
-
-"Excuse what?" demanded Ralph calmly, with a twinkle in his eye.
-
-Slavin had unconsciously given Ralph the crushing hand-shake that used
-to lay up unsuspicious new acquaintances for a week. To his surprise
-the grip was returned with equal force. Ralph did not even wince.
-
-"You're a good one," pronounced Slavin, in genuine admiration. "I
-thought I'd hurt you."
-
-"Pulling those levers is a great muscle-builder," explained Ralph.
-
-"Looks so, in your case," admitted Slavin. "Say," he added, in a kind
-of longing sigh, his eyes sparkling as they ran the grim battery of
-switch pullers--"there's my ambition in life."
-
-"What's that, Slavin--tower duty?"
-
-"Oh, anything in the railroad line, from pulling up piles to driving
-spikes," declared Slavin, swinging his big arms about restlessly.
-"There's no bad in me. I'd love to work. Only, you see, I was born
-strong, and something has kept me pushing my muscle to the fore. It
-led to encouraging me to be a bruiser. I tell you, if I had a job like
-this, where I could work off the extra steam, I'd just make a record."
-
-"Then--why not?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"You mean, why not get the job?" exclaimed Slavin in an eager breath.
-
-"Exactly."
-
-"Would they have me?"
-
-"Again, why not?" said Ralph--"if you are in earnest."
-
-"Oh, am I!"
-
-"I'll speak to Mr. Knight. I will do more. I will ask the depot
-master to take your application, Slavin," said Ralph earnestly, laying
-a gentle hand on the big fellow's shoulder, "you have shown yourself a
-man to-night. Keep it up, and"--Ralph smiled significantly as he
-quoted Slavin's own recent words--"I'll do the rest."
-
-Slavin dashed an impetuous hand across his eyes. They had filled with
-a suspicious moisture. He evidently could not trust himself to speak
-further, for as he started down the trap ladder he only waved Ralph a
-clumsy, silent adieu.
-
-The episode of Young Slavin's visit had been a pleasant diversion to
-the monotony of the hour Ralph pulled the out switch for the 12.15
-mail. Then he sat down again and finished his lunch.
-
-The storm raged on with unabated fury. There was nothing to do now
-until morning except to watch out for the night express and the regular
-freight.
-
-The express, Ralph knew, was stalled by a wash-out beyond Acton.
-Naturally the freight, blocked behind it, could not get through until
-the road was cleared. Ralph walked up and down the tower for exercise.
-Suddenly he threw up a window.
-
-Some moving lanterns over on the repair trade attracted his attention.
-Their flare and that of the lightning showed him three men getting a
-handcar in to service. One of them ran up to the tower and made a
-trumpet of his hands.
-
-"Give us the out track," he called.
-
-"All right," answered Ralph
-
-"Train ditched--wrecking crew ordered out."
-
-"Yes, I know--the wash-out at Acton," said Ralph--"the in express."
-
-"No, the outmail--just beyond the limits."
-
-"What!" cried Ralph in a startled tone.
-
-He kept at the levers until he saw the handcar speed safely down the
-main rails. Then he ran to the telephone and called up the limits
-tower.
-
-There was no action, and no response.
-
-"That's bad," murmured Ralph--"fuse burned out. The lightning has put
-the 'phone out of commission. I wish I understood things straight.
-Two trains delayed by the wash-out. The mail ditched. Bad shape all
-around, this, for such a night."
-
-Ralph wished he could run up to the dispatcher's office and get more
-information at the depot. This he dared not do, however. He paced up
-and down restlessly, wondering how serious the mishap to the mail might
-be.
-
-It was precisely one o'clock when the dial hand moved with a kind of an
-electric tang. It circled and then shot back, as if directed by an
-erratic hand.
-
-Ralph watched it intently. That dial disc was his only present
-reliable communication with the outside railroad world. The pointer
-vibrated, then halted.
-
-"Through freight, track 7," it directed.
-
-"Why," exclaimed Ralph, "that can't be! The through freight is stalled
-at Acton behind the express, and--why, she's coming now!"
-
-He could hardly believe his eyes. Usually a minute and a half elapsed
-before a train announced at the limits showed coming around the curve.
-
-Now, boring the water-laden air with a quiver that showed full speed, a
-great laboring headlight glared along the in tracks.
-
-Had Ralph caught her sooner, he could have switched onto any one of the
-half a dozen tracks which were empty. She was now past all the main
-switches, however, except the in passenger track 7 and inside 6.
-
-"It is No. 3, the through freight, sure enough," said Ralph,
-recognizing the approaching train with the intuitive sense of
-experience. The headlight, the sway of the ponderous locomotive, the
-very sound of the long train, vague as it was, told a sure story to his
-practiced eye and ear.
-
-"She must have got around the wash-out and ahead of the express," said
-Ralph. "Why, there's some mistake at the limits. She should have been
-given the long freight siding, and she has passed it, and--track 7.
-It's in use!"
-
-Ralph, darting to the levers, uttered these words in a great hollow
-shout.
-
-Lever 7, operating the switches of that set of rails, had a card hung
-to its handle. These cards were always used nights as a guide to the
-levermen, where any special, extra, or transient cars, passenger or
-freight, were stationary.
-
-The sight of the card recalled a startling fact to Ralph: at the depot
-end of track 7 lay the occupied tourist car of an Uncle Tom's Cabin
-theatrical troupe which was then visiting Stanley Junction.
-
-"Something wrong at limits--everything wrong here!" panted Ralph, his
-heart suddenly beating like a trip-hammer. "What shall I do?"
-
-He shot a glance at the nearing headlight. Relying on limits signals,
-evidently expecting the long freight siding, in the darkness and storm
-taking no note of outside switches, and behind time, those in charge of
-the through freight had nearly full speed set.
-
-Ralph felt the blood leave his face. Through his mind in rapid
-sequence ran the plat of switches at the depot yards.
-
-"No. 6, or destruction!" he gasped. "I've got to make the choice.
-It's the only track open. Open--no!" he added, with a new thrill of
-apprehension, "but--there's no other way."
-
-He pulled the lever that would send the through freight down track 6.
-Then a wild tumult seized him. He darted for the trap. He almost fell
-the length of the iron-runged ladder. Then Ralph sprang through the
-doorway and tore across the tracks.
-
-Track 6 was not empty. At its bumpered end were three old empty
-freights. Ralph, however, counted their destruction as of little
-consequence as compared with a crash on track 7 into the theatre car,
-holding perhaps a dozen sleeping inmates. He had made an independent
-choice. He had saved them. Now, if possible, to save the freight
-train from a collision!
-
-As he passed the switch he tore from a pivot the signal lantern resting
-there. Carrying it in his arms, he dashed forward diagonally to meet
-the rushing freight. Extending its red slide, he waved frantically up
-and down and across, yelling at the top of his voice.
-
-The locomotive of the through freight whizzed by him. In the blur of
-rain and radiance Ralph fancied a grizzled head was poked out through
-the cab window. At all events he caught the quick, harsh whistle of
-the air brakes. A jolt shook the long freights. His signal had been
-observed.
-
-Following the locomotive with his eye, Ralph saw, three hundred yards
-further on, a figure suddenly cleave the air. The engineer had put on
-full stop brakes and had jumped.
-
-The train was slowing up. Would she stop in time? Car after car
-whirled by. Then crash! Far ahead, the last car past him, Ralph
-caught the ominous sound, and shivered and gasped.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIX--THE DOUBLE WRECK
-=============================
-
-Ralph Fairbanks had disobeyed orders.
-
-That was the first overwhelming thought that rushed through the young
-leverman's mind. He stood in the midst of the storm, still clasping
-the red switch light.
-
-The echo of that ominous crash was in his ears. Louder and fiercer, it
-seemed, thumping away at his heart with a dull, depressing force, was
-the realization that he had violated the stringent instructions of his
-superior, Jack Knight: "Never disobey orders!"
-
-Something had been wrong at the limits tower--hence, two wrecks within
-sixty minutes. But that was not Ralph's business. Limits had ordered
-track 7. He had sent the through freight down track 6. No matter what
-humane sense had prompted his choice, the railroad régime was strictly
-inviolable. There had been a wreck, how bad he did not yet know, and
-he was responsible for it.
-
-The freight had come to a stop. Lanterns now began to flit in its
-vicinity. Above the raging tumult of the storm, vague shouts reached
-Ralph's ear.
-
-A brakeman, carrying a lantern, came rushing towards him.
-
-"What has happened?" asked Ralph faintly.
-
-"Towerman?" queried the brakeman sharply, flashing the lantern in
-Ralph's face. "Only a shake-up at my end. What's ahead, I don't know.
-Nothing coming behind?"
-
-"No--get me word how bad the smash-up is, will you?" and, recalled to
-his duty by the brakeman's appearance, Ralph hurried back to the tower.
-
-He closed the switch on track 6. Then, somewhat faint and badly
-worried, he sank into the armchair. Nothing was due on regular
-schedule. The express was reported stalled. Still, so many strange
-mix-ups had occurred during the night, that Ralph watched the dial, on
-the keen edge of suspense and distraction.
-
-"Hello!" he cried finally, and started to his feet in wonder.
-
-The dial disc transfixed his glance. It had begun to work. Within
-thirty seconds it indicated as many varied orders. It scheduled
-freights, passengers, "chasers." It called for one switch after
-another.
-
-In stupefaction Ralph watched the brass index finger flit, whirl, and
-tremble. Then it circled round and round several times, vibrated at
-"blank," and rested there.
-
-"Why!" gasped the stupefied Ralph, "am I crazy, or is someone else at
-the other end of the line?"
-
-Voices below made Ralph start, listen, and watch. A grimed face came
-up through the trap. Ralph recognized the fireman of the through
-freight.
-
-"Quick!" he spoke--"how bad?"
-
-"Three empty freights kindling wood, front of the engine stove in,"
-reported the fireman.
-
-"No one hurt?"
-
-"Not a soul."
-
-"Thank Heaven!" murmured Ralph presently.
-
-"I jumped, after the shutting down of the air brakes," went on the
-fireman. "So did Foster. But say, kid, why in the world didn't you
-give us the long siding?"
-
-"Orders from limits for 7," explained Ralph. "It was a desperate
-chance. I took it, and gave you 6, for 7 was in use with a sleeper.
-Are you going to the depot? Please tell the dispatcher our 'phone is
-burned out, something wrong at limits, and to send to me for a report
-right away."
-
-"There's a mix-up all along the line, the way things look," observed
-the fireman, disappearing.
-
-Ralph took up a position at an open window. He watched the lanterns
-bobbing along the tracks and at the depot.
-
-He was unnerved and in a direful condition of suspense. Only the glad
-thought that no loss of life attended the collision sustained him.
-
-The train dispatcher's assistant put in an appearance in about twenty
-minutes. He looked flustered as he told Ralph that they had two wrecks
-on their hands.
-
-Ralph made his report clearly, concisely. His visitor looked
-astonished as he learned of the amazing gyrations of the signal dial.
-
-"You're a brick, just the same, Fairbanks!" said the man, as Ralph
-concluded his report. "If the freight had got track 7, there would
-have been a fine slaughter for the railroad company to pay for."
-
-"I disobeyed orders," observed Ralph in a depressed tone.
-
-"Whose orders?"
-
-"Limits."
-
-"Limits seems to have made a fine mess of it all along the line, and we
-are going to find out why, very promptly."
-
-"I wish you would send a messenger for Mr. Knight," said Ralph. "I
-think he ought to be here to straighten things out."
-
-"We have done that already."
-
-"Look--see!" cried Ralph suddenly.
-
-The dial began its strange manifestations again. The man from the
-dispatcher's office started, gulped, and with a mutter of astonishment
-and concern ran down the trap ladder.
-
-The depot yards became a scene of activity as the minutes wore on.
-
-The seriousness of the occasion, with three trains out of service,
-called for immediate attention. Handcars were flitting hither and
-thither. Ralph was kept busy sending them on their way.
-
-The master mechanic, depot master, and Jack Knight made up one handcar
-load. Two engines with tackle and relief cars came down from the
-roundhouse, lining up at the side of the through freight.
-
-Ralph was fully watchful and employed for the next hour. Then he
-became dreadfully anxious. A handcar bolted right under the windows of
-the switch tower. The master mechanic and Jack Knight got off, and
-came up the ladder a minute later.
-
-Ralph stood holding to the armchair, a picture of suspense. The master
-mechanic looked grave and bothered. On the contrary, bluff and hearty
-as ever, Knight came forward. He grasped Ralph by both shoulders,
-swinging him backwards and forwards in a playful, encouraging way.
-
-"Shake, old fellow!" he sang out, slipping one hand down one arm and
-gripping Ralph's fingers heartily.
-
-"Why?" asked Ralph with a half-smile. "Good-bye? I suppose that is
-the programme for me," he added, with an anxious look at the master
-mechanic.
-
-"What's that?" demanded old Jack keenly. "Oh, on account of the
-through freight? Humph! If the Great Northern don't appreciate the
-wise, wide-awake common sense that saw the difference between three old
-box cars and eleven precious human lives, I'll take my walking papers
-instanter. Is that right, Mr. Blake?" challenged Knight.
-
-"Yes," nodded the master mechanic, "your sentiment is right, Mr.
-Knight. I have nothing but praise for the good judgment young
-Fairbanks has shown."
-
-"But I disobeyed orders," suggested Ralph in an uncertain tone.
-
-"Orders?" sniffed Knight--"yes, luckily! A crazy man's order."
-
-"Why, what do you mean?" inquired Ralph in perplexity.
-
-"What I say. For three hours the limits tower has been in charge of a
-stark, raving lunatic--the Great Northern railroad system the plaything
-of a madman. Never has this company been so near wreck and ruin. And
-you, Fairbanks," added the veteran towerman, with a tender, fatherly
-touch on the arm of his young protégé--"you saved your end of the line!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XX--THE CRAZY ORDERS
-============================
-
-All Stanley Junction was agog with the story of the "crazy" train
-orders the day after the storm.
-
-It was one of the most remarkable occurrences of risk and danger ever
-known in the history of the Great Northern.
-
-Expert railroad men looked grave, as the facts came out. Citizens
-generally shuddered, as they realized how nearly the caprice of a mad
-leverman had come to causing wide-spread death and disaster.
-
-Ralph Fairbanks himself was thrilled and amazed, as he learned from
-Jack Knight's lips the facts of the case.
-
-From ten o'clock the evening the storm until nearly two o'clock the
-ensuing morning, a madman had controlled the Great Northern train
-system at Stanley Junction, out and in.
-
-For over three hours, therefore, Ralph, at the depot switch tower, had
-been the plaything of a crazed, delirious human being, who, by force
-and cunning, had usurped the place of trusty, experienced old Joe
-Bryson.
-
-This was the way it had all come about:
-
-When the master mechanic and Jack Knight reached the limits tower after
-the report of the double wreck, they had found it in total darkness.
-
-The ladder trap was bolted. They had to break the trap open. Entering
-the tower room and securing a light, they discovered a strange and
-startling condition of affairs.
-
-Lying on the floor in a heavy, leaden sleep, was Bryson. Crouching in
-a corner, with lurid eyes, physical strength exhausted, but raving in
-wild delirium, was Doc Bortree.
-
-The telephone receiver was smashed, and the transmitter lay torn loose,
-wires and all, on the floor. Other parts of the tower equipment were
-in rare disorder. The west levers were set in all kinds of erratic and
-impracticable shapes.
-
-It took the two railroad men fully half an hour to restore order from
-the chaos in the tower and along the tracks. It took them double that
-time to arouse Bryson, and to get Bortree into a state of partial
-coherency. They sent messengers to Bortree's home. They listened to
-Bryson's confused story. Then, putting this and that together, they
-finally got the truth of affairs. Doc Bortree, as Ralph knew, had been
-confined to his bed with a high fever for nearly a week. That was why,
-compelled to share two long shifts with Knight alone, Ralph happened to
-be on all-night duty at the present time.
-
-It seemed that early in the evening, Bortree's sister had left her
-brother sleeping quietly. He appeared to be on the mend.
-
-About ten o'clock the sick leverman must have had a relapse into
-delirium. Railroad service was his daily routine. His brain, running
-in that line, had suggested to him a whimsical and irrational course.
-This he had carried out with all the cunning of a real madman.
-
-He had taken a bottle of cordial and had poured into it a sleeping
-potion. He had got into his clothes, left the room by opening a
-window, and, breasting the violent tempest, had made for and reached
-the limits tower.
-
-Joe Bryson afterwards, in telling his story, said that the bedraggled
-appearance of Bortree was startling enough. His actions were quite
-lucid, however. All he noticed peculiar about his talk was the
-persistency and strange delight with which Bortree alluded to an order
-he expected to receive from the superintendent to take charge of the
-entire train dispatching service the next day.
-
-When Bortree produced the bottle and told that it was a mild, pleasant
-wine the doctor had prescribed for him, Bryson indulged in a
-glass--"for companionship's sake." Then he remembered nothing further
-until awakened by the master mechanic and Jack Knight.
-
-As soon as Bortree had disposed of his companion, he began his mad,
-riotous work.
-
-All kinds of exaggerated ideas must have filled his mind. The reader
-has already seen how his crazy orders operated. His own work at the
-limits had ditched the midnight mail. His instructions to Ralph had
-sent the through freight crashing into the three freight empties at
-terminus.
-
-Finally, exhausted after his mad work at the levers, Bortree had
-commenced a work of general destruction. When through, he had
-extinguished the lights and lapsed into a weak delirium in which the
-two railroad men had finally found him.
-
-"There should always be a team at the limits tower," was Knight's
-ultimate comment on the affair.
-
-"Yes," the master mechanic assented--"sickness, enmity, a burned-out
-wire, a dozen things might come up where one man would be helpless. If
-it is only a messenger, we must not again leave these important points
-at the mercy of chance and accident."
-
-Ralph made a note of this suggestion. He determined when the right
-moment came to speak a good word for Young Slavin.
-
-He had never been more tired and sleepy than when he reached home that
-morning.
-
-Ralph ate a hurried breakfast. He explained only casually the
-happenings of the night to his mother. Getting to bed promptly, he put
-in ten hours of the solidest sleep that he had ever enjoyed.
-
-He found his mother quite nervous and worried when he reported for his
-late afternoon dinner. Mrs. Fairbanks had learned from a neighbor of
-the startling occurrences of the previous night.
-
-"I am all unstrung over this railroad business, Ralph," she said. "I
-would feel easier in my mind if you could transfer to some branch of
-the service where you were not constantly meeting these terrible
-dangers."
-
-"What! my own dear mother going back on me in the midst of my
-ambitions!" cried Ralph in a tone of playful raillery. "Oh, surely,
-never! I hope you wouldn't advise me to follow old Farrington's grand
-suggestion--for his own benefit; get a clerical position at the general
-offices at Springfield, and--as he puts it--'be a gentleman.'"
-
-"No, Ralph, I should not like to have you leave Stanley Junction, where
-you have made such a good record," responded Mrs. Fairbanks, "but think
-of the fearful responsibilities of your position."
-
-"I do," answered Ralph gravely, "and that is why I am going to stick.
-Mother, someone has to face these serious issues. Perhaps my clear
-head, and willing hands, and genuine love for the business, fit me to
-be just the person to fill the gap when these unavoidable troubles come
-along. Besides, if someone does not go through the apprenticeship,
-where will the service be when Jack Knight and the other old hands have
-retired? I want to be, as I expect to be, a thorough railroad man,"
-pursued Ralph with resolution, "and first-class, or nothing. In order
-to do so, I must know every step of the service, from roundhouse to
-train dispatcher's desk. I have started up the ladder. I can't afford
-to slip one rung. If I get jolted, I intend to hang on all the closer."
-
-The widow was silent. Her son's earnest determination consoled her,
-somehow. Yes, she reflected, Ralph had braved perils and had saved the
-lives of others, where one less brave and self-reliant might have
-failed. So far he had proven himself "the right man in the right
-place." Secretly she murmured a fervent prayer for his safety and
-guidance, and tried to be content until he should reach smoother and
-less risky paths of service.
-
-Ralph received an official assurance from the superintendent through
-loyal old Jack Knight that afternoon, that his action in dealing with
-the crazy orders had won the highest commendation of the railroad
-company.
-
-The following day he spoke about Young Slavin to Knight. The next day
-the latter informed him that on the first of the month the master
-mechanic had agreed to pass on the application which Slavin was to file
-in the meantime. Nothing unforseen happening, it looked as if the
-sturdy young pugilist would speedily have a chance to exercise his
-muscle in some department of the Great Northern service.
-
-Pleasant routine succeeded for some days for Ralph to the exciting
-episodes of the week previous. Some changes were made on the limits
-tower, and the day man there transferred to the depot yards.
-
-Ralph was back on the shift he preferred; four hours in the morning,
-and four hours in the afternoon.
-
-He had not heard again from Van. As to Mort Bemis and Ike Slump, they
-had flashed into town, thrown away a lot of money along lower Railroad
-Street, and had again disappeared.
-
-Ralph met Slavin one day. The latter was delighted over the prospect
-of soon getting at work for the railroad company. His face scowled,
-however, as Ralph asked if he had seen or heard anything concerning Ike
-and Mort.
-
-"Why, yes," answered Slavin, "I heard they were cutting a dash up at
-the racetrack at Springfield. Plenty of money, and bragging that they
-owned a rich old magnate here at Stanley Junction. I'd go gunning for
-them, if I wasn't waiting to hear from my railroad job."
-
-"Oh, leave them alone--why bother your head about them?" suggested
-Ralph.
-
-"No, Fairbanks," dissented Slavin stubbornly. "I want those medals, or
-I want their hides. I'm not a good enough Salvationer just yet to
-forgive those villains. I can't wipe them off the slate till I've had
-one last round with them."
-
-Gasper Farrington had completed the switch spur to the factory. Ralph
-learned that he had invited a heavy damage suit by crossing the lot of
-a poor old invalid widow, who occupied a house next to that where Mrs.
-Davis had formerly lived.
-
-He heard a good many comments on this last act of the selfish,
-tyrannical magnate. There was some current criticism, too, as to his
-going on the bonds of the idle scapegrace, Ike Slump. Farrington
-pretended that he had bailed out Ike because his father was an old
-acquaintance. Ralph knew better, but held his peace. He had faith
-that the real truth would come out, sooner or later.
-
-With entire confidence in Van Sherwin, he believed that he would soon
-receive some word from that good friend to show he had been quietly
-working in the dark all this time.
-
-About five o'clock one afternoon a barefooted urchin Ralph did not know
-by name came up the switch tower ladder. Ralph was alone, but expected
-Knight to relieve him at five o'clock.
-
-"Say," projected the frowsy-headed lad, staring curiously around the
-place, "you Mr. Fairbanks?"
-
-"That's right, my little man," answered Ralph.
-
-"Say, you know Mr. Stiggs?"
-
-"Slightly," nodded Ralph, with a smile.
-
-"Well, he sent me here. He said to fetch a message to you."
-
-Ralph recalled the fact now that Mr. Stiggs had not shown up about the
-yards for the past two days. This was an unusual thing for the old
-railroad pensioner.
-
-"Is Mr. Stiggs sick?" he inquired with interest.
-
-"Dunno," answered the youngster. "It was his wife I talked with. She
-said Mr. Stiggs would like to have you call about seven o'clock, if
-convenient. He wants to see you."
-
-"Very well," said Ralph. "Are you to see her again?"
-
-"Why, I can."
-
-"Then tell her I will drop around at seven o'clock this evening."
-
-The urchin lingered. He was a shrewd-faced little fellow.
-
-"Say," he again projected, "Mrs. Stiggs didn't have any change."
-
-"Didn't have--oh, I see!" laughed Ralph. "All right, son--there's a
-nickel."
-
-Ralph thought little of this incident for the remainder of the
-afternoon. He fancied that Stiggs might be indisposed, and had some
-mission for him to execute.
-
-He went home, ate his supper, and strolled slowly in the direction of
-the Stiggs home about dusk.
-
-There was a light in the rear room, and the front door was open. Ralph
-knocked.
-
-"Come in," sounded a vague direction from the little front parlor.
-
-Ralph stepped into the hall and crossed the threshold of the parlor.
-He made out a figure dimly, standing by a chair.
-
-"That you, Mr. Stiggs?" he observed. "Pretty dark here. Hold on--what
-is this?"
-
-Ralph started back. The figure behind him had made a jump and had
-seized either arm of the youth by the wrist.
-
-At the same moment a second person sprang from the shadows behind
-Ralph. A rope encircled the young leverman's body, and Ralph Fairbanks
-was a prisoner.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXI--IKE SLUMPS "NUTCRACKER"
-====================================
-
-Ralph was taken completely off his guard. He struggled violently, but
-his assailants had the advantage.
-
-One of them pinioned his arms. The other tied the rope about them. A
-second rope was whipped about his ankles, and secured.
-
-"Push him down," spoke a quick voice.
-
-They half-lifted, half-dropped their prisoner. Ralph was thrust down
-into an old easy-chair.
-
-"Now then, shut the door and fetch the lamp," was the next order.
-
-Ralph was too astonished to say anything for a minute or two. One of
-his captors flitted from the room. The front door slammed shut. Then
-the fellow ran to the kitchen and brought in a lamp and placed it on a
-table.
-
-"Well," he said with a great chuckling guffaw, "how's Mr. Ralph
-Fairbanks?"
-
-"Slump--Ike Slump, eh?" spoke Ralph calmly, but following a start of
-some surprise.
-
-"Don't miss me, Ralphy," suggested Slump's companion in a tone of
-sneering mockery.
-
-"And Mort Bemis?" added Ralph coolly. "Good-evening, gentlemen--what
-can I do for you?"
-
-"Nervy!" sneered Slump--"but it won't last. It's what we're going to
-do that will interest you, Ralph Fairbanks."
-
-Ralph looked over the enemy with a steadfast glance. They were
-certainly "dressed to kill." He noticed that their clothing was of the
-most expensive grade. For all that, it was disordered and ill-fitting.
-
-They looked as they had not slept regularly for a week, and when they
-did, seemed to have made any old place their resting-spot. Their faces
-bore marks of dissipation.
-
-Their whole bearing indicated that the money they had recently come
-into had helped them down the road of idleness and crime.
-
-"We've come back to the Junction specially to see you," observed Bemis,
-sinking upon a sofa opposite their helpless prisoner.
-
-"Yes, unfinished business, ha! ha!" jeered Ike Slump, looking mightily
-bad and vicious as he proceeded to light a cigarette. "We owe you one,
-as you'll perhaps remember. You put the police onto me."
-
-Ralph had not done this. As the reader knows, it was the act of Van
-Sherwin. Ralph, however, did not care to enlighten his captors as to
-the real facts of the case.
-
-"And you stole my job from me," added Mort Bemis savagely. "You've put
-Young Slavin up to queer us, too."
-
-"So," resumed Slump, "seeing we did one good job for a certain liberal
-gentleman in Stanley Junction, we'll try and please him in another. At
-the same time, we get good and even with you for ourselves."
-
-"I can easily guess you might please Gasper Farrington with anything
-that means harm to me, if that is what you are getting at," observed
-Ralph pointedly.
-
-"Who mentioned Farrington?" demanded Slump.
-
-"He went on your bond. It is pretty easy to guess you are in cahoots
-with him in some way," bluntly retorted Ralph.
-
-Mort Bemis got up from his seat and strode up and down the room.
-Through a long tirade of his fancied wrongs, he worked himself up into
-a seething fury, real or pretended. Ralph's cool unconcern nettled
-him. Once or twice he referred to the saving of the limited, and to
-other acts that had made Ralph popular and his friends proud of him.
-
-"You robbed me of my chance," he snarled. "If I'd have been on deck,
-your luck would have fallen to me. I'm out for revenge. I'm going to
-pay you off."
-
-"With bluff and blow?" demanded Ralph sarcastically.
-
-Bemis leaned over and slapped Ralph's face.
-
-"Don't you sass me!" he gritted out. "It won't be healthy for you."
-
-"You're a mean coward!" said Ralph. "Give me a free show, and we'll
-see who is the better man."
-
-"I'll show you something!" snapped Bemis venomously. "Do you know what
-we are going to do with you? I'm going to fix you, Ralph Fairbanks, so
-you will never crow over me--you'll never pull another lever."
-
-"Jaw less--get into action," directed Ike Slump tartly.
-
-"Where's the fixtures?"
-
-"Here they are."
-
-Ike reached over to a chair and picked up something that jangled.
-Ralph regarded the trap-like apparatus disclosed with some interest.
-
-Bemis took it from the hand of his associate.
-
-"Do you know what this is?" he inquired of Ralph.
-
-"I don't."
-
-"It's a nutcracker, see?"
-
-Ike grinned as if that was a big joke.
-
-"You're the funniest fellow in the world, Mort!" he chuckled gleesomely.
-
-The instrument Bemis displayed somewhat resembled a nutcracker. It
-opened and was operated by hand pressure. It had fine grooves. These
-tallied to the fingers on a human hand.
-
-"They used that on the scabs, the time of the big railroad strike,"
-exclaimed Bemis grimly. "The strikers did."
-
-Ralph started. He recognized the "nutcracker" now. It was one of the
-brutal instruments of torture that had been used to terrify and cripple
-the men who had taken the places of the strikers, during the labor
-troubles on the Great Northern about a year back.
-
-"We put your hand in these grooves," proceeded Bemis. "Crack! Your
-knuckles are gone. See? The man who can pull a lever ever afterwards
-is a dandy. See?"
-
-"I see," nodded Ralph, his lips set firmly, though his heart misgave
-him. "Do you mean, Mort Bemis, brute, coward, and traitor, to the
-honest workingman's cause, that you intend to maim me for life to
-satisfy a low, paltry spirit of revenge?"
-
-"Mr. Ralph Fairbanks," declared Bemis coolly, "I--mean--just--that."
-
-"Have you considered what this job is likely to cost you?" inquired
-Ralph.
-
-"It didn't cost the strikers anything," jeered Ike.
-
-"I am not mixed up in any strike," observed Ralph. "I warn you I have
-good friends, and any such fiendish act as that you contemplate will
-send them on your track to the ends of the earth."
-
-"That'll do," growled Bemis. "Grab his hand--the right one, Ike."
-
-"Got it--he's easy to handle," said Slump.
-
-The young towerman was indeed easy to handle, for the reason that his
-arms were securely surrounded by the ropes, both above and below the
-elbows.
-
-Ike seized the wrist of Ralph's right hand and Bemis advanced with the
-"nutcracker."
-
-A cold shiver ran over Ralph as his fingers were encased in the grooves
-of the iron hand.
-
-He remembered having once seen a victim of the strike, a poor fellow
-who had gone around with the knuckles of one hand twisted so out of
-shape that he would never be able to straighten out his fingers again.
-
-Ralph could not resist. If he shouted for help, he knew that he would
-be brutally silenced. He thought of his mother, of the bright
-ambitions about to be wrecked by two worthless, cruel enemies.
-
-Then Ralph closed his eyes. He set his lips firmly, and silently
-prayed that his wicked inquisitors would not dare carry out fully their
-announced programme.
-
-"I'm ready," sounded Bemis' heartless tones.
-
-"So am I," chorused Ike. "You'll wish you'd minded your own business
-and let us alone, Ralph Fairbanks."
-
-Bemis began to put the pressure on the vile instrument of torture.
-Ralph's breath came quick. He felt his fingers compress.
-
-Chug!
-
-Ralph strained his hearing at the new sound. He opened his eyes with a
-thrill.
-
-The pressure on his hand was relaxed. The "nutcracker," released by
-Bemis with strange suddenness, dangled at Ralph's finger tips for an
-instant. Then it dropped harmless to the carpet with a dull clang.
-
-Ralph saw something cleave the air directly in front of him. It was a
-human fist. It met the broad, astonished face of Mort Bemis squarely.
-
-That shuddering, sickening sound echoed out. It reminded Ralph of the
-noise made by a boy playing with a big lump of clay, and spatting it
-violently against a wooden fence.
-
-He saw Bemis fall back with a roar of awful pain. In that fleeting
-glimpse, it looked to Ralph as if Mort's face had been flattened out
-from ear to ear. His nose seemed to have disappeared In its place was
-a vague red blotch of color.
-
-Bemis fell flat backwards, his head striking a chair and smashing off
-its arm.
-
-"You next!" shouted a terrible voice.
-
-Ike Slump had already dropped Ralph's hand. With a sharp cry of alarm
-he tried to dodge back.
-
-Again that great fist swung forward. Ralph turned pale, and he felt
-his flesh creep.
-
-As he looked, he saw Ike Slump reeling. There was a ghostly grin on
-his face. His whole lower row of teeth was gone.
-
-"I said I'd do it," spoke Ralph's rescuer and the assailant of his
-enemies, "and I've kept my word."
-
-Young Slavin proceeded to liberate Ralph from the ropes that bound him.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXII--A HEADSTRONG FRIEND
-=================================
-
-Ralph was faint and dizzy-headed with all that had transpired in the
-last twenty minutes.
-
-He felt that he had been in the peril of his life. He bestowed a look
-of immense gratitude on Slavin.
-
-"You came in time," said he. "How shall I ever thank you?"
-
-"Cut it out," growled Slavin grimly. "I ain't through yet. I've been
-watching these skunks for an hour or more. I knew that Stiggs, who has
-gone on a little jaunt with his wife to see some relations, would never
-give those reptiles the free run of his house. I fancied burglary at
-first. Then when you came I knew it was something deeper. Well, it's
-the finishing touch. I suppose, in your usual soft-hearted way, you
-want to beg them off from further punishment, don't you?"
-
-"It strikes me they have got about all the punishment they can stand at
-present," suggested Ralph.
-
-"O, that's just a starter," announced Slavin. "Keep your eye on Slump
-for a minute."
-
-Ike had fallen across the sofa. He was moaning and half-stunned. He
-kept moving his hand over his bare and tingling gums, making a
-horrible, hollow, hissing sound every time his breath exuded.
-
-"The dentist for you," said Slavin in cold unconcern. "This one is
-delegated to the hospital, I guess."
-
-The speaker approached the prostrate Bemis.
-
-"Speak up, there," growled Slavin savagely. "I've a little business
-with you, Mort Bemis. Where are those two silver medals that you stole
-from me?"
-
-Bemis only wriggled and groaned. Slavin kicked him. He sat up with a
-howl of pain.
-
-"Pawned," he whimpered.
-
-"Where?"
-
-"At Barry's cigar store."
-
-"For how much?"
-
-"Two dollars."
-
-"Hand it over."
-
-"I haven't a cent. Oh, you've half killed me. Oh, my head! my head!
-Don't--don't hit me again. Slump has some money. Pay him, Ike, pay
-him."
-
-Slavin advanced from Bemis, now sitting up on the floor, towards Ike,
-with a menacing manner.
-
-"I'll pay, I'll pay," whined Ike. "Here, here. I haven't go any
-change. Five dollars," and with celerity he extended a banknote.
-
-"Three for delay and damages," stated Slavin, coolly pocketing the
-money. "Now then, you two, walk humble, or I'll finish this job right
-here and now."
-
-Slavin took up the ropes that had bound Ralph. Quaking with mortal
-terror, Bemis and Slump in turn allowed him unresistingly to tie their
-arms behind them.
-
-Slavin picked up the "nutcracker." He looked it over and placed it in
-his pocket.
-
-"If that bit of evidence don't send you over the road, I know what
-will," he observed grimly. "March."
-
-He forced the two prisoners forward, holding to an arm of each. As
-they got outside, Ralph asked:
-
-"What are you going to do with them, Slavin?"
-
-"Anxious to know, are you?"
-
-"Yes."
-
-"Then keep us company, and see. Oh, I'm not sassy, Fairbanks. I'm
-only doing what you ought to have done the first break they made at
-you--called in the law. These fellows are dangerous. I'm going to
-cage them."
-
-The prisoners spoke not a word. Bemis had received a fearful fistic
-punishment, and was blubbering. Ike Slump kept up a mumbling sound
-with his lips, as if trying to get used to the lack of teeth.
-
-Slavin led them through the town by dark and unfrequented streets.
-When they reached the railroad tracks, he made for a crossings shanty.
-
-The flagman had gone home for the night, but the door was secured by a
-catch only. Slavin marched his prisoners inside, drew a lantern from
-under a bench, pushed them to the bench, and lit the lantern.
-
-"You rest a while," he directed them. "Court will open soon.
-Fairbanks, will you do an errand for me?"
-
-"What is it, Slavin?"
-
-"I promised the road detective, Bob Adair, to send him word when I
-found these fellows."
-
-"I'm out on bail. They can't bother me till my trial comes off,"
-mumbled Ike Slump, making a grimacing, painful job of talking
-intelligently.
-
-"Rest easy," advised Slavin grimly. "This is quite another round.
-Find him, Fairbanks."
-
-"You think that is best, do you?" inquired Ralph. "These fellows----"
-
-"See here, Fairbanks!" cried Slavin, almost angrily, "you'd actually
-let them go, after they had pretty nigh put you out of commission
-forever. In this case I don't want your advice, good as it usually is.
-I know my programme, and I intend to carry it out to the last letter."
-
-Ralph saw that it was useless to oppose his vigorous friend and
-champion. He left the shanty forthwith, and went up to the depot. It
-was some time before he could locate Mr. Adair. When he finally found
-him, and explained simply that Slavin wished to see him, the road
-detective joined him briskly, and look pleased.
-
-"About Slump, I suppose?" he inquired eagerly.
-
-"I think it is," answered Ralph.
-
-"Good," said Adair. "The company thinks that bailing out business was
-rushed through. The bond was only five hundred dollars. They don't
-understand old Farrington's peculiar interest in the matter, and we
-have been ready to rearrest Slump for a week."
-
-Adair gave prodigious start as, entering the crossings shanty, his eyes
-lit on the faces of Slavin's two prisoners.
-
-"Whew!" he whistled slowly--"you seem to have had some trouble with
-your friends, Mr. Slavin."
-
-"You hear my story, and see if I gave them any more than they
-deserved," said Slavin, and he stood up, looking like a judge and
-talking like a judge, and narrated the incidents of the preceding hour.
-
-"Now then, Mr. Adair," added Slavin, "these fellows brag of having a
-friend in that old miser, Gasper Farrington. I tell you that I happen
-to know that he has tried all kinds of ways to scare and bribe my
-friend here, Fairbanks, away from Stanley Junction. I suppose he's
-rich, and so tricky you can't connect him with their doings, but you
-can cage these fellows safely, and I want you to do it."
-
-"The railroad company will certainly insist that Slump's bond be raised
-from five hundred dollars," spoke Adair. "You told me that Bemis very
-nearly wrecked a train by magnetizing the levers at the depot switch
-tower. Can you prove it?"
-
-"I can," nodded Slavin emphatically.
-
-"Very good. To-night's business there is no question about. It's a
-case of murderous assault and attempted mayhem. I shall see the
-prosecuting attorney at once, and demand that each of these prisoners
-be held in heavy bonds."
-
-"I think that will hold them," said Slavin, in a tone of satisfaction.
-"I've got a charge against them, myself. They robbed me of two silver
-medals."
-
-"We will take them at once before a magistrate," said Adair. "You'll
-have to subscribe to the warrants, Slavin. You, too, Fairbanks."
-
-Ralph simply bowed acquiescence. Slavin had taken the matter out of
-his hands. It was better so, Ralph readily realized. He did not
-believe that Farrington would go on their bonds for any large amount.
-This might lead to a rupture, and the prisoners might be induced to
-implicate the magnate, and tell what had become of Mrs. Davis.
-
-"Come on, you!" spoke Slavin, roughly pulling his prisoners to their
-feet.
-
-"You look out!" snarled Mort Bemis savagely. "See here, Mr. Officer,
-this fellow talks big, but he himself tied up a set of levers at the
-switch tower."
-
-Slavin turned red. He looked at Ralph in a shamefaced way. Then he
-said bluntly:
-
-"Yes, I did, Mr. Adair. That skunk got me to. It was before I knew
-Fairbanks--before I knew better. I give myself in charge for the act.
-I'm willing to suffer for it."
-
-"Nonsense!" cried Ralph quickly.
-
-"Do you make the complaint?" asked Adair.
-
-"No, sir!" spoke Ralph emphatically.
-
-"Nor would you appear against him?"
-
-"Hardly!"
-
-"You had better keep your mind on your own business then, Mr. Bemis,"
-advised Adair.
-
-"I call that a good night's work," said Slavin to Ralph, one hour later.
-
-Mr. Adair had legally presented his evidence and the prisoners to a new
-magistrate.
-
-Ike Slump and Mort Bemis were remanded to the town jail in default of
-bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars each.
-
-"Now," observed Ralph, as he parted with the strange, forceful
-companion who had proven so good a friend to him--"now to wait and see
-what Gasper Farrington will do next."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIII--IKE SLUMP & CO.
-==============================
-
-"That fellow has got his nerve with him all right!" spoke old Jack
-Knight.
-
-"I can't make out his idea," observed Ralph Fairbanks.
-
-It was two days after the arrest of Ike Slump and Mort Bemis. Knight
-and his junior leverman were engrossed in watching a little interesting
-by-play going on in the vicinity of the in freight tracks.
-
-A boy about Ralph's age and height had jumped into an open box car. He
-came out with a head of cabbage.
-
-He did not run away, but stood stock-still on the near tracks, as if
-dallying with detection and arrest.
-
-Some teamsters near by saw the act, but they only laughed carelessly.
-
-The boy dropped the cabbage, climbed into another car, and came out
-this time with a small sack of potatoes. This he swung across his
-shoulders, and started towards the depot.
-
-"The chump!" commented Knight. "Does he want to get caught purposely?
-Look at that, now: coast clear to the street, and walking deliberately
-into the jaws of justice!"
-
-"He's caught, yes," said Ralph.
-
-A day watchman had come rushing up to the boy. The latter neither
-stopped nor ran. He kept on his way steadily. He halted only when the
-watchman banged his cane down on the bag on his back. Then he dropped
-it.
-
-The watchman grabbed the culprit's arm. The watchers in the switch
-tower could observe him excitedly waving his cane. He seemed to be
-trying to make his prisoner realize the enormity of his offense.
-
-The latter, however, was unconcerned. He walked quietly along with the
-watchman towards the depot, making no effort to escape.
-
-"A mighty queer sort of a thief, that," remarked Knight.
-
-"Yes," said Ralph--"oh, my!"
-
-Ralph gave a quick start. He leaned far through the open sash, and
-stared fixedly at prisoner and watchman as they passed the switch tower
-in his direct range of vision.
-
-The young leverman was greatly perturbed. A call to the 'phone had
-distracted Knight's attention. As the watchman and his prisoner
-disappeared in the direction of the depot, Ralph's face grew to a void
-of wonder, doubt, and anxiety.
-
-"It was Van Sherwin!" he breathed excitedly--"Van Sherwin, surely. Van
-a thief? Oh, there is some mistake!"
-
-Ralph was greatly worked up. There was nothing in the rough attire and
-smirched face of the prisoner to recall the neatly-dressed Van whom
-Ralph had last seen. Yet as the prisoner had passed the tower, a
-gesture, the bearing of the latter, a familiar feature had enlightened
-Ralph unmistakably.
-
-"Mr. Knight," he said quickly, "can I have ten minutes off?"
-
-"Sure thing. What's up, Fairbanks?--you look disturbed," spoke Knight
-curiously.
-
-"I--I want to run up to the depot to ask about a friend," explained
-Ralph, rather lamely.
-
-He slipped on a coat and was down the ladder in a jiffy. Once out of
-the tower, he ran across the tracks in the direction of the depot.
-
-Passing a switch shanty, a figure stepped from its side directly in his
-path. A challenging voice said quickly:
-
-"Hold on, there, Ralph Fairbanks."
-
-"Oh, you, Slavin?" said Ralph. "Don't delay me. I am in a hurry."
-
-"I see you are. No need," proclaimed Slavin coolly, seizing and
-detaining Ralph's arm. "You're trying to overtake a friend, aren't
-you?"
-
-"Why, how do you know that?" exclaimed Ralph in surprise.
-
-"Name, Van--Van Sherman. No, Sherwin--that's it. Am I right?"
-
-"Why, yes," admitted Ralph in a tone of wonderment, "but how you come
-to know----"
-
-"I do know, don't I?" projected Slavin, with a shrewd smile. "This way
-for a minute, please."
-
-He led Ralph out of range of the switch shanty. Then, buttonholing him
-persuasively, he said:
-
-"Fairbanks, I know a good deal more about your affairs to-day than I
-did yesterday. Mightily glad I am of it. You'd ought to be, too.
-It's this way: I ran across that friend of yours last night."
-
-"You mean Van Sherwin?"
-
-"That's just what I do mean," responded Slavin. "It was queer, but I
-was nosing around the jail for some point on those fellows Slump and
-Bemis. I was very anxious to find out how they would act regarding old
-Farrington. It appears they sent messages to him. I know that much.
-But he didn't show up. I noticed a stranger hanging around, just as I
-was doing. His actions aroused my suspicions. Well, it led to our
-getting acquainted, cautiously. You know how such things go. Soon we
-understood each other, perfectly. I was on the trail of Slump and
-Bemis to head off any funny work on the part of their friend,
-Farrington. Sherwin was trying to get a line on the whole case."
-
-"He told you----" began Ralph.
-
-"All I'd ought to know. Enough to show me that those fellows and
-Farrington are up to a very deep game. It all affects your interests.
-That was enough for me. There's a woman missing, isn't there? And
-some bonds? Those prisoners know where the woman is. The woman
-probably knows where the bonds are. All that is straight and simple.
-We took some time, this famous friend of yours, Van Sherwin, and I,
-deciding which thought the most of you----"
-
-"Thank you, Slavin," said Ralph warmly.
-
-"Then we concluded that you had enough real work to bother with, and
-decided to help you out on this case. The question was: how could we
-get in touch with Ike Slump & Co.? Your sharp-witted friend decided
-that. He's chain lightning, I tell you, and no mistake. He saw only
-one way. He acted on it. I reckon you saw how: he got arrested."
-
-"As a thief!" exclaimed Ralph anxiously.
-
-"Oh, don't let that worry you," and Slavin smiled coolly. "It was all
-arranged and understood by Bob Adair. Sherwin will go to jail all
-right. But Adair has fixed it so the minute he finds out what he is
-after and gives the word, Van Sherwin will have his liberty."
-
-Ralph reflected seriously. He could find no fault with the unselfish
-ardor of his friends, that was sure. Their plan was a drastic one, but
-Van was smart, and probably knew what he was about.
-
-"So," remarked Slavin, "you just get back to your work. Don't spoil
-our plans by interfering or trying to see Sherwin. Until I get that
-railroad job I'm promised I have nothing special to do. I'll put in
-the time in your service, see?"
-
-"But," said Ralph, "Ike Slump knows Van."
-
-"Does he? Very slightly, Sherwin says. And by the way, you didn't see
-Sherwin--close at hand?"
-
-Ralph shook his head negatively.
-
-"Only a special friend like you would be likely to recognize him,
-Sherwin says. He's fairly well disguised himself. Besides, he simply
-wants to get where he can watch and overhear Slump & Co. He won't try
-to chum with them."
-
-Ralph went back to the switch tower more easy in his mind. He felt
-pretty tender towards his two loyal boy friends. Knowing Ike Slump's
-crude, blurting ways, he believed that if Farrington got balky, Ike
-would make some break that would be of advantage to Van.
-
-He decided to tell his mother of this new phase in the case. Something
-startling, however, interrupted.
-
-He had got ready for supper, and was entering the cozy little dining
-room, when Mrs. Fairbanks, at the window, called out suddenly:
-
-"Come here, quick, Ralph."
-
-"What is it, mother?" he asked.
-
-"I fancied I heard some sounds like an explosion--and shouts," said
-Mrs. Fairbanks. "There is a great glare over to the south. Look,
-Ralph."
-
-She held aside the curtain so he could see.
-
-"Why," cried Ralph, "it is a fire--a big fire, somewhere!"
-
-"Farrington's old factory," said Mrs. Fairbanks.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIV--FIRE!
-===================
-
-A great red glare covered the whole southern sky as Ralph reached the
-outer air.
-
-"Mother is right, I guess," he spoke quickly--"it is certainly in the
-direction of the old factory."
-
-The spur switch to the factory had been completed for some days. Ralph
-had that afternoon operated the levers opening the Farrington extension
-for the first time.
-
-The new lessee of the factory, he understood, was going to use oil for
-fuel under some of the boilers. Among the twenty-odd cars switched off
-on the spur that afternoon Ralph had noticed as many as ten tank cars.
-
-As Ralph ran on, he was surprised to note the extent of the glare. It
-spread from a point quite remote from the factory right up to the
-factory location.
-
-He heard shouts in the distance, and scattered figures were thronging
-the landscape from all directions.
-
-Ralph passed a short timber reach. A vivid panorama now spread out
-before him.
-
-A thousand yards ahead was the ravine. This the factory switch spur
-traversed.
-
-Shooting up from the depths of the ravine for nearly a quarter of a
-mile were leaping, vivid tongues of flame.
-
-Getting where he could command a view townwards obliquely across the
-ravine, Ralph realized just what had happened.
-
-Outlined against the black sky there showed the framework of several
-freight cars. They were simply threads of flame now.
-
-In some way the stationary freights had caught fire. The blaze had
-communicated to an oil tank. There had been an explosion, scattering
-the burning oil far and wide.
-
-The cars had been blocked on an incline. Apparently the force of an
-explosion, or the fire, had dislodged or destroyed the blocking plank.
-Some of the cars had broken free. Scudding down the ravine, they had
-lodged cinders and flame in all directions.
-
-Coming to a curve, they had jumped the track. About two hundred feet
-from the factory they had gone down into a gravel pit, piling on top of
-each other.
-
-The dry grass and shrubbery were on fire on both sides of the ravine
-for a full quarter of a mile back towards the town. The house Mrs.
-Davis had lived in was ablaze from cellar to garret.
-
-Suddenly there was an awful roar. It was fortunate that Ralph was no
-nearer to the center of the explosion than he was.
-
-The tanks that had crashed down into the gravel pit had formed a
-seething caldron of fire, and had now exploded.
-
-So powerful was the concussion that Ralph was thrown flat. Getting
-erect again promptly, he saw a great flare of fire leap a hundred feet
-in the air.
-
-This bore with it blazing planks, fragments of red-hot iron, and
-dazzling cinders.
-
-They fell all over the landscape. They particularly enveloped the old
-factory. This, Ralph noticed, took fire instantly in a dozen different
-places.
-
-"Hello, Fairbanks!" cried a breathless passerby.
-
-"Slavin?" said Ralph.
-
-"Yes, keep on. There's hose and apparatus up at the factory. That's
-all there is worth saving, now."
-
-"It will never be saved," pronounced Ralph convincedly, but he joined
-Slavin on a run forward.
-
-They were compelled to make a wide detour here and there of the ravine
-windings. Even great trees lining it had caught fire. The smoke was
-dense, and the burning cinders rained down upon them like hail.
-
-"Hold on," ordered Ralph suddenly, but Slavin, catching sight of men
-and ladders in the vicinity of the factory, dashed on for the main
-center of excitement and activity.
-
-Ralph had halted. He stood within about a hundred feet of the old
-house between Mrs. Davis' former home and the factory.
-
-It was across this stretch, belonging to an old invalid widow, that
-Farrington had forced his right of way. The roof of the house was
-ablaze, So was one side of the building. Ralph had been checked by a
-wailing cry.
-
-"Some one shut in there," he decided. "Even if it is only an animal, I
-must find out, and try to rescue it."
-
-Ralph ran through the open rear doorway. A hall extended the length of
-the house. The outside blaze shone brightly into a side room, although
-it was filled with smoke pouring through a sash half burned away.
-
-An old woman in a wheel chair blocked the doorway of the front room.
-Apparently this was her only means of getting about. She had tried to
-escape, the chair, had got wedged in the doorway, and she was moaning
-and crying for help.
-
-"Is that you, David?" she gasped wildly, as her smoke-blurred eyes made
-out Ralph.
-
-"No, but I am here to help you," answered Ralph in a cheery,
-encouraging voice. "Don't worry, ma'am."
-
-Ralph soon extricated the chair. As he ran it and its occupant out
-into the open air, the front windows blew in from the intense heat, and
-the flames swept through the house.
-
-Ralph ran the chair to a high point of safety.
-
-"Don't go any further," panted the old woman. "My son David is due
-home. He will be worried to death. I want to be where I can see and
-call to him, when he comes."
-
-"Very well," said Ralph, "you are safe here, at least for the present.
-I will run back and save what I can in the house."
-
-"No, no," demurred the old woman quickly. "There is nothing worth
-saving. The furniture is old and insured. So is the house. Oh, I am
-so thankful to you!" she cried fervently.
-
-"That is all right," said Ralph. "I am sorry to see you homeless."
-
-"How did the fire come?" questioned the woman. "From Gasper
-Farrington's new railroad?"
-
-"Yes," said Ralph, "some oil cars on the switch spur took fire, and
-exploded."
-
-"Then he is responsible!" cried the woman eagerly. "And his factory is
-burning up, isn't it? It's a retribution on him, that's what it is,"
-she declared hoarsely. "He ran his tracks over our land without
-permission. He spoiled our peaceful home. Won't I get damages from
-him, as well as my insurance money?"
-
-"I think your chances are very good," answered Ralph.
-
-The old woman looked somewhat comforted. She sat mumbling to herself.
-Ralph wished to hurry over to the factory. He offered to wheel her to
-a shelter nearer the town, but she insisted she must wait in sight of
-the house until her son arrived.
-
-Ralph did not like to leave her alone. The grass might catch fire and
-the flames spread, even to the place where they were now. He stood
-surveying the fire interestedly, when his companion uttered a sudden
-scream.
-
-"Oh, my! oh, my!" she wailed, wringing her hands. "How could I forget!"
-
-Ralph pressed closer to her side.
-
-"Is something distressing you?" he asked quickly.
-
-"Oh, yes! yes!" said the woman. "Is the house all on fire? No, there
-may be time yet. Boy, will you--will you do something for me?"
-
-"Surely, if I can."
-
-"In the house--something I must save."
-
-"What is it? In what part of the house?"
-
-"Not mine. It is a sacred trust. It is something I promised
-faithfully to look after. Oh, dear! dear! if it should be burned up!"
-
-"Try and be calm, and tell me about it," advised Ralph.
-
-"It is upstairs--in the rear garret room."
-
-Ralph looked up rather hopelessly at the little window fully twenty
-feet from the ground.
-
-"How do the stairs run?" he asked.
-
-"Only from the front. You can't go that way, though," panted the
-woman. "It's all ablaze. But there is a ladder."
-
-"Where--quick."
-
-"Behind that old grape trellis."
-
-"How long is it?" asked Ralph.
-
-"It reaches the roof. My son used it in shingling. Take a hatchet or
-a club with you. The window is nailed down on the inside, very
-tightly. You will have to smash the window in. Is it too late?"
-
-"Not at all," declared Ralph briskly.
-
-"The roof is all on fire!"
-
-"Never mind that, only be quick and tell me: what is it you want me to
-get?"
-
-"There's only one thing in the room. An old trunk."
-
-"An old trunk?" repeated Ralph rapidly.
-
-"It's all tied up with rope. Smash it open, too. Inside is a tin
-case, a small flat tin case. That's what I want. Oh! you will get it,
-won't you?" pleaded the old woman, in a fever of suspense and
-excitement.
-
-"I shall certainly try," declared Ralph.
-
-"Don't risk your precious life by any delay, dear, dear boy!" cried the
-old woman hysterically. "I believe I should die of worry if that box
-was burned up. I promised so sincerely to take care of it. What would
-Mrs. Davis say if it was lost!"
-
-"Who?" cried Ralph sharply, with a great start.
-
-"Mrs. Davis."
-
-"The woman who lived next door?"
-
-"Yes, yes. She left it with me, about a month ago. She was afraid to
-keep it with herself. I promised----"
-
-But Ralph was listening no longer. A great conviction filled his mind
-that at this critical moment, amid fire and peril, a crisis in his life
-faced him.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXV--THE LITTLE TIN BOX
-===============================
-
-Ralph ran towards the grape trellis. He soon found the ladder the old
-woman had mentioned.
-
-It was long and quite heavy, but seizing one end he dragged it towards
-the burning building. Soon he had it set in place and balanced. He
-had guessed at the proper slant correctly. Its top just rested on the
-edge of the attic window outside the sill.
-
-"No time to lose," declared Ralph. "Where will I find a hatchet?" he
-called to the old woman.
-
-"In the wood shed--right near the door, on a chopping block," she
-directed, watching his every movement in a fever of suspense.
-
-Ralph darted into the wood shed. He came out, hatchet in hand, and
-sprang instantly onto the ladder.
-
-The building was doomed, he saw that. Its entire front half was in
-flame. As he got a few feet from the ground a great whirlwind of smoke
-and sparks enveloped him.
-
-"Why," exclaimed Ralph, as he reached the top of the ladder, "the
-window is all right."
-
-He did not need to use the hatchet. Contrary to the old woman's
-positive statement, Ralph found the sash raised an inch or two. It
-pushed up smoothly. He felt obtruding nails on the inside, which
-appeared to have been forced out of place.
-
-Climbing through the window, Ralph was nearly choked with the dense
-smoke filling the room. The window vent somewhat cleared the air, but
-he could not see an inch before his face.
-
-"I can't stand much of this," he reflected, and then held his breath
-closely.
-
-Ralph had to grope with hands and feet. He lined one side wall of the
-apartment, ran to the window for a supply of fresh air, and resumed his
-difficult quest.
-
-"No luck so far," he panted. "The room seems entirely empty. There is
-not even a carpet on the floor."
-
-Suddenly, a cracking sound and then a slight crash warned him to look
-out for danger.
-
-A door leading into the front attic just then burned free of its
-hinges. It fell inside the apartment Ralph was in.
-
-Its vivid blazing lit up the room somewhat.
-
-"I see it--the trunk!" said Ralph, and sprang to a corner where a
-box-like outline showed.
-
-Again the old woman's statements were at fault. The trunk was
-perfectly easy of access, and Ralph did not have to use the hatchet at
-all.
-
-Ropes that at one time possibly enclosed the trunk lay at one side, cut
-in two. The broken lock of the trunk lay on the floor. Ralph threw up
-the cover.
-
-Inside was a mass of cotton batting. He threw this out on the floor.
-Then some old newspapers followed. Beneath these lay a little flat tin
-box.
-
-"I have it," said Ralph with satisfaction, grasping the object of the
-old woman's anxiety.
-
-It was high time to make an exit. Some sparks fell on the cotton. It
-blazed up into his face and singed his hair. Ralph found himself
-nearly overcome by the smoke. He fairly staggered to the window, and
-spluttering and scorched, almost slid the length of the ladder.
-
-Reaching the ground the young leverman stood stationary for a moment.
-He dug the cinders out of his eyes, and took a good long refreshing
-breath of the pure air.
-
-A call roused him to new action. The old woman was shouting at him and
-waving her hand eagerly.
-
-She was not alone now. A pale-faced young man of about thirty stood by
-her side. Ralph presumed that this was her son, David, to whom she had
-so frequently referred.
-
-"Did you get it--did you get it?" she called out anxiously, as Ralph
-ran up to the invalid chair.
-
-"Yes, ma'am," responded Ralph, handing over the box.
-
-"Oh, dear! Oh, how shall I ever thank you? David, he is a brave,
-noble boy!" and hugging the box to her breast, the old woman wept
-hysterically.
-
-"You saved my mother's life," spoke the young man, placing a hand that
-trembled on Ralph's shoulder.
-
-"I am glad if that is so," said Ralph.
-
-"David! David! David!"
-
-Just here the old woman interrupted with startling suddenness. Ralph
-turned quickly toward her in amazement. Her son ran to her side, very
-much alarmed. She had shouted out his name in such a lost, despairing
-tone that both her auditors were thrilled.
-
-"Mother--what is it?" cried the young man.
-
-The old woman waved the tin box that Ralph had just given her.
-
-"It was tied with twine--in a sheet of writing paper, and sealed," she
-said. "And look now, David--it is empty!"
-
-"Was there something in it?" questioned Ralph, his spirits sinking to
-zero.
-
-All along he had entertained some hopeful ideas regarding that little
-tin box, knowing that it had been the property of the mysterious Mrs.
-Davis.
-
-"Why, surely," said the old woman, weeping bitterly and wringing her
-hands. "Mrs. Davis put some folded papers in it. I saw her do it.
-She said they were very valuable. She was afraid she would lose them,
-or be robbed. She said she feared wicked enemies."
-
-"When was that?" asked Ralph.
-
-"About a month ago. She wrapped up, tied, and sealed the box. She
-asked me where she could hide it for a time. I told her about the old
-trunk. It was empty, except for some cotton and newspapers. I told
-her to nail down the window, put the box in the trunk, tie up the
-trunk, and lock the attic door. She did all that. She made me promise
-solemnly to think first of that box if anything happened. And now
-someone has stolen the papers! I have been faithless to my trust!
-Poor Mrs. Davis said her very life depended on those papers. Oh,
-David! David! I shall die of shame and grief, I know I shall!"
-
-"You did your best, you couldn't help it," said her son soothingly.
-
-"No, some thief has visited your attic," declared Ralph.
-
-"But no one except Mrs. Davis and myself knew that the box was there,"
-suggested the weeping woman.
-
-"Someone surely found out," said Ralph. "I found the window forced up
-and the trunk lock broken."
-
-"Mother, you really must not take on so," spoke the young man in a
-worried tone. "You are shaking all over. I must get you to some
-shelter."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVI--A CLEW!
-=====================
-
-The young switch-tower man had lost all interest in the fire now. He
-stood thinking deeply, and felt quite depressed.
-
-He was very certain that the papers Mrs. Davis had placed in the tin
-box in some way referred to her interest in the twenty thousand
-dollars' worth of railroad bonds, to which she had so frequently and
-significantly alluded.
-
-She had told his mother that she was going to get something from a
-friend to show her and Ralph. Was it not these very same papers?
-
-It was very possible, Ralph reflected further, that in some way Mrs.
-Davis' kidnappers had got a clew to the hiding place of these self-same
-documents.
-
-"One word, please," spoke up Ralph, as the young man started to wheel
-his mother away from the scene of the fire. "Someone certainly forced
-a way to your attic and rifled that trunk."
-
-"Who could it be--how could they know?" queried the distressed invalid.
-
-"Have you had any strange visitors?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"No--no one hardly ever comes here, except neighbors. Of course there
-have been a lot of workmen building the switch. But they were
-harmless, ignorant persons. Got a drink at the well, and went about
-their business."
-
-"You have noticed no suspicious characters hanging about?" pressed
-Ralph.
-
-"Oh, no."
-
-"By the way, mother," interposed the young man, "you forgot about the
-two young fellows who came here day before yesterday--no, the day
-before that--Tuesday."
-
-"Oh, they were the insurance men."
-
-"What insurance men?" asked Ralph.
-
-"They said they were inspectors. They said they were hired by the
-insurance companies to look over risks. They asked me if we had any
-gasoline. I said no. Then they asked if I had any inflammable stuff
-stored in the attic. They wanted to go up and see, but I told them the
-attic was empty."
-
-"They wanted to inspect the attic, did they?" murmured Ralph
-thoughtfully.
-
-"Yes. Then they said they would have to look over the chimneys and
-roof, to be sure everything was all right."
-
-"Did they do so?"
-
-"I told them where the ladder was. Of course, confined helpless to my
-invalid chair, I couldn't go out with them. They came back inside in
-about ten minutes, and said they had found everything in shipshape
-order."
-
-"Those are the persons who robbed the trunk," declared Ralph in a tone
-of conviction.
-
-"Do you think so?" cried the old woman. "Do you know them?"
-
-"I don't know--yet. Do you remember how they were dressed?"
-
-"They were well-dressed, I remember that."
-
-"Young men, I believe you said?"
-
-"Yes, boys, almost--a little older than you. One wore a pearl-gray
-derby hat. The other wore a kind of automobile cap."
-
-"Thank you," said Ralph, showing the value of this information in
-manner and face.
-
-"Do you know them?" inquired the old woman eagerly.
-
-"I think I do," said Ralph.
-
-"Can you find them?"
-
-"They will not be hard to locate," answered Ralph definitely. "Do not
-worry, ma'am. You have given me a very clever clew as to the robbers.
-I think I know who has got the papers that were in that little tin box."
-
-"Oh, be sure to let me know if you get back those papers, won't you?"
-pressed the old woman anxiously.
-
-"I certainly shall," promised Ralph.
-
-He bade mother and son good-bye. Then Ralph proceeded in the direction
-of the old Farrington factory.
-
-Great crowds lined the ravine and surrounded the site of the factory.
-This had been burned to the ground. The ravine in places was still a
-nest of fire, but the flames were confined there. The fires in the
-grass and in the shrubbery had been beaten out.
-
-Ralph passed from crowd to crowd, gleaning many a bit of exciting
-gossip.
-
-He heard a local insurance agent say that the fire had done damage to
-the extent of a hundred thousand dollars. The factory represented the
-bulk of the loss.
-
-"And no insurance, did you say?" someone asked the agent.
-
-"Not on the building. The insurance expired there only last week."
-
-Ralph finally found the person he was in search of--Slavin. He had
-made up his mind that something must be done promptly in regard to the
-documents stolen from Mrs. Davis' tin box.
-
-Ike Slump and Mort Bemis tallied precisely to the old woman's
-description of her "insurance inspectors" visitors.
-
-Their call at the old house had evidently been made on the afternoon of
-the day when Slump and Bemis had decoyed Ralph to the Stiggs cottage.
-
-Ralph reasoned that if they had got the documents in question, they had
-them now, for their arrest had followed within a few hours of their
-rifling of the trunk.
-
-"I want you to do something for me, Slavin, if you will," said Ralph,
-leading his companion out of hearing of the crowd.
-
-"All right," was the prompt response.
-
-"Something urgent and important."
-
-"Fire away--I'm yours truly."
-
-"Can you get word for me to my friend, Van Sherwin?"
-
-"Sure."
-
-"To-night?"
-
-"At any and all times. We arranged that with the road detective."
-
-"Very well," said Ralph. "I want you to deliver a note to Van. It
-will take some time to write it, so you will have to come up to the
-house with me, and wait till I get it ready."
-
-They proceeded forthwith in the direction of the Fairbanks homestead.
-Ralph invited his companion to stay to supper.
-
-"Say," observed Slavin, as they had proceeded on their way some
-distance and he took a last backward glance at the dying flames--"say,
-Ralph Fairbanks, I wonder if it looks to you--that fire I mean--like it
-does to me?"
-
-"How do you mean, Slavin?" questioned Ralph.
-
-"That some of old Gasper Farrington's chickens are coming home to
-roost!"
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVII--SLAVIN GETS A JOB
-================================
-
-"Good-morning, Mr. Fairbanks."
-
-"Why, good-morning, Mr. Slavin, but--quite formal, aren't you?" said
-Ralph with a smile.
-
-It was the second day after the factory fire. Ralph and Knight, both
-busy at their duties, had been visited by Slavin.
-
-He came up the ladder and into the switch tower with a certain slow
-dignity of manner that made Ralph stare.
-
-"Hello, Slav," nodded old Jack Knight carelessly.
-
-"How do you do--sir?" answered Slavin with rigid courtesy as he sank to
-the armchair--always a welcome visitor, nowadays.
-
-"Bust me!" whispered Knight with a keen glance at Slavin, and
-suppressing a quick snicker--"what's in his crop now, Fairbanks?"
-
-Ralph wondered, too. He stole a second furtive look at Slavin. Then
-he had to turn his head aside to hide a smile.
-
-Slavin sat like a statue. The one impelling motive of his life at
-present, it seemed, was to suggest the idea that he had weighty matters
-on his mind.
-
-He looked like a being struggling with the most momentous
-responsibilities. His eye ran over the long array of levers as if he
-had been officially delegated to inspect them. His bearing
-was--profound.
-
-Ralph noticed a change in his general dress. So did Knight, and in a
-hoarse, undertoned guffaw he observed to his young assistant:
-
-"The spell is on, and he's got himself up regardless!"
-
-Knight could hardly hold himself in. The old veteran had seen every
-phase of railroad régime and railroad vanity in his long career. At a
-glance he had guessed what was up with Young Slavin.
-
-Ralph noticed that Slavin wore a new head gear. It was a direct copy
-of the touring cap affected by the depot master.
-
-The top button of Slavin's coat was a brass one. It was either a
-conductor's or a Pullman porter's official insignia--at a distance
-Ralph could not tell which.
-
-Sticking out from one of Slavin's coat pockets was an assortment of
-folders. Ralph recognized them as including all the official time
-schedules of the Great Northern.
-
-Besides that, in his hand Slavin carried a somber-looking,
-flexible-covered book. This suggested some technical engineering or
-scientific work.
-
-Slavin consulted its pages as he sat in the armchair. Ralph and Knight
-scented fun in the air. They went on silently with their duties.
-
-This grew irksome to Slavin. He finally arose to his feet, and began
-restively pacing about the switch tower.
-
-"H'm," he observed at length. "Saw a great article on the combustion
-of coal gases in locomotives, last night."
-
-"That so?" nodded Knight, and proceeded to whistle industriously.
-
-Slavin looked hurt at the repulse. In a minute or two he blurted out
-again:
-
-"I see there's a new invention for economizing steam in short-run
-engines. Sort of studying up things, see? This here book----"
-
-"What book is it, Slavin?" inquired Ralph pleasantly.
-
-"Yes, what's this high jinks in railroad education you're firing at
-us?" demanded Knight, suddenly seizing the volume from Slavin's hand.
-"Oh, my! hold me! ha! ha!" roared the veteran towerman. "Listen,
-Fairbanks: 'Technical Topography of High Grade Elevations in Asiatic
-Railways.' Oh, me! Oh, my! Slavin, you take the cake!"
-
-"Mr. Knight, I didn't come here to have my feelings trampled on," spoke
-Slavin in tones of offended dignity.
-
-"Right, old son. You came here to show how hard you'd got the railroad
-fever--hey, you spoony? Why, it's sticking out all over you. I had it
-once. They all get it at first. Why, you ambitious young lunkhead,"
-cried Knight, slapping Slavin's shoulder with a hearty whack that
-nearly knocked him over, "you're simply tickled to death about
-something, and I can tell it in three words."
-
-"What is it, Mr. Knight?" asked Ralph innocently.
-
-"'Got a job!'"
-
-"Good!" cried Ralph, grasping Slavin's hand in congratulation. "Is it
-true?"
-
-"Why, yes, it is," answered Slavin proudly. "So, what's the harm in
-trying to post up, hey?"
-
-"My son," observed Knight in a patriarchal fashion, "posting up and
-looking railroady is all right, but there's many a long, tough reach in
-plain buttons, and a long distance away from combustion and high
-grades, before you even begin to guess what you know about practical
-railroading. Who did you see--the master mechanic?"
-
-"No--depot master."
-
-"What--not put on duty here with us?" exclaimed Ralph in a really
-pleased tone.
-
-"That's it," announced Slavin grandly.
-
-"Well, I am truly glad," said Ralph.
-
-"So am I," put in Knight--"I'll catch your mistakes like a true friend,
-and help you along like a brother."
-
-"I am not going to make any mistakes," declared Slavin confidently.
-
-"Oho! aint?" said Knight softly.
-
-"No, sir. I've watched you two closely. It's simple. You get 7.
-Pull 7. Muscle does it."
-
-"That so?" continued old Jack, in a slow, pitying drawl. "Well, well!
-Now, just to demonstrate, suppose you take a test?"
-
-"I'm your man!" cried Slavin, pulling off his coat and striking an
-attitude.
-
-"Double switch," called out Knight--"18 and 19."
-
-Slavin wavered, Knight had called out two levers way down the line,
-rarely used. Slavin's eyes ran the long array. Then he got his
-bearings, and swung his arms down into the battery with a ponderous
-swoop.
-
-His great strong fists clasped the lever handles in a really admirable
-manner, and he looked the prodigy of muscle he claimed to be.
-
-"Open 'em up!" shouted Knight
-
-Slavin bent to his task.
-
-"Pull--you lubber, pull!" yelled old Jack Knight.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXVIII--WHAT THE "EXTRA" TOLD
-=====================================
-
-"They won't move!" cried Young Slavin disgustedly. "They don't budge.
-Oh, rot on you! guying a fellow," and he slunk back to the armchair in
-chagrin.
-
-Old Jack laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. He had tricked
-his new apprentice into a "grand-stand" display at two levers that had
-been wedged tight shut and out of use for a month.
-
-He rallied the would-be railroader for a few minutes. Then in his
-kind-spirited way he took up the matter seriously.
-
-He told Slavin just what his initial duties would be: sweeping out the
-tower, keeping the fuel supply handy, oiling the lever and rod sockets,
-cleaning the windows.
-
-Slavin was somewhat disappointed at this dreary routine. When,
-however, Knight recited his own early experience and what it led to in
-proficiency and promotion, Slavin became more resigned.
-
-"It looks good," he said longingly. "The day I draw more than board
-and lodging wages and pull a lever, I'll give you two a banquet. Say,
-I can hardly wait to begin!"
-
-"When do you begin, Slavin?" asked old Jack.
-
-"Next Monday."
-
-Slavin hung around the switch tower till Knight went away in answer to
-a 'phone call from the limits tower. Then he sidled up to Ralph.
-
-"Been waiting to tell you," he said in a low tone.
-
-"Something about Van?"
-
-"Yes."
-
-"Did you get any word from him?"
-
-"This morning. Came to the rear jail window, where I wait for him.
-Said just one word."
-
-"What was it?"
-
-"To-night."
-
-"That was all?"
-
-"Someone inside interrupted him, I think, so that was all."
-
-"'To-night,'" repeated Ralph musingly. "I wonder what he means?"
-
-"Action to-night, of course. Something is going to happen. Last
-night--you remember what he told me?"
-
-"Yes, Van said he felt sure that Slump and Bemis had the documents
-stolen from Mrs. Davis."
-
-"That's it," nodded Slavin. "You know Slump wrote a sassy letter to
-old Farrington."
-
-"So you told me."
-
-"Farrington paid no attention to it. Then Van overheard these two
-precious schemers concocting a new note. It told old Farrington that
-they had something better than merely knowing where a certain woman
-was."
-
-"They meant Mrs. Davis."
-
-"Of course. In this last note they said that they had some very
-valuable papers belonging to Mrs. Davis. They threatened that if
-Farrington didn't get them out of that jail inside of forty-eight
-hours, they would send for Ralph Fairbanks and turn the papers over to
-him."
-
-"This is getting interesting," remarked Ralph.
-
-"And exciting. Oh, something is sure to drop, soon. That old miser
-will never go any twenty thousand dollars' bonds on those two
-scape-graces."
-
-"It is not likely," said Ralph. "Do you think Farrington paid any
-attention to the second note?"
-
-"I think he did."
-
-"Why so?"
-
-"As I left the jail, I saw his coachman come out of the building. He
-had an empty basket on his arm. I think he had been taking some food
-and such fixings to Ike Slump & Co."
-
-"And the latest is Van's 'To-night'," mused Ralph. "Slavin, you will
-keep a close watch on things, won't you? I believe affairs are very
-near a crisis."
-
-"I'll not miss anything," Slavin assured Ralph stanchly--"least of all
-you, when there's any important word to report."
-
-Ralph was restless and expectant all that evening at home. He sat up
-till ten o'clock, hoping that Slavin might bring him some word.
-
-None came, however. He went to bed, and as usual left the house for
-the switch tower at 7.30 in the morning.
-
-Just as Ralph neared the depot yards, a small boy with a bundle of
-papers under his arm darted down the street.
-
-Ralph remembered that this was "paper day." He paused and listened as
-the lad shouted out his wares.
-
-"Extry! extry!" he called.
-
-"Here, boy--what have you got extra?" asked a passer-by.
-
-"Full account of the great Stanley Junction jail escape!"
-
-"What's that?" cried Ralph irrepressibly.
-
-"Hey, never mind--I'll tell you," pronounced Slavin's voice suddenly at
-his elbow. "I'm out of breath. Just missed you at your house, and ran
-all the way here after you."
-
-"Slavin, what is this I hear--a jail escape?"
-
-"Yes--Slump and Bemis. It seems someone smuggled some tools in to them
-yesterday."
-
-"Farrington's man."
-
-"That's how I figure it out," assented Slavin. "Anyhow, they
-discovered that the prisoners were gone about midnight. I didn't hear
-of it until about an hour ago. I hurried to the road detective. He
-got a 'phone from Van Sherwin at the jail about two o'clock this
-morning. It was to wire to the jailer to give him his liberty."
-
-"What--Van gone, too!" exclaimed Ralph.
-
-"That's the way it looks. I just came from the jail. They had let
-Sherwin go. The jailer said he had left a note. For Ralph Fairbanks.
-I took it to deliver. Here it is."
-
-Ralph eagerly tore open the letter Slavin handed him.
-
-It contained Van's signature in initials, and one line only. This read:
-
-"Got track of Mrs. Davis--I have the stolen papers."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXIX--GUESSING
-======================
-
-Young Slavin was marking some initials on the current date on a big
-calendar hanging up on the door of the coat closet of the depot switch
-tower.
-
-It was his third day of service. As old Jack Knight came up the trap
-ladder, his grim face broke into an expression of sincere approbation.
-He took a keen look around the place.
-
-"Neat and tidy," he observed. "You'll do, Slavin. But what's those
-hieroglyphics on that calendar for?"
-
-"Oh, just a memoranda," explained the new tower hand, with a conscious
-flush.
-
-"'P.I.N.' eh?" said Knight.
-
-The initials were blue-penciled in the date space of each of the three
-days of Slavin's employment.
-
-"Yes, sir."
-
-"What's the answer? Something about a coupling pin?"
-
-"Naw. Those initials, Mr. Knight, represent the boiling down of the
-rules for employees printed on the card of instructions."
-
-"That so?"
-
-"Yes, sir, Promptness, Industry, Neatness. I'm trying to fill that
-bill."
-
-"You've done it so far," observed old Jack. "I hear you show up an
-hour before time."
-
-"Can't sleep, thinking of my grand luck!" chuckled Slavin.
-
-"You're certainly all the time fussing around, if that's industry,"
-went on Knight. "Those windows shine like headlights. You've oiled up
-everything till the lack of creaking makes a fellow lonesome. As to
-neatness--well, if you haven't actually scrubbed the floor here!"
-
-"I thought it needed it," said Slavin.
-
-"Keep it up, son," encouraged old Jack. "You're making a fine
-beginning."
-
-Slavin went singing and whistling about his work the whole day long.
-It did Ralph's heart good, when he arrived, to see his protégé happy,
-industrious, and headed in the right direction.
-
-Things were going on famously smooth and satisfactory at the switch
-tower. A friend of old Farrington's, and by no means of Ralph's, one
-Bardon, an inspector, had looked over the layout with a critical eye
-the day previous.
-
-"You'll find no flaws here, friend," old Jack had announced.
-
-Bardon had to admit that the switch tower régime was in perfect working
-order.
-
-Since the escape of Ike Slump and Mort Bemis and the new disappearance
-of Van Sherwin, not a clew as to the course or whereabouts of the
-missing trio had reached either Ralph or his friends.
-
-There had been a big row up at the jail, and one of the under officers
-had been discharged under suspicion.
-
-It was evident that someone had smuggled tools and ropes into the jail,
-for these were found in the cell through the forced window of which
-Slump and Bemis had escaped.
-
-These could hardly have passed proper inspection, if hidden in food or
-clothing brought to the prisoners by outsiders.
-
-"Of course old Farrington's man did the job," asserted Slavin.
-
-"Of course he did," assented Ralph. "It was the cheapest way of giving
-his troublesome pensioners their liberty."
-
-Van's message to Ralph had a very encouraging tone to it. He evidently
-had a clew to Mrs. Davis' place of confinement, and "he had the stolen
-documents."
-
-As the days went by, however, Ralph began to grow anxious, and his
-mother shared his worry. Ralph had told her everything concerning the
-rifled tin box. Mrs. Fairbanks was mainly troubled over the possible
-imprisonment and mistreatment of Mrs. Davis.
-
-"The poor lady has suffered a great deal of trouble," she remarked.
-"Her mind was none too strong. It is wicked to torture her further,
-Ralph, can we do nothing to force Mr. Farrington to tell where she is?"
-
-"He would deny having ever heard of Mrs. Davis," asserted Ralph
-convincedly. "Of course, if any mishap or failure comes to Van, and he
-doesn't report soon, I will see a lawyer and try and compel Farrington
-to some action. He is a shrewd, cruel man, though, mother. I am
-afraid our only hope is in Van, or the recapture of Slump and Bemis."
-
-"Have they tried to find them?"
-
-"Mr. Adair has been searching for them everywhere. He believes that
-Farrington assisted in their escape, and gave them a large amount of
-money to leave the country."
-
-Gasper Farrington was not having a very happy time of it. Ralph
-decided this that morning, as he noticed the magnate pass on the other
-side of the street.
-
-Farrington looked bent, old, and troubled. He had sustained a total
-loss at the factory fire. His tricky methods were becoming known to
-the public. He was losing the respect of people. This he realized,
-and showed it both in bearing and face.
-
-Ralph was thinking about all this about three o'clock in the afternoon,
-when the depot master's messenger came up the tower ladder. He had a
-pocketful of mail.
-
-"Postal card for you, Fairbanks," he said.
-
-Ralph took the card and went to the window to inspect it. The postal
-was blurred over and wrinkled, back and front. It looked as if it had
-been posted after being wetted by snow or rain, or in some stage of its
-transmission had fallen into a mess of wet dirt.
-
-Its address was clear enough. It bore a railway mail postmark. On its
-reverse side the letters had run with the moisture.
-
-"From Van," said Ralph, setting himself the difficult task of
-deciphering the blurred lines. "I know his handwriting, and it is
-signed 'V.' It was written in a hurry, that looks certain. What has
-he to say?"
-
-Ralph conned the imperfect message over and over. After many
-interruptions, at the end of fully half an hour's careful study, these
-were the only coherent words he could formulate from the blurred scrawl:
-
-
-"----hurry--and important. Don't miss telling--Slump--Bemis--Wednesday
-evening--safe--bank shipment--express--found out, and special
-freight--sure to be there--not later--near South Dover--don't delay a
-minute--will soon--back at Stanley Junction."
-
-
-"What is he trying to tell me?" murmured Ralph in a puzzled and anxious
-way, after a third and fourth reading of the perplexing message.
-
-He finally gave up guessing what the missing links in the postal screed
-might be.
-
-"One thing is certain," reflected Ralph. "Wednesday evening something
-is on the books. The only other definite clew is South Dover. Does he
-mean for me to meet him there? Does he mean that Slump and Bemis are
-in that neighborhood? There is something about a bank shipment,
-express, and special freight. That means the railroad is somehow
-interested. 'Don't miss,' he writes, 'don't delay.' I won't,"
-resolved Ralph keenly. "I wouldn't dare to, with such a word from Van.
-He has kept mum all along. Now that he does speak out, it certainly
-means something important."
-
-Ralph thought things over for another half-hour, and then made up his
-mind what he would do.
-
-He consulted the train schedules. Then he explained to Knight the
-necessity for a brief absence from duty. Without seeing Slavin, who
-had been sent for some report blanks to the depot, Ralph hurried home.
-
-He told his mother about the postal card, dressed for the trip down the
-road, and caught the 4.30 train. Ralph was cordially invited to a seat
-in the cab by his loyal old friend, Engineer Griscom.
-
-It was nearly dusk when the train reached South Dover. The place was
-only a name. There was not a building within a mile of the tool sheds
-and water tank that marked the spot.
-
-The train slowed up for Ralph, who jumped off. He waved his hand to
-Griscom in adieu, and looked all about him.
-
-South Dover was a switching and make-up point for the accommodation of
-Dover freight transfers. It had a dozen sidings and spurs. Freight
-coming into Dover on a north destination was switched here, and made
-ready to be taken up by through trains.
-
-A man on a track bicycle had just set some lights. He whirled away
-towards Dover as Ralph stood looking about him.
-
-No other human being was in sight. On a near siding stood half a dozen
-freight cars. Over on another track, near the water tower, stood a
-dead freight dummy.
-
-"I can't make out much here," reflected Ralph. "No one in sight, no
-indication why Van mentioned the place."
-
-He strolled over to the dead locomotive. Its tender was full of coal.
-Ralph opened the furnace door. Everything was ready to kindle up, and
-the gauge showed a full water supply.
-
-"I see," mused Ralph. "There is to be some switching, or a night run.
-I don't know how soon, though. Well, I'll hang around a bit.
-Something may develop."
-
-Ralph walked down the short line of freights, casually inspecting the
-cars. As he came to the last one he dodged back in a very lively
-fashion.
-
-Climbing up the embankment to the left were four persons. They had
-just emerged, it seemed, from thick underbrush lining the tracks.
-
-Two of them were grown men--bearded, rough-looking fellows, resembling
-tramps.
-
-The other two persons of the group had a prompt and distinct interest
-to Ralph. He at once recognized Ike Slump and Mort Bemis.
-
-They were coming directly towards the freights. Ralph saw the danger
-of discovery.
-
-The door of the car next to the last box freight was ajar.
-
-Ralph leaped up into the car just as Ike Slump reached the top of the
-railroad embankment.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXX--PRECIOUS FREIGHT
-=============================
-
-"Here we are!" almost immediately sounded out the tones of Mort Bemis.
-
-"Glad of it," growled a gruff, breathless voice, unfamiliar to the
-listening Ralph. "We are about done out lugging these heavy crowbars
-over swamps and up this steep climb."
-
-"Quick action, now," broke in Slump. "Here, give me a crowbar."
-
-Ralph glided to the end of the box car he was in. He got near its
-little rear grated window.
-
-Cautiously he looked out. Standing at the side of the track were Bemis
-and the two tramps. One of them held a crowbar. Another like it Ike
-was extending between the bumpers. He knocked up the coupling pin
-connecting the rear car with the rest of the train.
-
-Then he pried against the head of the pin, and forced it out. As it
-fell to the roadbed, he said:
-
-"Watch up and down the tracks, Mort."
-
-"Oh, there's no likelihood of anybody coming for three hours," retorted
-Bemis. "The express has passed, and the signal man. The switching
-crew will keep snug and cozy in Hank Allen's restaurant up at Dover
-till schedule time, and that isn't till nine o'clock."
-
-"Well, keep a sharp lookout, all the same," directed Ike. "I worked up
-this deal, and I reckon I have a right to boss the job. Come, my
-friend," to the tramp holding the other crowbar. "Pry on that left
-wheel. I'll take the right. Soon as we get momentum, you two give us
-a shoulder. Push, till I say let go. Understand?"
-
-Ralph was momentarily bewildered. The quartette were about to separate
-the last car from the train. Why?
-
-Ike and his helper got their crowbars each under a wheel. They budged
-the car, and got it fairly started. Then they yelled to the other two,
-and, dropping the crowbars, joined them in pushing the car along by
-sheer shoulder strength.
-
-Ralph stared after them in doubt and concern. Then as they took a
-switch with rusted rails, he clearly saw their object.
-
-The wheels of the detached freight car, striking a sharp slant, ran
-away from the persons who had started it up.
-
-They stood still, gazing after the runaway. It moved on with
-sharpening speed, took a curve, and was shut out from view.
-
-For fully two minutes afterwards, however, Ralph could catch the
-diminishing clatter of the fast revolving wheels. The others stood
-listening, too.
-
-It was fairly dusk now. As the quartette approached the remaining
-cars, Ralph noticed that Mort Bemis was chuckling. Ike Slump's face
-wore an expression of intense satisfaction. They all halted as they
-reached the stationary freights.
-
-"Here," spoke Ike, "we don't need those any longer."
-
-He seized the crowbars in turn lying on the roadbed. He gave them a
-swing, sending them in among the long grass at the side of the
-embankment.
-
-"Done quite neatly," spoke Bemis. "Now then, fellows--back the way we
-came. Horse and wagon all ready?"
-
-"Yes," assented one of the tramps.
-
-"Make it lively, then. We can get around to the switch off where that
-car has come to a stop, in about an hour."
-
-"Then for the safe, and a fortune apiece!" cried Ike excitedly. "Say,
-Mort, the five hundred we lost on the races looks a fleabite to what
-we'll divide up in the next two hours!"
-
-"I don't see why you didn't drive right up here and dump the safe?"
-suggested one of the men of the party.
-
-"Don't you?" spoke Ike. "Well, you'd have a fine time, driving over,
-that boggy waste, wouldn't you? Besides, that spur is never used. No
-chance of any meddlers where that car is now. The train crew won't be
-here till nine o'clock. When they do come, even if they miss the car,
-they won't suspect where it has gone to."
-
-"Correct," assented Mort Bemis in a jubilant tone. "Oh, we're working
-on greased rollers! Come, let's go around for the horse and wagon, and
-get that safe in our claws."
-
-The quartette descended the embankment and disappeared from view.
-Ralph jumped from the car the moment they were out of sight.
-
-In the light of the overheard conversation and recent doings of Slump
-and his companions, the young leverman was pretty well able to
-conjecture what they were doing.
-
-Van's blurred message grew clearer now. Ralph doubted not but that
-Slump and Bemis had projected and were carrying out a daring robbery.
-
-According to what they had said, the detached car had aboard some very
-valuable freight: nothing less than a safe. And Ike had intimated that
-it contained "a fortune apiece."
-
-This seemed incredible to Ralph. All the same, he realized that they
-had isolated the car to loot it.
-
-"In an hour they will have their booty," he reflected rapidly. "Can I
-foot it to Dover in time? No way to wire. Why, I'll do it!"
-
-A quick idea came into Ralph's mind. He would anticipate the robbers.
-He ran fast as he could to the locomotive on the siding.
-
-Ralph Fairbanks never valued his practical roundhouse experience so
-greatly as during the ensuing fifteen minutes.
-
-He knew all about a locomotive, for he had been a shop hand to some
-profit. He lit the fire, set the steam gauges, piled on the coal.
-Steam up, he backed towards the spur, stopped, opened a switch, and
-glided west after the runaway car.
-
-As he rounded a curve he noticed that the spur had two tracks, and he
-had by chance taken the outer one.
-
-The tracks ran parallel, however. There must be switches further on,
-he decided, and he put on a fair head of steam and sped on his way.
-
-The spur ran in and out a hilly district with numerous curves. At
-length there was a level stretch. Ralph whizzed by the detached car,
-standing stationary at the end of a steep grade about a quarter of a
-mile from the main rails where it had been started.
-
-He took a new curve, slowed up, and began looking for a switch. The
-tracks ended near a dismantled ruin. It had evidently once been in use
-as a factory, but now, like the spur tracks, was abandoned.
-
-At this terminus were several switches. Ralph got righted on the
-inside rails and started back for the detached car.
-
-There were as many as four curves to pass, all breasting elevations at
-the side. Ralph proceeded rather slowly. As he reached the final open
-stretch, however, his hand came down sharply on the lever.
-
-He pulled the throttle open. A glance had warned him that there was no
-time now to dally.
-
-It was not quite dark yet. Some lanterns were now at the side of the
-detached car.
-
-Near it was a horse and wagon. The side door of the car was open. One
-of the tramps was carrying a rope from the wagon. The other was just
-climbing into the car.
-
-Ralph drove the locomotive forward so promptly that the alarmed shout
-of the man coming from the wagon was mingled with a resounding crash,
-as the bulkheads of the cow-catcher struck the end of the car. The
-freight was momentarily lifted from its trucks. Then car and engine
-swept on.
-
-The tramp, just climbing into the car when the contact came, was
-knocked free of his hold by the shock. He went keeling over and over
-in the gravel by the side of the track.
-
-From the inside of the car sounded loud and fervent yells. Ralph kept
-his eye fixed on the side of the freight. A head was thrust out--two
-of them.
-
-Staring back in startled wonder, Ike Slump and Mort Bemis saw what had
-happened, and marvelled.
-
-They did not attempt to jump. Ralph believed that they recognized him.
-Whether this were true or not, just as the locomotive reached the main
-road bed a report rang out. A bullet smashed in the front window of
-the cab.
-
-Ralph dodged down. His enemies were driven to desperate straits. He
-held back from the window out of range, but kept his hand firmly on the
-lever.
-
-A glance showed what he was running into. The stationary freights
-blocked his course. Ralph slowed up. Then, as the expected contact
-came, he put on full steam again.
-
-A momentary halt had given Bemis a chance to leave the detached car in
-safety. As the locomotive glided by he grabbed at its step.
-
-Ralph threw out one foot. It met Mort's jaw, and sent him spinning
-clear of his hold.
-
-The locomotive was now pushing the entire train. Ralph's heart began
-to beat fast. He dared not stop, for Slump was probably armed, and his
-confederates might come in pursuit.
-
-Ralph did not know what he might run into, or what might run into him.
-He was a "wild" of the most reckless description. It was make or break
-for Dover, now!
-
-"He's jumped!" exclaimed Ralph.
-
-A dark form, that of Ike Slump, leaped from the car ahead as it passed
-a morass. Ralph ventured to lean out of the cab window.
-
-He could make out the nearing lights of Dover. Glancing back, he saw
-by the signals that the tracks were clear for the regular service.
-
-Toot-toot-too-oot-too-oot!
-
-Far and wide rang the ear-splitting alarm signal. Ralph kept it up
-continuously. Then, as he neared the crossings tower lights at Dover,
-he shut off steam and jolted down to a dead stop.
-
-Glancing back and ahead, he saw the signals change in a flash, blocking
-all rails.
-
-A lantern moved down the tracks. Two men came running towards the
-freights and along them till they reached the locomotive.
-
-One of the men was evidently the head towerman. He glared wildly up at
-Ralph.
-
-"What in thunder is this?" he cried.
-
-"Why, you may call it a special," answered Ralph promptly.
-
-"Special?" roared the irate towerman--"special what?"
-
-"A special treasure train, I would call it, from what I learn," said
-Ralph coolly. "I have just run it clear of four robbers, and I
-understand it has 'four fortunes' in it."
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXI--HALF A MILLION DOLLARS
-====================================
-
-"Name?"
-
-"Fairbanks."
-
-"Ah, I have heard of you. Towerman at Stanley Junction--first name
-Ralph?"
-
-"Yes, sir."
-
-"Wasn't it you who made that terrifically heroic run through the fire
-at the Acton freight yards with engineer John Griscom?"
-
-"I was there, yes," admitted Ralph modestly.
-
-"Thought so. Shake. Proud to know you, Mr. Fairbanks, and glad to see
-you are keeping your name clean and bright on the railroad roll of
-honor."
-
-"Thank you."
-
-Ralph sat in the room of the assistant superintendent at Dover, an hour
-after taking the special into safety. He had made a brief explanation
-to the towerman. The freights were sidetracked, a dozen watchmen
-guarded the cars, as many specials were sent back to South Dover to
-attempt the capture of the robbers.
-
-"Here," spoke the assistant superintendent, summoning a messenger,
-"take that wire for Stanley Junction. Fairbanks, do you happen to know
-that you have done an amazing thing?"
-
-Ralph shook his head with an uncertain smile.
-
-"Well, you have. I have wired the Junction that you can't go back
-to-night."
-
-"But my leave of absence was only temporary."
-
-"Don't let that disturb you at all," said the assistant superintendent.
-"The road needs you here at present. I fancy the road will be very
-likely to acknowledge your services of to-night. You have prevented
-the theft of half a million dollars."
-
-Ralph started at this monstrous statement. It seemed incredible.
-
-"That is right. The real owner of the sum will probably give you a
-bank calendar free, or sue the Great Northern for delay. All the same,
-the road feels its obligation to you, and I want you to know it. You
-will have to stay here till we get this matter straightened out. You
-see, you are the only person who can identify those robbers--if they
-are caught. You will stay at my home to-night."
-
-The assistant superintendent then went over the entire matter in
-detail, and Ralph heard an interesting story.
-
-A parsimonious country banker--who seemed to be a sort of second
-edition of Gasper Farrington--had decided to move his bank from its
-original location to a point two hundred miles distant.
-
-Too niggardly to purchase the security of his money by sending it by
-express, he had put it and his securities in a small safe. This he had
-boxed up, and had shipped it by special freight as merchandise.
-
-How Slump and Bemis had got wind of the proceeding, Ralph could only
-theorize. They had certainly planned well to make off with this
-magnificent booty.
-
-How Van Sherwin had been able to send the intimation he had to Ralph,
-was yet to be explained.
-
-The railroad official treated Ralph like a prince. Both of the tramps
-were captured and placed in jail. They claimed they had simply been
-hired by Slump and Bemis to work for them.
-
-The next morning the banker who had so nearly lost his banking capital
-arrived in hot haste.
-
-He proceeded to express his precious belongings the rest of the
-way--for which the express company proceeded to charge him as strong as
-the case would stand.
-
-"Ha, hum," this individual observed, as he shook Ralph's hand--"a
-slight--ha, hum--testimonial. Don't mention it!"
-
-Ralph exhibited a dollar bill to the curious and furious assistant
-superintendent as the banker withdrew. Then he handed it to the
-messenger, with the remark:
-
-"You take your own risk in trying to pass it!"
-
-Just before noon Ralph was given a telegram from Stanley Junction,
-signed by Slavin.
-
-It read:
-
-
-"Hear you are at Dover, so I will wire. Needed in S.J. V.S. and Mrs.
-D. here, G.F. in a panic. Quick action needed. Come."
-
-
-Ralph told the assistant superintendent of the urgent message.
-
-"Of course you must go," said the latter, "but you will have to come
-down and identify the two prisoners in court in a day or two. By the
-way, we have sent a full report of the case to headquarters. I would
-suggest, Fairbanks, if you are tired of tower service, you won't have
-to ask for promotion."
-
-"Not tired of it, sir," explained Ralph, "only anxious to get higher up
-the ladder as fast as I can."
-
-"Very good. You've earned a good boost this time," declared the
-assistant superintendent.
-
-Ralph reached Stanley Junction just after dark. He left the train at
-the limits and took a short rut home.
-
-The front of the little cottage was aglow with cheerful light, and he
-knew there was "company."
-
-Ralph burst in upon his good friend, Van, with a boisterous welcome.
-More gently, but none the less sincerely, he greeted Mrs. Davis. She
-sat in a comfortable armchair, rather pale and feeble-looking, but
-smiling through her happy tears.
-
-Young Slavin occupied a humble seat at one side of the room.
-
-"Lawyer made me come," he whispered to Ralph,--"waiting for him now."
-
-"What lawyer?" inquired Ralph in surprise.
-
-"One Van got. Oh, he's been running all the switches this afternoon, I
-can tell you!"
-
-Just there Van beckoned to Ralph, and led him into an adjoining room,
-closing the door on the others.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XXXII--CONCLUSION
-=========================
-
-"You had best know just how things stand," remarked Van Sherwin, as he
-proceeded to tell an interesting story.
-
-Van had learned from Ralph's note sent to him to the town jail that Ike
-Slump or Mort Bemis had the documents stolen from Mrs. Davis' little
-tin box.
-
-He had watched his fellow prisoners closely, finally discovering that
-the papers were carried by Slump in a secret inner coat pocket.
-
-The very night that Slump and Bemis escaped, Van with a window pole
-reached into the cell, got the garment in question, and left his own
-coat in its place.
-
-He secured the stolen documents. Folded in with them was a receipt for
-somebody's board at a place called Millville. Van decided that this
-was the place where Mrs. Davis was imprisoned, or detained.
-
-He intended to gain his freedom in the morning early. In the meantime,
-as the reader is aware, Slump and Bemis escaped. The former was
-probably unaware in the darkness that he was wearing Van's coat instead
-of his own.
-
-Van started forthwith to locate Mrs. Davis. He found there were two
-Millvilles, and it was several days before he settled down on the right
-one. It took several more to locate Mrs. Davis' present guardians.
-
-They proved to be a wretched couple in an isolated farmhouse. They
-kept their prisoner in a barred attic room.
-
-Mrs. Davis had missed a paper which told where the tin box was
-secreted. This her jailers had probably given to Slump, who thus
-obtained a clew as to the whereabouts of the documents.
-
-Van managed to rescue Mrs. Davis without being discovered by her
-guardians. That very day he came upon Slump and Bemis near the old
-farmhouse.
-
-He secreted himself and overheard some of their conversation. They had
-squandered all of their ready money, and dared not return to Stanley
-Junction. They had come to the farmhouse to remove Mrs. Davis, and
-with her in their hands blackmail Farrington afresh.
-
-They had discovered her escape, and then they talked of a last
-desperate scheme. It was to "hold up" something or somebody at South
-Dover.
-
-Van could not leave Mrs. Davis, to follow or pursue them. He wrote the
-hurried postal to Ralph that had got wet and blurred in transmission,
-but, despite which fact, Ralph had managed to utilize with such grand
-results.
-
-Mrs. Davis' secret was a simple one. As has been said, her husband was
-none other than Van's adopted father, Farwell Gibson, who had been
-fleeced by Gasper Farrington along with Ralph's own father.
-
-The magnate had maligned Gibson so that Mrs. Gibson left him. They
-became strangers, and later Farrington claimed he was dead.
-
-Mrs. Gibson, or Mrs. Davis as she now called herself, became quite
-poor. She discovered among some old papers an agreement between
-herself, Mr. Fairbanks, and Gasper Farrington about the twenty thousand
-dollars' worth of railroad bonds.
-
-This document showed plainly that in equity she had a quarter interest,
-and Mrs. Fairbanks the balance in these bonds really held in trust by
-Farrington.
-
-She had come to Stanley Junction to sell this paper to Farrington.
-Embittered by her sad past, she had no thoughts of the rights of
-others, until Ralph did her a kindly act and changed all the motives of
-her life.
-
-Now, after learning from Van how her husband had been wronged and
-misrepresented by Farrington, she longed to secure her five thousand
-dollars to assist him in beginning his short-line railroad.
-
-"There will be a happy reunion," Van told Ralph. "As to the money, the
-twenty thousand dollars, I have had a lawyer working on her claim and
-yours all day long. They say that Slump wrote a letter to some friend
-here, telling all about Farrington's dealings with him. The local
-paper threatens an exposé, and this, with the factory fire and our
-claim, has driven the miserable old schemer nearly to his wits' end.
-Ah, there is the lawyer now."
-
-Ralph knew the legal gentleman in question. They rejoined the others
-in the front parlor.
-
-"Have you seen Farrington?" asked Van promptly.
-
-"No," responded the lawyer. "He has secluded himself, and refuses to
-be seen. I have had to deal with him through his attorney. It has
-been quibble and evasion all day long. Just now, however, they arrived
-at an ultimatum."
-
-"What is it?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"Farrington is near to nervous collapse. His losses and his fears of
-disgrace have driven him to leave Stanley Junction until the storm has
-blown over. His lawyer admits the justice of our claim. He asks that
-they be given a little time to settle it."
-
-"Not an hour, if the claim is just and right!" declared Ralph sternly.
-"We have been kept out of our rights all these years."
-
-"Then I have a suggestion to make," said the lawyer. "I have no doubt
-whatever of your forcing payments in time. The only thing is, that
-crafty old fox, Farrington, will scheme for delay. He intends to get
-it by taking a trip to Europe."
-
-"Out of the country?" exclaimed Ralph.
-
-"So I learn. In fact, he has left, or is leaving now. That will be
-unfortunate for your case. Now, if you could get service on him before
-he leaves, you head off his dilatory arrangements."
-
-"What kind of service?" asked Van.
-
-"A legal demand of your claim, to be proven in court if he does not
-settle. That would bring his lawyer to time. I have prepared the
-demand--in fact, I have a man waiting outside to serve it--if you can
-suggest any way to reach Farrington."
-
-"Why, if he is leaving for Europe to-night," said Ralph, arising to his
-feet and consulting his watch, "he will have to take the southern
-train."
-
-"Not from the Stanley Junction depot, I fancy," observed the lawyer.
-
-"No, he will probably get on at the limits, or down at Acton, and take
-the train there."
-
-"See here," spoke up Slavin suddenly--"leave this to me, will you?"
-
-"How do you mean?" inquired Ralph.
-
-"Send your man with me," said Slavin to the lawyer. "The railroad
-people will give me every chance to nab my man, if I tell them it's for
-Ralph Fairbanks."
-
-"Very good," nodded the lawyer with satisfaction, "try it with my man,
-if you will."
-
-There was so much to discuss, that Ralph, Van, and the two ladies sat
-up until long past midnight.
-
-Just as they were retiring, the lawyer's messenger appeared at the
-front door of the cottage.
-
-"O.K.," he said, with a chuckle.
-
-"Got your man?" asked Van.
-
-"Sure thing. Farrington sneaked on to the train at Acton, disguised,
-and hid in a sleeper. The conductor knew Fairbanks here, and Slavin
-did the rest. Snaked him out of his berth, and made him acknowledge
-our legal demand. He's off for Europe, but I'll warrant won't tangle
-up his affairs here by letting you sue. But he has already wired his
-lawyer to settle with you people."
-
-"Good!" shouted Ralph, and his face showed his pleasure.
-
-Everything seemed working out happily. Ralph came up into the switch
-tower with a bright, cheery face, next morning.
-
-"Hello, Slavin," he said, noticing his muscular young friend at the
-levers--"practicing?"
-
-"No, sir--on duty," answered Slavin with great dignity.
-
-"What's that?" demanded Ralph sharply.
-
-"Sure," coolly nodded Slavin, giving the levers a truly professional
-swing. "Don't talk to the leverman when he's busy--rule of the office,
-you, know, for outsiders."
-
-"Ho! ho!" chuckled old Jack Knight.
-
-"Outsiders?" repeated Ralph. "Call me one?"
-
-"Ask Mr. Knight."
-
-Ralph looked inquiringly at the veteran towerman.
-
-"That's right," assented Knight. "Superintendent was just here. Put
-Slavin on the levers, and wants you up at headquarters."
-
-"What for?" asked Ralph.
-
-"Says you're due for promotion. Asked me what I thought about your
-choice. I told him fireman."
-
-Ralph's eyes sparkled with pleasure.
-
-"Thank you, Mr. Knight," he said. "If it's to be another step up the
-ladder, I would like it to be in just that line."
-
-"You take another rung sure, that's settled," declared old Jack
-proudly. "And--you'll get to the top!"
-
-One hour later Ralph Fairbanks was officially instructed by the
-superintendent of the Great Northern, that he had been promoted to a
-new branch of service.
-
-How did he succeed? How well, and how his influence and example helped
-the success of his loyal railroad friends, will be told in a succeeding
-volume to be called "Ralph on the Engine; or, The Young Fireman of the
-Limited Mail."
-
-For the time being he was very happy and so was his mother. Mrs.
-Fairbanks felt certain that they would soon be in possession of the
-property Gasper Farrington had so long kept from them.
-
-"I think so myself, mother," said Ralph, and then he added with
-enthusiasm: "Isn't it wonderful how we have prospered!"
-
-"Yes, Ralph."
-
-"And to think that I am to be a regularly appointed fireman," he
-continued.
-
-"I can see that you are bound to be a railroad man, Ralph," answered
-the fond parent with a faint smile. "Well, you take after your father.
-I surely wish you the best of luck in your chosen calling."
-
-And so do we; is that not so, gentle reader?
-
-
-
-
-.. class:: center medium
-
- | THE END
-
-
-.. pgfooter::
diff --git a/39051-rst/images/img-front.jpg b/39051-rst/images/img-front.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2925a70..0000000 --- a/39051-rst/images/img-front.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/39051.txt b/39051.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c9c4b90..0000000 --- a/39051.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7316 +0,0 @@ - RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: Ralph in the Switch Tower - -Author: Allen Chapman - -Release Date: March 04, 2012 [EBook #39051] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - -[Illustration: RALPH QUICKLY AND DEFTLY ATTENDED TO THE CALL FOR SEVERAL -SWITCHES.] - - ---- - - RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER - - OR - - CLEARING THE TRACK - - BY - - ALLEN CHAPMAN - - NEW YORK - GROSSET & DUNLAP - PUBLISHERS - - Made in the United States of America - - ---- - - COPYRIGHT, 1907 - BY - THE MERSHON COMPANY - _Ralph in the Switch Tower_ - - ---- - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I--DOWN AND OUT - CHAPTER II--UP THE LADDER - CHAPTER III--A CLOSE GRAZE - CHAPTER IV--A MYSTERY - CHAPTER V--THE STOWAWAY - CHAPTER VI--MRS. FAIRBANKS' VISITOR - CHAPTER VII--"YOUNG SLAVIN" - CHAPTER VIII--A BAD LOT - CHAPTER IX--CALCUTTA TOM - CHAPTER X--A MILE A MINUTE - CHAPTER XI--SPOILING FOR A FIGHT - CHAPTER XII--THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OPINION - CHAPTER XIII--SQUARING THINGS - CHAPTER XIV--A BUSY EVENING - CHAPTER XV--A HERO DESPITE HIMSELF - CHAPTER XVI--KIDNAPPED - CHAPTER XVII--A MIDNIGHT VISITOR - CHAPTER XVIII--A DESPERATE CHANCE - CHAPTER XIX--THE DOUBLE WRECK - CHAPTER XX--THE CRAZY ORDERS - CHAPTER XXI--IKE SLUMPS "NUTCRACKER" - CHAPTER XXII--A HEADSTRONG FRIEND - CHAPTER XXIII--IKE SLUMP & CO. - CHAPTER XXIV--FIRE! - CHAPTER XXV--THE LITTLE TIN BOX - CHAPTER XXVI--A CLEW! - CHAPTER XXVII--SLAVIN GETS A JOB - CHAPTER XXVIII--WHAT THE "EXTRA" TOLD - CHAPTER XXIX--GUESSING - CHAPTER XXX--PRECIOUS FREIGHT - CHAPTER XXXI--HALF A MILLION DOLLARS - CHAPTER XXXII--CONCLUSION - - ---- - - RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER - - - - -CHAPTER I--DOWN AND OUT - - -"Get out of here!" said Jack Knight, head towerman of the Great Northern -Railroad, at Stanley Junction. - -"Why, I ain't doing no harm," retorted Mort Bemis, ex-leverman of the -depot switch tower. - -"And stay out. Hear me?" demanded Knight, big as a bear, and quite as -gruff. - -"What's the call for sitting down on a fellow this way, I'd like to -know!" muttered Bemis sullenly. - -"You're a bad lot, that's what," growled the veteran railroader. "You -always were and you always will be. I'm through with you. So is the -railroad company. What's the call, you meddlesome, malicious reprobate? -That's the call!" fairly shouted the towerman, red of face and choleric -of voice. - -He moved one arm as he spoke. It hung in a sling, and the hand was -swathed in bandages. - -"There's some of your fine, Smart-Aleck work," he went on angrily. "Come -now, take yourself out of here! This is a place for workers, not -loafers." - -Mort Bemis gave Jack Knight a revengeful look. Then he moved towards -the trap in the floor. - -The scene was the depot switch tower at Stanley Junction, in sight of -the local passenger depot. It loomed up thirty feet in the air, -glass-windowed on every side. It was neat, light, and airy. In its -center, running nearly its length, was the row of long heavy levers that -controlled the depot and siding switches of the terminus of the Great -Northern Railroad. - -The big-framed, business-faced man who bustled among these, keeping an -angry eye meantime on an unwelcome visitor, was a veteran and a marvel -in local railroad circles. - -When the Great Northern had come to Stanley Junction, ten years back, it -brought old Jack Knight with it, - -He had an eye like an eagle and the muscles of a giant. The inside of -his head was popularly believed to be a vast railroad map. He -controlled the main rails, switches, and sidings, like a woman would the -threads of an intricate knitting piece. He directed the locomotives and -trains up and down that puzzling network of rails, like puppets moved by -strings. In ten years' service he had never been responsible for an -accident or a wreck. - -Old Jack, therefore, having never made a mistake in railroading, had -little patience with the careless, lazy specimen whom he had just -ordered out of the place. - -Mort Bemis had been his assistant in the tower. The fellow's record had -always been full of flaws. He was slow and indifferent at the levers. -He associated with a shiftless crowd outside. He borrowed money and did -not pay it back. He was unreliable, disagreeable, and unpopular. - -Three days previous, old Jack was adjusting a heavy weight bar on the -lower story of the switch tower. - -Mort, upstairs, was supposed to safely hold back a spring-bar apparatus -while his superior was fixing the delicate mechanism below. - -His mind everywhere except on his task, Mort for an instant took his -hand off the bar to wave a recognition to a chosen chum, "flipping" a -passing freight train. - -There was a frightful yell below. Mort, terrified, pulled back the bar. -Then he stuck his head through the trap. There stood old Jack, pale as -death, one hand crushed and mutilated through his helper's outrageous -lapse of duty. - -The old railroader's rage was terrible, as he forgot his pain and hurt -in the realization that for the first time in ten years he was crippled -from active service. - -The frightened Mort made a dive for a window. He slid down the -water-spout outside, got to the nearest switch shanty, telephoned the -depot master about the accident,--and made himself scarce. - -Mort joined some chosen chums in one of the haunts of Railroad Street. -He reported by 'phone "on the sick list" next morning. He did not show -up until two days later, "after a good and easy rest," as he put it, and -then fancying old Jack's "grouch" had cooled down. - -Mort's reception has been related. He was informed that the railroad -company had peremptorily discharged him. As to old Jack himself, Mort -readily discerned that the veteran railroader was aching to give him a -good hiding. - -Mort did not wait to furnish an excuse for this. He now started down -the trap-door ladder, grumbling and growling. - -"Be careful!" rapidly but pleasantly warned someone whom Mort jostled a -few feet from the bottom. - -Mort edged over and dropped to the floor. He gave the speaker a keen -look. - -"Hello! Oh; it's you?" he muttered with a scowl; "Ralph Fairbanks." - -The person addressed responded with a short nod. Then he continued to -mount the ladder in an easy, agile way. - -"Hold on," challenged Bemis. - -He had planted his feet apart, and had fixed a fierce and malignant -glance upon the newcomer. - -Suspicion, disappointment, and rage showed plainly in his coarse, sullen -face. - -There was something in the striking contrast between himself and the -other that galled Mort. - -He was "down and out," he realized, while the neat, cheery, ambitious -lad whom he had hailed, three years his junior, was "going up the -ladder" in more ways than one. - -The latter wore a new, clean working suit, and carried a dinner pail. He -suggested the wholesome, energetic worker from top to toe. - -"I am holding on," he observed to Mort, stopping half-way up the ladder. - -"Thought you was working at the roundhouse?" said Mort. - -"I was," answered Ralph Fairbanks. "I have been promoted." - -"Where to?" - -"Here." - -"What!" flared out Mort. "What do you know about switch-tower duty?" - -"Not much, only what Mr. Knight has shown me for the past two days. But -I'll catch on, I guess." - -Mort Bemis struck a tragic pose and his voice quavered. - -"Oho! that's the game, eh? All cut and dried! My bread and butter -taken away from me, to give to one of the master mechanic's pets. Augh!" - -Mort retreated with a grimace of disgust. He was standing under a floor -grating. Purposely or by accident, Knight, overhead, had dropped a -dipperful of water through the grating. - -Mort jumped outside the lower tower room, growling like a mad catamount. -He shook his fist menacingly at Ralph. - -"Fairbanks," he cried, "I'll fix you for this!" - -Ralph did not even look at his enemy again. He completed his ascent of -the ladder, and came up through the trap with a bright, cheery hail to -old Jack, whom he liked and who liked him. - -"I report for active duty, Mr. Knight," he announced briskly. - -"Oh, do you?" retorted the old railroader, disguising his good nature -under his usual mask of grimness. "Well, you're ahead of time fifteen -minutes, so just sit down and behave yourself till I get those freights -over yonder untangled. Anxious for work, are you?" he pursued -quizzically. "You'll have enough of it. I'm ordered up to the -crossings tower, and you'll have to take the first half-night shift here -alone. Think you can manage it?" - -"I can try, Mr. Knight," was the modest but resolute reply. - - - - -CHAPTER II--UP THE LADDER - - -Ralph Fairbanks was a full-fledged railroader, young as he was. - -Those who have read the preceding volume of this series, will have no -difficulty in recognizing the able and intrepid hero of "Ralph of the -Roundhouse" in the manly young fellow who had just reported for duty to -grim old Jack Knight. - -Ralph had lived at Stanley Junction since childhood. His father had -been a railroad man before him. In fact, John Fairbanks had been -instrumental in bringing the Great Northern to Stanley Junction. He had -in part supervised its construction. - -He had died before reaping the reward of his services. However, Mrs. -Fairbanks and his friends knew that he owned some twenty thousand -dollars' worth of railroad stock besides his home. This stock could not -be located after his death, and Ralph and his mother found themselves -totally unprovided for. - -They knew that in his stock deals Mr. Fairbanks had a partner. This was -Gasper Farrington, a miserly but wealthy magnate of the town. - -To their astonishment, this man now came forward with a mortgage on the -homestead that Mrs. Fairbanks was positive had been paid off before her -husband's death. - -Of this, however, she could furnish no written proof. Farrington -professed great sympathy for the family of his dead partner, but -nevertheless he insisted on collecting the interest on the mortgage. - -He seemed very anxious to get the Fairbanks family away from Stanley -Junction, and even offered them a bribe to go. - -This fact aroused Ralph's suspicions. - -He got thinking things over. He suddenly realized what a sacrifice his -noble mother was making to keep him at school. - -One day he went home with a great resolve in his mind. He announced to -his mother that he had decided to put aside boyish sports for hard work. - -Ralph was a favorite with local railroaders. The freight yards at Acton -caught fire, and Ralph was impressed into temporary service. - -The lad's heroic acts won the attention and friendship of the master -mechanic of the railroad. Next day Ralph found himself an employee of -the Great Northern, as wiper under the foreman of the local roundhouse. - -They had offered him a clerical position in the general offices down the -line at Springfield, but Ralph declined. He announced his intention of -beginning at the very bottom of the railroad ladder and working his way -up. - -How promptly and triumphantly he reached the first rung, "Ralph of the -Roundhouse" has narrated. - -It was a hard experience, but he soon won the reputation of turning out -the cleanest, brightest locomotives in the service. - -Ralph made many friends and some enemies. Among the latter was a -dissolute boy named Ike Slump. This young rascal stole nearly a -wagon-load of valuable brass fittings from the railroad supply shops, -and not a trace of the thief or booty could be discovered by the road -detectives. - -Ralph had in the meantime befriended and practically adopted a poor -waif, named Van Sherwin. The latter had been accidentally struck in the -head by a baseball. His reason seemed gone. Ralph's tender-hearted -mother cared for him as if he was an only son. - -Strange to say, it was through this lone waif whom Ralph had so -befriended that the young railroader was led to know a certain Farwell -Gibson. This man turned out to be, like Ralph's father, a victim of the -wiles of old Gasper Farrington. - -Ralph and he got comparing notes. Gibson lived in a lonely stretch of -woods. He was day by day doing some grading work, which enabled him to -keep alive a legal charter for a cut-off railway line. - -He furnished Ralph with the evidence that the mortgage on the Fairbanks -home had been paid. - -Incidentally, near the woodland seclusion of Farwell Gibson, Ralph ran -across a wrecked wagon in a ravine. In this he discovered the metal -fittings stolen from the railroad company. - -Ike Slump got away, but Ralph secured the plunder. When he returned to -Stanley Junction, through a lawyer he made Gasper Farrington acknowledge -the mortgage on their home as invalid, much to the chagrin of the old -miser. - -He told Farrington, too, that he believed he had his father's twenty -thousand dollars' worth of railroad bonds hidden away somewhere, and -notified him that he should yet try to unravel the mystery surrounding -them. - -Ralph now reaped the reward of duty well done. Life grew brighter. They -had a home, and Mr. Blake, the master mechanic, showed his appreciation -of the recovery of the stolen plunder. - -Ralph was officially notified that he was promoted to duty at the depot -switch tower. - -For two days he had been under the skilled tuition of old Jack Knight, -learning the ropes. Now, at the noon hour of a bright, balmy autumn -day, he entered upon this second grade of service in the employ of the -Great Northern. - -It was a pleasure to the ardent young railroader to view the panorama of -rails and switches in plain view of the switch tower. - -It was a fascinating novelty to study old Jack Knight at the levers. -One-handed as he was for the occasion, he went through his duties like -some skilled master giving an expert exhibition. - -The switch levers were numbered up to twenty. In their center was a -dial, a foot across. Over its surface ran an indicator, moved by an -electric button one mile south, at the main signal tower at the limits -of the town. - -"Passenger No. 8," "Freight 10," "Express 3," "Special," "Chaser," and -half a dozen other regular trains were marked on this dial. - -Nearby was a telephone, also connecting with the limits tower. This was -in requisition every minute to announce when trains had passed a certain -switch, closed again behind them. - -A large megaphone hung in readiness near an open window behind the -operator, who darted from lever to lever according as he received his -orders by 'phone or dial. - -For two days, as Ralph had told Mort Bemis, he had been under the -skilled tuition of old Jack, learning the switches. - -He had gone down the tracks to the limits, foot by foot slowly, twenty -times or more that morning, until he had a perfect map in his head of -every rail and switch on the roadbeds. - -He had familiarized himself with every lever number, and that of every -train on the road. He realized that trained eye, ear, and muscle must -be ever on the alert, or great loss of life and property might result at -any moment. - -There was a lull in active duty for the veteran towerman as the noon -whistles blew. Knight set the lever for a lazy switch engine taking a -siding, sent the noon accommodation on her way, closed the switches -after her, and gave attention to Ralph. - -"Well, Fairbanks," he said, slipping his coat over one arm and changing -his cap, "think you can manage?" - -"I can obey orders," answered Ralph. - -"That's all you have to do. The limits gives you your cue. Never -forget that they are the responsible party. If they say six, make it -six, if you see that it's going to bust a train of Pullmans, depot, and -all. Obey orders--that's the beginning and end. Number two is: Use -your own judgment with chasers and freights when the tracks are full." - -Just then the telephone bell rang. Ralph grasped the receiver. - -"No. 4, express, backing in," and Ralph repeating it casually for old -Jack's benefit, stepped on the long, narrow plank lining the lever -platform. - -"Three for the yards switch, 7 for the in main, and 4 for the express -shed siding," he pronounced. - -It took some muscle to pull over the big heavy levers in turn, which -were not operated on the new-style compressed air system. - -Knight watched him closely, nodding his head in approval as Ralph closed -the switches on limits' 'phoning as the express passed certain points. -As a locomotive backing three express cars passed the tower and took the -sheds tracks, old Jack observed: - -"You'll do. I'll drop in later. Your shift runs till 9 P.M. Then Doc -Bortree will relieve you." - -"All right, Mr. Knight. And thanks for all your trouble in teaching -me," said Ralph. - -The old towerman disappeared down the trap ladder. Ralph did not sit -down. He was alone now, and it would take time and experience to -dissipate the natural tension of anxiety he felt. - -"It's a big responsibility for a boy," he spoke musingly. "They know -their business, though," he went on, "and have confidence in me, it -seems. Well, I'll make good, if strict obedience to orders is the -keynote." - -The ensuing hour was a great strain on Ralph's nerves. It was a -critical situation, for at one o'clock it seemed as if every switch -engine in the service started up simultaneously. - -Three freights and one out and one in passenger complicated the -situation. Ralph's eye never left the dial. His ear got trained to -catching the slightest click on the telephone. - -He felt as flabby as a doormat and was wet with perspiration, as he -finally cleared the yards. - -"Never a miss!" he panted, with a good deal of satisfaction. "It -couldn't come much swifter than that at any hour of the day or night. -It's genuine hard work, though, and expert work, too. Well, I've made a -fair beginning." - -Ralph had it quite easy for an hour now. He rested in the big cane -armchair on a little elevated platform directly in front of the levers. -From there he had a clear view of every foot of the yards. - -Some roundhouse hands, passing by, waved him a genial hail. The depot -master strolled by about three o'clock, and called up to know how -Knight's hand was getting on. Just after that, Ralph fancied he -recognized Mort Bemis in a group of loaferish-looking fellows on the -freight tracks. A call to the levers, however, distracted his -attention, and when he looked again the coterie had disappeared. - -"I'll have a stirring report to make to mother to-night," reflected -Ralph, with pleasurable anticipation. - -A short freight had just taken the far siding. Its engineer held up two -fingers to Ralph. This indicated that he wanted main two. After that -his crew set the unattached switches beyond themselves. - -The freight was slowing up, when Ralph saw a female form come over the -bumpers of two of the moving cars. She leaped to the ground as nimbly -as an expert switchman. - -The fireman of the freight yelled at her and shook his fist. She tossed -her head in the air and proceeded across the planked passenger roadbeds, -dodging a hand-car, climbing over a stationary freight, and continuing -recklessly across the railroad property where outsiders were not -allowed. - -She was a somewhat portly, red-faced woman of about forty. She wore a -hideous poke bonnet, and carried a bulging umbrella with a heavy hooked -handle. - -In crossing between the cars she simply reached up with this, encircled -the brake-rod with the umbrella handle, and pulled herself to the -bumpers. - -A flagman came rushing up to her. He pointed to the painted sign on a -signal post near by, warning trespassers. - -Ralph watched the determined female flare up. The flagman tried to stop -her. She knocked off his cap with a sweeping blow of the umbrella, and -proceeded calmly on her way with the stride of some amazon. - -Ralph was wondering at her temerity and mission. She was headed -straight for the switch tower. - -Just then the dial clicked. "Chaser" it indicated, and down the main -track came a locomotive and tender at full speed. - -The 'phone gave the direction: Track 11. This was a set of rails -rounding beyond the blank wall of the in freight on a sharp curve. - -It took one lever to set the switch from the main track, another to open -the rails inside track eleven. - -On the main, forty feet farther on, stood the made-up afternoon -accommodation train. On No. 12 were two dead Pullmans, ready for the -night express. - -The levers of in main and track eleven were less than three feet apart. -Ralph grasped one with each hand, to slide the main with his right and -complete the switch circuit with his left. - -It was an easy task, knowing just what was wanted, and a full thirty -seconds to act in. - -The minute that Ralph's hands struck the levers, a thrill and then a -chill--strong, overpowering, and deadly--paralyzed every nerve in his -body. - -Every vestige of sensation left his frame--his hands, perfectly -nerveless, seemed glued to the levers. - -He could not detach them, strive as he might--he could not exert a -single ounce of pulling power. - -With a gasp Ralph saw the chaser engine dash down the rails, a hundred, -eighty, seventy, fifty feet from the main switch, tender in front, so -engineer and fireman, relying on the tower service, never noticed that -they were headed for a tremendous crash into the made-up accommodation. - -With a sickening sense of horror Ralph strove to pull the levers. -Impossible! - -Something was wrong! He could not move a muscle. Like one petrified he -glared down at the flying locomotive, headed straight for disaster and -destruction. - - - - -CHAPTER III--A CLOSE GRAZE - - -Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! - -Ralph's strained hearing caught these sounds vaguely. All his attention -was centered on the locomotive apparently speeding to sure disaster. - -The next instant, however, he became aware that in some mysterious way -these noises signalized his rescue from a terrible situation. - -The lever rods his hands clasped vibrated harshly. As if by magic that -glue-like suction tension on his fingers was withdrawn. - -His hands still burned and tingled, but a great gasp of relief left his -lips. His eyes fixed on the rushing engine, his hands now pulled the -levers in order. - -Not six inches from taking the in main rails, not eight seconds from -reducing the accommodation to a heap of kindling wood, the "chaser" shot -switch eleven, and glided smoothly to the terminus. Its serene crew -never dreamed how they had grazed death by a hair's breadth. - -Ralph half fell between the levers. He felt that his face must be the -color of chalk. His strength was entirely spent. He still grasped the -levers, hanging there for a moment like a person about to faint. - -Fortunately there was no call for switch-tower service during the -ensuing minute or two. Ralph tried to rally his dazed senses, to -comprehend what was going on below. - -For again a swishing, cracking, clattering sound rang out. This time it -was followed by a curdling cry of pain. - -"You'll blind me--you're tearing my hair out by the roots!" screamed a -voice which Ralph instantly recognized. - -It belonged to Mort Bemis. Ralph began to have a coherent suspicion as -to the cause of his recent helplessness. - -"I'll tear twenty-six dollars out of you, or I'll have your hide!" -proclaimed strident feminine tones. - -"I hain't got no money." - -"You'll get it for me. What, strike me with that piece of wire! You -wretch, I'll----" - -There was a jangling crash, as of some heavy body thrown back against -the lever cables in the lower story of the switch tower. - -Then its door crashed open, and glancing through the windows Ralph saw -Mort Bemis dash into view. - -He sped across tracks as if for his life. He was hatless, his face was -streaked with red welts. From one hand trailed a piece of insulated -electric light wire. - -Giving a frightened backward glance as he reached a line of freights, -the ex-towerman leaped the space between two cars and disappeared from -view. - -From the lower story of the switch tower there now issued exclamations -of rage and disgust. - -Ralph started to look down the ladder trap. Just then the dial called -for a switch, and duty temporarily curbed his interest and curiosity. As -he set clear tracks again, a head obtruded through the trapdoor. - -It was that of the resolute woman Ralph had noticed a little time past -so audaciously crossing the rails and defying instructions. Her face -was red and heated, her eyes flashing. Her hair was in disorder, and -the poke bonnet was all awry. - -"Be careful--don't fall, madam," said Ralph quickly, with inborn -chivalry and politeness, springing to the trap. - -He put out a hand to help her. She disdained his assistance with an -impatient sniff, and cleared the ladder like an expert. - -"Don't trouble yourself about me, young man," she observed crisply. "I'm -able to take care of myself." - -"I see you are, madam." - -"I've run an ore dummy in my time, when my husband was head yardman at -an iron works, and I know how to climb. See here," she demanded -imperatively, fixing a keen look on the young railroader, "are you boss -here?" - -"Why, you might say so," answered Ralph. "That is, I am in charge -here." - -The woman put down her umbrella to adjust her bonnet. Ralph observed -that the umbrella was in tatters and the ribs all broken and twisted. He -comprehended that it was with this weapon that she had just assaulted -Mort Bemis. - -"If you're the boss," pursued the woman, "I'm Mrs. Davis--Mort Bemis' -landlady, and I want to know what I've got to do to get twenty-six -dollars thet he owes me for board and lodging for the last six weeks." - -"I see," nodded Ralph--"slow pay, that fellow." - -"No pay at all!" flashed out the woman wrathfully. "He came to me month -before last with a great story of promotion, big salary, and all his -back funds tied up in a savings bank at Springfield. Last pay day he -claimed someone robbed him. This pay day he dropped from the garret -window, leaving an old empty trunk. I got on his trail to-day, and I -want to garnishee his wages. How do I go about it?" - -"I don't know the process," said Ralph, "never having had any experience -in that class of business, but I should say garnisheeing in this case -would simply be sending good money after bad." - -"How?" demanded Mrs. Davis sharply. - -"Bemis has very likely drawn every cent the company owes him." - -"But his pay is running on." - -"Not now, madam. He was discharged two days ago." - -"W-what!" voiced Mrs. Davis, in dismay. "And won't he be taken back?" - -"From what I hear--hardly," said Ralph. - -The woman's strong, weather-beaten features relaxed. All her -impetuosity seemed to die out with her hope. Ralph felt sorry for her. -She was brusque and harsh of manner, masculine in her ways, but the -womanly helplessness now exhibited was pathetic. - -She tottered back to the armchair, every vestige of willfulness and -force gone. Apparently this odd creature never did things by halves. -She sunk down in the chair, and began to cry as if her heart would -break. Ralph was called back to the levers and had no time to console -her. He watched her pityingly, however. Between her sobbings and -incoherent lamentations he pretty clearly made out the history of her -present woes. - -Mort Bemis had, it seemed, shown himself a "dead beat of the first -water." Mrs. Davis had recently come to Stanley Junction, and had -rented an old house near a factory owned by Gasper Farrington. - -Bemis had applied for board and lodging. With what he promised to pay, -and with what she could make off an orchard, vegetable patch, and some -poultry, this would give Mrs. Davis a fair living. - -"And he never paid me a cent," she sobbed out. "Last Saturday my last -cent went for flour. Yesterday I used up the last bread in the house. I -haven't eaten a morsel this blessed day. The man who owns the house -threatens to turn me out if I don't pay the six dollars rent by six -o'clock to-night, and all for that rascally, thieving Bemis! A -full-grown man, and robbing and cheating a poor lone widow like me!" - -Ralph glanced up and down the rails. Then he glided over to the clothes -closet at the end of the tower room and secured his dinner pail. - -"And what was the scoundrel up to below, when I discovered him just now, -I'd like to know?" went on Mrs. Davis. "Some dirty mischief, I'll be -bound. He had a wire fixed around a bigger one, and was holding the -scraped copper ends against the lever cables till they sparked out -little flashes of fire. Say, can't he be arrested for swindling me? The -reprobate deserves to suffer." - -Ralph gave a little start of comprehension just there. The woman's last -recital had cleared up the mystery of his recent sudden helplessness. - -There was no doubt whatever in his mind but that the revengeful Mort -Bemis had started in to "fix" him, as he had threatened earlier in the -day. His knowledge of the details and environment of the switch tower -had enabled him to work out a well-devised scheme. - -Ralph knew that Bemis was determined to undermine and discredit him at -any cost. - -He theorized that in some way Bemis had connected the current from the -wires that looped up from the road boxes into the tower. He had the -practiced eye to know what levers Ralph would use. Bemis had thrown on -the current, magnetizing the new leverman at just the critical moment. - -But for the providential intervention of Mrs. Davis a destructive -collision would have occurred, Ralph would have been disgraced, and -there would have been a vacancy at the switch tower. - -"The villain!" breathed Ralph, all afire with indignation, and then his -glance softened as he turned to the woman seated in the armchair. Her -grief had spent itself, but she sat with her chin sunk in one hand, -moping dejectedly. - -There was a short bench near one of the windows. Ralph pulled this up -in front of the armchair. He opened his lunch pail and spread out a -napkin on the bench. Then on this he placed two home-made sandwiches, a -piece of apple pie, and a square of the raisin cake that had made his -mother famous as a first-class cook. - -All this Ralph did so quickly that Mrs. Davis, absorbed in her gloomy -thoughts, did not notice him. He touched her arm gently. - -"I want you to sample my mother's cooking, Mrs. Davis," he said, with a -pleasant smile. "You will feel better if you eat a little, and I want -to tell you something." - -"Well, well! did you ever?" exclaimed Mrs. Davis, noting now the sudden -transformation of the bench into a lunch table. "Why, boy," she -continued, with a keen stare at Ralph, "I can't take your victuals away -from you." - -"But you must eat," insisted Ralph. "I had a hearty dinner, and have a -warm supper waiting for me soon after dark. I brought the dinner pail -along just as a matter of form in a way, see." - -"Yes, I do see," answered his visitor, with a gulp, and new tears in her -eyes--"I see you are a good boy, and a blessing to a good mother, I'll -warrant." - -"You are right about the good mother, Mrs. Davis," said Ralph, "and I -want you to go and see her, to judge for yourself." - -Mrs. Davis munched a sandwich. She looked flustered at Ralph's -suggestion. - -"I'm hardly in a position to make calls--I'm dreadfully poor and humble -just now," she said in a broken tone. - -"Well," repeated Ralph decisively, "you must call on my mother this -afternoon. You see, Mrs. Davis, that rent of yours has got to be paid -by six o'clock, hasn't it?" - -"The landlord said so." - -"I have only a dollar or so in my pocket here," continued Ralph, "but my -mother has some of my savings up at the house. I want to let you have -ten dollars. I will write a note to my mother, and she will let you -have it." - -Mrs. Davis let the sandwich she was eating fall nervelessly to the -napkin. - -"What--what are you saying!" she spoke, staring in perplexity at Ralph. - -"Why, you must pay your rent, you know," said Ralph, "and you need a -little surplus till you get on your feet again. There may be some way -of shaming or forcing Mort Bemis into paying that twenty-six dollars. If -there is, I will discover it for you." - -"But--but you don't know me. I'm a stranger to you. I couldn't take -money from a boy like you, working hard as you must, probably for little -enough wages," vociferated Mrs. Davis, strangely stirred up by the -generous proffer. "I might take a loan from somebody able to spare the -money, for I can write to a sister at a distance and get a trifle, and -pay it back again, but not from you. No--no, thank you just the -same--just the same," and the woman broke down completely, crying again. - -Ralph sprang to the levers at a new switch call. Then he resumed his -argument. - -"Mrs. Davis, you shall take the ten dollars, and you shall have twenty -if you need it, and that is an end to it. First: because you are in -distress and I have it to spare. Next: because I owe you a debt money -cannot pay." - -"Nonsense, boy," spoke Mrs. Davis dubiously. - -"It's true. You don't happen to know it, but you have saved my position -and my character this afternoon. You have probably saved the railroad -company great loss of property, if not of life itself. I should be a -grateful boy to you, Mrs. Davis. Let me tell you why." - -Ralph did tell her. He recited the story of the last hour at the -levers. Before she could make a comment at its termination, he had -written and thrust into her hand a note addressed to his mother. - -"I'll take the ten dollars," said Mrs. Davis, in a subdued tone, after -he had directed her to his home, "but only as a loan. You shall have it -back quick as I can get word from my sister." - -"As you like about that," answered Ralph. "I hope you will make a -friend of my mother," he added. "She has had her troubles, and you -would be the happier for asking her counsel." - -"Yes, I've had a heap of troubles, boy," sighed Mrs. Davis. "Oh, dear! -I may be a little good in the world, after all. And," with a wistful -look at Ralph, "it's hopeful to think all boys aren't like bad Mort -Bemis. And here I'm borrowing money from you, and don't even know your -name." - -She groped in a pocket and drew forth a worn memorandum book and a -pencil. Then, opening the book at a blank page, she looked up -inquiringly at Ralph. - -"Fairbanks," dictated Ralph. - -Mrs. Davis had placed the pencil point on the blank page, ready to -write. As Ralph spoke her hand seemed swayed by a great shock. - -The pencil and book were nervelessly dropped to the floor. She turned a -colorless face towards Ralph, and, shrinking back in the creaking -armchair, stared at him so strangely and fixedly that he was unable to -understand her sudden emotion. - - - - -CHAPTER IV--A MYSTERY - - -Ralph looked at his switch-tower visitor in great surprise. - -"Why, Mrs. Davis," he asked, "what is the matter?" - -"N--nothing," she stammered, trying to control herself, but her features -were working strangely. "So your name is Fairbanks?" - -"Yes, Mrs. Davis." - -"Not John Fairbanks--how simple I am, though, of course not. He was an -old man. Are you his son, then?" - -"Yes," answered Ralph, his curiosity excited. "My name is Ralph. I am -John Fairbanks' son. He is dead, you know. Were you acquainted with -him?" - -"Not acquainted exactly," replied the woman, in a certain repressed way. -"I have heard of him, you see." - -"Oh, you mean since you came to Stanley Junction?" - -"No, no, a long way from here, and a long time ago. Where I used to -live. I heard he was dead, and I heard you and your mother was dead, -too. I did not dream that any of the Fairbanks were here now." - -"Why, you amaze me!" cried Ralph. "Who could have told you that?" - -"A certain man. He told a falsehood, didn't he? I might have known it. -I see now--yes, I begin to see how things are." - -She said this in a musing tone, as if half-forgetting that she had an -auditor. Ralph was more than interested. He was startled. He knew -enough of human nature to guess that Mrs. Davis was concealing something -from him. - -She arose quite flustered, and began to arrange her bonnet. She evaded -Ralph's eye, and appeared anxious to get away. Ralph determined to -press some further inquiries. Before he could begin, she made the -remark: - -"You are a good boy, Ralph Fairbanks, and I shan't forget you. I will -take the loan you offer me, but it will be promptly paid back, very -soon. Boy," she continued, with a good deal of animation, as if -suddenly stirred by some impulsive thought, "you will get a blessing for -being good to a poor lone widow, see if you don't." - -"I seem to be getting blessings all the time," said Ralph lightly, but -reverently. "I guess life is full of them, if you do right and put -yourself in the way of them. Is there some special blessing you are -thinking of, Mrs. Davis?" he inquired, saying the words because the -woman had used a certain significant, mysterious tone in her last -statement. This made him believe she could be clearer and say a deal -more, if she chose to do so. - -"Yes, there is," replied Mrs. Davis, almost excitedly. "You mustn't -question me, though, boy--not just now, anyway. You have given me a lot -to think of. I may tell you something very important later on--I may -tell your mother to-day. Good-by." - -As she approached the trap in the floor, Ralph got a call for a switch. -He was reluctant to let his visitor depart. Her vague revelations -disturbed him. When he had attended to the levers, he turned again to -Mrs. Davis. In doing so he chanced to glance down at the near tracks, -and fixedly regarded two approaching figures. - -"Hello," he spoke irrepressibly, aloud. "Coming here--the master -mechanic and Gasper Farrington." - -"What's that--who?" cried Mrs. Davis, almost in a shout. - -Ralph looked at her in new amazement. As she had caught the last name -he had spoken, she stood erect in a strained, tense way, seeming to be -frightened. - -The two men Ralph had indicated now crossed the tracks and entered the -switch tower below. Their voices could be heard distinctly. - -"We have a switch plan upstairs in the tower, Mr. Farrington," sounded -the clear, incisive tones of Mr. Blake, the master mechanic of the Great -Northern. - -"All right," answered his companion, and the accents of his voice seemed -to be familiar to Mrs. Davis. She looked almost terrified. She glanced -wildly around the tower room. - -"Hide me!" she gasped appealingly to Ralph. - -"Why, what for?" he inquired. - -"It's Gasper Farrington, isn't it, just as you said? And he is coming -up here!" - -"It seems that he is, Mrs. Davis," responded Ralph. - -"I don't want to meet him. I don't want him to see me--not yet," went -on the woman rapidly. - -"Are you afraid of Gasper Farrington, Mrs. Davis?" asked Ralph -pointedly. - -But she did not answer him. She glided to the coat closet at the end of -the room, as if seeking a hiding-place. As she pulled its door open, -she noticed that it was too shallow to admit a human form. - -The dial again called Ralph. By the time he had attended to the levers, -he noticed that Mrs. Davis had produced a thick heavy veil and was -concealing her face under it. She stood fidgeting nervously at a window -at the far end of the room, her back turned to the trapdoor, as if to -escape direct attention. - -The master mechanic came into view. Then he helped his companion into -the room. - -Ralph caught his breath quickly and his lips compressed a trifle, as he -recognized Gasper Farrington. - -His advent was a certain new cause of some inquietude to the young -leverman. An old-time enemy, and a bitter and crafty one, Ralph knew he -could never expect any good from the miserly old magnate of Stanley -Junction. - -Farrington's wealth and position gave him a certain influence and power -that had been repeatedly used to crush those he did not like. He -disliked the Fairbanks family for more reasons than one, and he had -tried to crush Ralph more than once. In these efforts, however, he had -failed. Ralph had come off the victor because he was in the right, -which always prevails, sooner or later. - -In their last encounter, Ralph had forced the scheming Farrington to -release the fraudulent mortgage he held on the Fairbanks cottage. He -had bargained to keep the humiliating details of Farrington's swindling -operations secret as long as the defeated magnate let them alone. He -did not think that Farrington would now risk public exposure by -attempting any further tricky measures of gain or revenge. Still, Ralph -disliked coming in contact with the man, who would willingly do him an -injury and gloat over his downfall. - -He was glad that Farrington did not notice him. The attention of the -magnate was at once directed to a blue-print plan nailed between two -windows. - -"There is the switch plan of the yards, Mr. Farrington," said the master -mechanic, indicating the sheet of paper in question. - -Mr. Blake nodded to Ralph. Then he looked inquiringly at Mrs. Davis. - -"A lady who was looking for Mort Bemis," explained Ralph. "He owes her -some money, it seems." - -"He owes about everybody he can work," said the master mechanic -brusquely, and crossed the room after Farrington. - -Mrs. Davis quickly went to the trap. She kept her eye on Gasper -Farrington until safely down on the ladder, placed her finger on her -lips in significant adieu to Ralph, and then disappeared. - -The latter stood at the levers, his back turned purposely on the -newcomers into the switch tower. - -There was no need of his having an encounter with Farrington, if it -could be avoided. Ralph attended to his duties strictly. However, he -could not help overhearing what the two men at the side of the room were -saying. - -Ralph soon divined the nature of Farrington's visit to the switch tower. -The magnate owned a factory building about half a mile from the -railroad. It had stood vacant and abandoned for some time, as Ralph -knew. Now, it seemed, a manufacturer had agreed to lease it for a term -of years, provided he could have direct railroad transportation -facilities put in. - -This point the two men at the switch plan were now discussing. -Farrington was following the finger of the master mechanic, as it moved -along over the traceries of white and red ink that crisscrossed the blue -print. - -"Here is where you start your spur," Mr. Blake was explaining. "We can -put you in a single track, you to bear half the expense." - -"You mean one-third," interrupted the bargaining old schemer. - -"I mean just what I said," observed the master mechanic grimly. "It is -a long reach for a siding, you have no right of way, and we are -supplying it, although we will have to run a pretty steep grade down the -ravine, for that is the only land we own in your direction. We have -right of way to within three hundred feet of your factory. As to the -strip that intervenes----" - -"Oh, there's nothing there but an old shanty on leasehold," answered -Farrington. - -"Can you get permission to cross it?" asked Blake. - -"He! he!" chuckled Farrington; "can I get it? I'll take it!" - -"Well, that is your own matter," spoke Blake. "All we want is a bond -guarantee for five years, that you will run enough freight over the spur -to equal a ten per cent. annual investment." - -"Isn't my word good enough for that?" demanded Farrington arrogantly. - -"The Great Northern takes no man's word where a contract is concerned," -was the definite answer. - -"All right, close the matter up as soon as you like," said Farrington. -"Here's where you control the switches, eh?" he continued, leaving the -plat and taking a curious glance about the tower. - -"Yes." - -"I should say it took a clear head and lots of experience to avoid -mistakes." - -"It does, and lots of muscle, too--eh, Fairbanks?" spoke the master -mechanic. - -Ralph nodded. He aimed to escape recognition at the hands of -Farrington, who, in another minute, would have left the place. He knew, -however, that he was discovered, as the magnate uttered a short, sharp -grunt. - - - - -CHAPTER V--THE STOWAWAY - - -"What's that?" called out Gasper Farrington, hobbling up to the levers -and staring at Ralph. "Look here, Mr. Blake," he pursued, his brows -drawn in a mean, savage scowl. "You don't mean to tell me this boy has -anything to do with your switching?" - -"He has everything to do with it," announced the master mechanic, -looking as if he was disposed to resent the manner and words of the -client he did not like any too well himself. - -"Well, then, it won't do!" snarled Farrington, getting excited. "I want -trustworthy service, I do. I don't propose to run the risk of damage -and loss with a road that hires kids for its most important work." - -Mr. Blake's lips drew tightly together. Then he remarked: - -"Mr. Farrington, the Great Northern knows its business distinctly, we -are responsible for any damage caused by the negligence or inability of -our employees. In this instance you may quiet your needless fears. Mr. -Fairbanks thoroughly understands his business, and I personally -recommended him to his present position on account of the cleanest -record and best practical ability of any junior employee of the -company." - -"H'm. Ha! That so?" mumbled Farrington, taken a good deal aback by -Blake's definite expressions of approval, while Ralph felt his heart -beat with pleasure, and blushed hotly. "All right. I suppose you think -you know your business. Only--he was a barefooted urchin six months -ago." - -"He has earned a good many pairs of shoes since then," observed Blake -crisply. - -Ralph said not a word. A spell of silence ensued. Farrington stood -like some baffled hyena held back from its prey. Ralph quickly and -deftly attended to the call for several switches, with a precision and -system that even interested the master mechanic. - -"It strikes me he'll do," spoke Blake, and Ralph looked grateful as the -master mechanic plainly evidenced a pride in the demonstrated ability of -his young protege. - -All this roused the vengeful, malignant Farrington to the verge of -impotent fury. - -"Ah," he growled, "favor cheap help, I suppose? All right. Though be -sure to make it your business if any damage comes, that's all. That boy -owes me a grudge, and if I know anything of human nature, there will be -a wreck on the factory spur before it's been running long." - -Ralph felt his fingers tingle. He decided that he had a right to speak -now. He faced about squarely. The mean-eyed magnate quailed at the -honest indignation of his glance. - -"Mr. Farrington," said Ralph, "have I ever sought to do you an injury?" - -"Yes--no--perhaps not," stammered Farrington, "but you would like to." - -"Why?" demanded Ralph definitely. - -"Because--because--oh, I know you. I know the whole brood. You smashed -a window in my factory, once." - -"Accidentally. And paid for it. Is that true?" - -Farrington squirmed. He wanted to back out. He found that he could not -domineer in the present instance. More than that, he realized that he -dared not. The master mechanic, with a grim smile on his lip, helped -him out of the dilemma. - -"Come, Mr. Farrington," he said, smartly clicking his watch and helping -him through the trap. "We will miss the superintendent, and you say you -want to close up this business to-day. Careful, take it a rung at a -time--you skunk!" he concluded in an undertone to Ralph, giving him a -significant look, and meaning the words for Ralph's ear only. - -Ralph felt as if the air was cleared of some violent poison at the -departure of this miserable apology of a man. - -"Faugh! I won't think of him," he soliloquized. "What possible -happiness in life can such people have? I wonder which is the worst: -Mort Bemis, poor and mean, or Gasper Farrington, rich and mean. Which -carries out what mother has often said: 'Money is not everything.'" - -Ralph dismissed his enemies from his mind, whistling cheerily at his -tasks. He thought a good deal about Mrs. Davis. He was anxious to get -through work and hurry home, to learn if she had called on his mother, -and if she had imparted to Mrs. Fairbanks any explanation of her strange -acquaintance with his dead father, and of her still more strange fear of -Gasper Farrington. - -From five until seven o'clock the tracks were kept pretty full. Ralph -had a busy time of it. He got through without a delay or a mix-up, -however. Jack Knight came up the ladder about eight o'clock. - -He looked pleased at the collected, business-like way that Ralph handled -things. He finally remarked: - -"Met Blake a bit back, Fairbanks." - -"The master mechanic--yes," nodded Ralph. - -"Keep it under your hat, now," continued Knight significantly. "Blake -was riled. He said he'd give half a month's salary to wallop one man in -Stanley Junction, if it wasn't business policy to keep down personal -feelings for the good of the service." - -"Who was the man, Mr. Knight?" - -"He didn't say, but no friend of yours, it seems. The gist of it is, -that this man--I'd like a crack at him myself--offered Blake two hundred -dollars to get you shifted onto some other section." - -"I seem to come high," smiled Ralph, although he experienced a faint -uneasiness at mind, as he clearly comprehended that Gasper Farrington -was up to some of his old underhanded tricks. - -"Well, Blake politely turned down the offer. He said to me, though, -that if any treachery or influence got you the jacket in this position, -if he had to fire every other man along the line, he'd find a place for -you in the train dispatcher's office at double pay." - -"He is a good friend," said Ralph, with emotion--"and you, too, for -giving me the warning, Mr. Knight. Knowing what I do, though, I think I -can take care of myself. I do not believe the man you refer to will -succeed in disturbing me here." - -"He won't, if I can help it," muttered old Jack doughtily. - -"Hello, there!" hailed Doc Bortree, the nightshift man, intruding his -bulky form and big, jolly face through the trap. - -Bortree was a general favorite. He carried an atmosphere of good nature -always along with him. - -"Well, kid," he hailed. "Busted anything to-day?" - -"Not yet," answered Ralph gayly. - -They sent him home forthwith. Ralph felt very happy as he descended the -ladder from his first real day's service at the switch tower. - -His work had gone smoothly, and he loved it. A spice of new interest -had been injected into his personal affairs that day, and his mental -conjectures were not unpleasant ones. - -"I wonder if Mrs. Davis saw mother?" he mused, as he crossed the tracks, -homeward bound. "Hello, a stowaway!" - -Ralph halted, just passing a line of delayed freights. A great thumping -was going on at the side door of the end car. - -"Someone in there, sure," soliloquized Ralph. - -"A tramp, I suppose. Stowed in at some point, and side-tracked here -this morning. Out with you, whoever you are!" ordered Ralph, unbolting -and sliding back the door. - -In the dim light of a distant arc lamp Ralph made out a forlorn figure. -The stowaway was shabby and peaked-looking, holding in one hand a piece -of wood with which he had been hammering for release. - -His face was so grimed that Ralph took him for a negro at first. Always -kind-hearted, the young leverman had not hesitated to give the stowaway -prompt liberty, and it was in his mind to help him farther if necessary. - -The stowaway glanced all about the yards as if fearing the gauntlet of -cuffs and kicks often in vogue for his class. Then, rubbing his eyes to -clear the glare of sudden light, he looked sharply at Ralph. - -"Hello," he exclaimed, shooting back out of view. "It's Fairbanks!" - -"What's that?" cried Ralph, catching the name in wonderment. "Here, who -are you? Do you know me?" - -Suddenly as the figure had vanished within the dark car, it now -reappeared. With a spring the stowaway cleared the doorway of the car, -landing on the cinders beside Ralph. - -"Take that!" he hissed, savagely whirling the club above his head. - -Ralph dodged. Mystified and unprepared, however, his usual agility was -at fault. - -A heavy blow landed on the side of his head, and Ralph fell flat. - - - - -CHAPTER VI--MRS. FAIRBANKS' VISITOR - - -It seemed to Ralph that his eyes closed tight shut for half a minute, -and then came open as wide as ever. - -He did not believe he lost consciousness for more than thirty seconds. -That, however, was time enough for his mysterious assailant to make -himself scarce. - -Ralph got to his feet, quite shaken. His hand went to the side of his -head involuntarily. His left cheek was scraped and full of splinters, -though not bleeding. A big lump was rising in front of one ear. - -On the ground lay the club that had dealt Ralph the blow. He moved it -with his foot to find it heavy, as if made of hard wood. - -"Why, the fellow might have killed me had he struck a little harder," -said Ralph seriously. "Who was he? It must be that he knows me, for he -spoke my name." - -There was a hydrant in the center of a platform space near by. Ralph -went over to this and turned on the water and sopped his handkerchief, -applying it to the lump on his head. - -"Was it Mort Bemis?" his mind ran on. "No, I am sure it was not. Bemis -is stubby and broad, this fellow was tall and slim. Looked like a -half-starved rat. Who could it be?" - -In a minute or two Ralph went back to the car that had proven for him a -kind of Pandora's box. - -He lifted himself through the open doorway and flashed some matches. - -The car was bare. It smelted of tobacco smoke, and there was a litter -of cigarette stubs in one corner. The other closed door was -back-sheathed with smooth boards. Under these Ralph discovered some -fresh whittlings, or splinters. He inspected door and floor more -closely. - -"Ah, I see," he observed: "the stowaway has been killing time by cutting -his name on the pillar of fame." - -The door surface bore a record of various jackknife experts. Idle -hands, belonging to all kinds of ride-stealers, had from time to time -cut their initials on the smooth boards. - -There were some pencilings, too--all kinds of doggerel slang and -initials. Thus: "Turnpike Tim on his fift' trip sout'." "Mugsey, the -Terror," and the warning line: "Bad road for tramps, twice for flipping -trains." - -The last stowaway, as evidenced by two letters cut into the board, had -sought to rival his predecessors. The newly indented initials were -nearly eight inches long, and formed an I and an S. - -"'I.S.,'" read Ralph. "The solution is easy. It was Ike Slump. Those -are his initials, and, come to recall my fierce assailant, he fits Ike's -size exactly. That mean attack, too, would be characteristic of Slump. -He was afraid of me. He needs to be. There is a standing reward of -twenty-five dollars from the railroad for his arrest. I don't want the -reward, but I don't propose to have him come back to his old haunts and -associates to bother me." - -Ralph walked home slowly. The blow he had received caused him some -pain. The addition of the malignant Ike Slump to the list of his active -enemies troubled him. Ralph knew what it was to fight a mean, -underhanded foe. The roster so far included not only Slump, but Bemis -and Gasper Farrington. - -"It's my duty to notify the railroad company that Slump is again on -hand," declared Ralph. "That will dispose of him. As to Bemis, I shall -seek him out and give him a warning. If he troubles me any further I -will have him arrested for his malicious mischief of to-day. It would be -a pretty serious charge--endangering the railroad property. Gasper -Farrington will not do anything openly to harm me. He dare not. But he -will work against me in the dark, if he sees the chance to do it. Well, -I shall watch his movements mighty closely." - -Ralph spurred up as he came within the lights of home. The lamp burning -brightly in the front room of the neat little cottage was always a -cheering beacon to him, for he knew it had been placed by loving hands. - -Mrs. Fairbanks, the tender, thoughtful mother, made that home a peaceful -paradise for her only son. She greeted Ralph at the door with a welcome -that made him forget instantly all of the cares and troubles of the day -in entering the sheltering of a rare haven of rest and contentment. - -Ralph took a good wash at the kitchen sink, put on a clean collar and -tie and a light housecoat. Then he sat down to a table steaming with -appetizing food. - -"Why, Ralph," instantly spoke Mrs. Fairbanks, "you have been hurt!" - -Ralph carelessly moved his hand over the lump on his head. - -"Nothing serious, mother," he declared with a reassuring smile. "A -fellow generally gets some initiation bumps on his first day in a new -job on the railroad." - -Mrs. Fairbanks was scarcely satisfied with this off-hand explanation, -but Ralph at once shifted the conversation into other channels. He made -up his mind he would not worry his mother with the story of his -encounter with Ike Slump, at least for the present. - -"By the way," he said, as he stowed away a hearty meal, "did you have a -visitor to-day, mother?" - -"Why, yes," answered Mrs. Fairbanks. "A lady--Mrs. Davis." - -"I am glad she came," said Ralph. "She took the ten dollars I wrote you -about?" - -"Rather reluctantly. She is a strange woman," went on Mrs. Fairbanks -thoughtfully; "I could not quite make her out. She acted quite flighty -at times, but I believe she is honest, and very earnest in her gratitude -and good intentions towards you." - -"Why, yes," answered Ralph, with a suggestive smile. "She promised me a -blessing. Have you any idea of what she was driving at?" he questioned, -scanning his mother's face closely, for he observed that it bore a -vague, disturbed expression. - -"I think I have, Ralph. It appears that she knew--or at least knew -about--your father, some years ago." - -"She told me that." - -"And she knows Gasper Farrington. She asked me a queer question, -Ralph." - -"What was it, mother?" - -"If father did not once own twenty thousand dollars in railroad bonds, -and if we had ever got them." - -Ralph stopped eating for a moment. - -"She said that, did she?" he murmured. "Mother, wouldn't it be strange -if she knew something about those bonds?" - -"She does." - -"How do you know?" - -"Because she admitted it. Mrs. Davis was very much agitated. She -seemed on the point constantly of telling me something, and then she -would mutter to herself and apparently change her mind. When she went -away she looked at me very strangely and said: 'Mrs. Fairbanks, when I -get the money from my sister to pay your son back the ten dollars he has -so kindly loaned me, I am going to tell him a little story about those -twenty thousand dollars bonds that may interest him.'" - -The bonds formed the topic of conversation for mother and son for nearly -an hour after that. They could only surmise and anticipate, but both -were very much stirred up. - -"I tell you, mother," said Ralph emphatically, "that woman knows -something of importance to us about those bonds. You and I and others -have never doubted that Gasper Farrington stole them from father. I -have never given up the idea that some day I would reach the truth, and -force Farrington to disgorge, just as we made him release the fraudulent -mortgage. I really believe things are going to turn so as get us our -full rights." - -"We will hope so, Ralph," said the widow, with a dubious sigh. "And now -tell me all about your first day in the switch tower." - -Ralph went to bed about eleven o'clock. He had a good sleep until eight -in the morning, devoted an hour or two to tidying up the yard and -assisting his mother in various ways, and at noon started for work -again. - -Old Jack Knight was on duty, and spelled Ralph at the levers until about -four o'clock. No unusual incident disturbed the usual routine until an -hour later. - -In starting to give a switch engine the siding, Ralph found the lever -would not budge. The locomotive engineer discovered the unset switch in -time to stop. Ralph megaphoned to hold stationary till he investigated, -and ran down the ladder. - -He found the lever cables chained to a wall bracket. Of course here was -some more spite work. He removed the obstruction, hurried upstairs, -switched the delayed engine, and kept an eye out for the watchman who -covered that part of the yards. - -When he finally appeared in view, Ralph hailed him and asked him to come -inside the tower. - -"Mr. Brady," he explained, "I wish you would keep a close eye on the -lower story here for a day or two." - -"Why, what's wrong?" inquired the watchman. - -"Well, someone is up to dirty work," replied Ralph. "They tried to put -two levers out of commission yesterday, and just now I found another -lever chained up." - -The watchman looked startled, and whistled under his breath. - -"That's pretty serious," he remarked. - -"It is," responded Ralph. "I wish you would keep a watch on strangers." - -"And discharged employees?" interrogated the watchman, with a shrewd -nod. "I think I know what's up, and who is up to it." - -Ralph felt certain that Mort Bemis was back of the last attempt to -cripple his usefulness. He did not, however, believe that Bemis himself -had chained the lever, for he had kept a pretty close watch of the yards -all afternoon, and had seen nothing of the discharged leverman. Ralph -theorized that Bemis had put some associate up to the trick. It was an -easy matter for any passer-by to step into the lower story of the switch -tower without being seen from above. Ralph made up his mind he would -seek out Bemis. When he was relieved after dark he did not go home. He -had made some inquiries of Knight as to the present whereabouts and -haunts of Mort Bemis, and Ralph thought he knew where to look for the -fellow. - - - - -CHAPTER VII--"YOUNG SLAVIN" - - -Railroad Street to the right of Stanley Junction was a busy, respectable -thoroughfare. There were a hotel, some restaurants, a store or two, and -beyond these some old residences. - -To the left, however, the street retrograded into second-hand stores, -junk-shops, and the like, cheap eating places and boarding-houses, with -a mixture of saloons. - -The lower class of railroad employees and the scum of the Junction -usually infested these places. At a restaurant called "The Signal" -Ralph, from what he learned that day, felt he was pretty sure to get -some trace of Mort Bemis. - -He went by the place slowly once or twice, but could not discover Bemis -in the crowded front room. - -Then he paced down the alley at the side of the building. Several -lower-story apartments showed lighted up. He approached the open window -of one of these. - -As he did so, he noticed that directly under it lay some person asleep, -rolled up in horse-blankets. Ralph nearly stumbled over this -individual. - -He glanced into the room beyond the window. It held a table, at which -was seated the object of his search. - -Mort Bemis was idly pawing over a greasy deck of playing cards. He -seemed to be awaiting the arrival of congenial company. Tilted back in -a chair against the wall near by, a skullcap pulled down over his eyes -and seemingly asleep, was a person Ralph did not recognize. - -Ralph now stepped cautiously over the sleeper at his feet so as not to -disturb him, and went around to the front of the restaurant. - -It was run by a man named Prince, who at one time had conducted eating -camps for railroad construction crews. He kept lodgers upstairs, and -derived a good deal of revenue by letting out the rear rooms of the -lower floor to card-players. - -Ralph entered the restaurant and passed through a curtained doorway at -one side. Prince, at the cashier's desk, gave him a keen look, but took -him for some new recruit to the crowd who infested the rear rooms. - -A narrow passageway led the length of the rear addition. Ralph turned -the knob of the second door he reached. He found he had correctly -located the apartment he had viewed from the alley. - -Mort Bemis looked up as Ralph closed the door behind him. He started -and stared. Ralph came around to the table, sank into the chair -directly opposite Bemis, and looked him squarely in the face. - -"What are you doing here?" demanded Bemis a surly, suspicious expression -crossing his features. - -"I came particularly to see you," answered Ralph calmly. "Can I have -your attention for a minute or two?" - -"Just two of them," growled Bemis. - -Ralph did not scare at the bullying, significant manner of the -discharged leverman. - -"It's just this," he said bluntly: "you visited the switch tower -yesterday and came very nearly causing a bad wreck." - -"Who told you so?" demanded Bemis. - -"Oh, there are plenty of witnesses, your former landlady, for one. -Another low-down trick was attempted this afternoon, instigated, I -believe, by you. Now, Mr. Bemis, this has come to a dead-open-and-shut -conclusion." - -"Has it? How?" sneered Mort. - -"I have legitimately succeeded to your position, and I intend to hold -it. You seem resolved to discredit and disgrace me. It won't work. If -you make one more break in my direction, I shall go to the -superintendent of the Great Northern, make a formal complaint of -malicious mischief, and then enter a regular complaint with the police." - -Mort Bemis did not reply. His bluff was gone, for he knew that Ralph -meant every word that he said. - -"There's another thing," pursued Ralph: "you owe a poor widow money that -she needs, and needs badly. If you have any sense of shame or honor in -your nature, you will find honest work and pay her." - -"I don't want none of your advice!" flared out Bemis. "You've said your -say! Then get out. I'll keep hands off because I don't fancy being -locked up, but," he added with a malicious grin, "I can't hold back my -friends from doing what they like." - -"You have had your warning," said Ralph quietly, rising to his feet. -"I've given you your chance. Leave my affairs alone, if you are wise." - -Ralph started for the door. Suddenly his way was blocked. The person -he had supposed to be asleep, tilted back against the wall in a chair, -had roused up with marvelous quickness. - -As this individual threw back his skullcap, he revealed the coarse, -bloated face of a boy about two years Ralph's senior. He was a -powerfully-built fellow. Ralph remembered having seen him once in the -hands of the police after a raid on a chicken fight at the fair grounds. - -"Easy," spoke this person, springing between Ralph and the door, and -doubling up his fists pugilist-fashion. "This gent is my friend, and -you've insulted him." - -"I think not," said Ralph calmly. - -"Do all your thinking quick, then," advised the other, "for I want -satisfaction." - -The speaker drove at Ralph with one hand. It was a sledge-hammer blow. -Ralph whirled half-way across the room. - -His antagonist followed him up quickly. His back now to the window, he -put up his fists anew. - -"I wanted some training," he chuckled. "Come up to your punishment. Do -you know who I am?" - -"I do not, and don't care," answered Ralph quickly, nettled out of his -ordinary composure by a blow that had nearly knocked the breath out of -his body. - -"Then you can't read the newspapers. I'm Young Slavin, the juvenile -Hercules, light-weight champeen. Come, wade in; I give you one chanct." - -"I have no quarrel with you," remarked Ralph. "Stand aside. I wish to -leave this room." - -"Ho! ho! When you do, it will be on a shutter." - -"And I shall not let you pound me. I warn you to mind your own -business." - -"Time!" roared the pugilist gloatingly. - -Ralph took in the situation in all its bearings. He realized that he -confronted a young giant. To oppose his prodigious muscular strength in -even battle would be to be hammered to a jelly. - -The occasion called for action, however. Ralph reflected for a bare -minute, and then he "waded in." - -With a rush he made a slanting dive for the brutal bully, aiming -squarely for his feet. - -Exercising all the muscle of which he was capable, Ralph grasped his -antagonist's ankles, took him off his guard, gave him a sudden trip, and -sent him toppling backwards. - -With a yell of consternation and pain Young Slavin went crashing through -the window sash. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII--A BAD LOT - - -Mort Bemis gave an astonished gasp as he saw his crony disappear like -magic through the window sash. - -His respect for the nerve and prowess of his successor at the switch -tower was immensely increased. He spoke not a word, being stupefied and -cowed. - -Ralph started to leave the room, unmolested now. A sudden outcry -checked him. He proceeded to its source--the open window. - -Below it on the ground a stirring scene was in progress. It seemed that -his masterly fling of Young Slavin had landed that juvenile Hercules -directly on top of the individual Ralph had noticed lying asleep under -the window, swathed in horse-blankets. - -Aroused from dense slumber by a terrific shock, this person had -struggled to his feet. - -"Well, well," said Ralph, his eyes opening wide as he recognized the -disturbed sleeper; "Ike Slump again." - -Ralph at once knew the gaunt, desperate-looking fellow, who had jumped -from the delayed freight car and knocked him down the previous evening. - -The stowaway's face was no longer grimed, and Ralph had a clear view now -of its natural lineaments. It was Ike Slump, peaked and -wretched-looking. His appearance evidenced that his stolen junk -operations and his later fugitive role had not led him into any pleasant -path of flowers. - -It seemed that Slump, skulking anywhere for hiding and repose like a -hunted rat, had utilized the horse-blankets as a bed. - -It seemed, too, that he was in constant dread of discovery and arrest. -He must have slept with a missile or a weapon always handy, for his -fingers now clutched a brick. - -Suddenly disturbed, his nervous fears aroused, at sea as to the cause of -the shock as Slavin landed on him, Ike had come erect, grabbing the -brick instanter. - -He was all entangled in his bed coverings, but he maintained a -staggering footing. He was reaching out for his disturber to beat him -off with the brick. - -"You've broken my nose," he yelled; "take that--take that!" - -"Murder!" howled Young Slavin. - -He did not use his doughty fists, for he could not. In blind rage and -terror Ike was striking out with the brick. - -He delivered several blows on Slavin's head and face that made Ralph -shudder. - -A final one sent the young pugilist reeling back against the clapboards -of the house. He was blinded with blood and pain, and shouted for help -in sniveling terror. - -Slump kicked his feet free of the entangling horse-blankets, and darted -away towards the railroad tracks. - -Ralph turned in disgust from the scene. He faced Bemis, who, his -curiosity awakened by the tumult, had come to the window. - -"You are training with a nice crowd, Mr. Bemis," observed Ralph. "Better -switch off and get back to the main tracks." - -"Lots of show for me, isn't there?" growled Mort sullenly. - -"Get a roundhouse clearance of clean flues and headlights, and try it," -answered Ralph. - -The allusions were technical ones that Bemis fully understood. But he -only blinked his bleared eyes, and more savagely gritted his teeth on -the cigarette he was smoking. - -"It's too bad," ruminated Ralph, as he left the place, shaking his -shoulders as if to cast off a spatter of filthy mud. "It is a terrible -warning, too," he continued. "Thank Heaven for mother, home, and -principle! Maybe those fellows haven't got all the blessings that keep -me in the right path. I wish I could do them some good. Well, I won't -do them any harm. Let Ike Slump go his way. I fancy the punishment he -has got will keep him from troubling anyone around Stanley Junction for -a while." - -Ralph did not inform the local police of Ike's reappearance, nor did he -lodge any complaint against Bemis. - -He imagined that his visit to the latter had scared off his enemies, as -two days went by and there was no further attempt made to obstruct his -services at the switch tower. - -Affairs there got down to a routine that pleased the young leverman. Not -a jar or break in the service occurred. He seemed to have glided -naturally into the details of the business, and was able to take it -easier now. He did not worry about wrecks any more. Following out old -Jack's definite instructions to always strictly obey orders and act -promptly, he simply watched 'phone, dial, and levers. He let the limits -tower and the yards switches take care of themselves. - -It was three days after Ralph's encounter with Young Slavin and the -fifth of his service at the switch tower. - -His shift had been changed temporarily. It was divided into four hours -in the morning and four in the afternoon. - -Ralph had an hour for dinner. That especial day his nooning had -something of the element of a new interest. His mother told him she had -received a brief note from Mrs. Davis. - -The latter in a penciled scrawl told Mrs. Fairbanks that the writer was -not very well, and would like to have her call that afternoon. She said -she wanted to pay back the ten dollars she owed Ralph, as she had -received a remittance from her sister. - -"Are you going to see her, mother?" inquired Ralph. - -"Surely. I will run up to her house as soon as the dishes are washed." - -"I hope she will tell you something about those bonds," said Ralph. "I -shall be anxious to know the result of your call." - -"What time will you be home, Ralph?" asked his mother. - -"A few minutes after five," he answered, and started for work, his mind -filled with all kinds of anticipations regarding his mother's visit to -Mrs. Davis. - -A crowd lined the out freight tracks as Ralph reached the depot yards. - -A circus had come to town, and the menagerie vans had been switched on -the street sidings early that morning. - -Now the big circus wagons were unloading these, to convey them to the -tent site up on the common. - -Some of the cages were uncovered purposely to advertise the coming show. -This had drawn a throng of excited urchins and the loungers from lower -Railroad Street. - -Ralph halted for a minute or two, watching the removal of some of the -cages. - -He moved up to one that was the center of a peering, engrossed crowd. -Those present acted as though something was going on out of the common. - -A person who seemed to be the manager of the show, and looking quite -serious and important, was giving some instructions to half a dozen -circus hands. - -Three of these latter had armed themselves with long pikes. Another -carried a pole with a crooked iron end, resembling a giant chicken -catcher. A fifth had a stout rope with a chain end forming a halter. -The last of the group carried an enormous wire muzzle. - -They stood beside a car which held a strong iron cage. This was empty, -and at one end its canvas covering was torn, and two of its bars were -bent far out of regular position. - -Ralph ran up against an old friend as he pressed on the outskirts of the -crowd. - -This was John Griscom, the veteran engineer who had impressed Ralph into -service the day of his first railroading experience when the yards at -Acton had caught fire. - -Griscom was on his way to the roundhouse to get his locomotive in trim -for a regular afternoon trip. His dinner pail swung from his arm. He -was such a practical old fellow that Ralph wondered at his taking an -interest in anything so trifling as circus excitement. - -"What's the excitement, Mr. Griscom?" he asked. - -"Animal loose." - -"Indeed? When did it escape?" - -"That's what's worrying the circus people. They don't know. They just -took off the canvas cover of the cage to make the discovery. The train -switched here before daylight. It was in the cage then, they say." - -Here the six circus hands started out on the quest of the missing -animal. - -"Search the yards thoroughly," ordered the menagerie manager. "Shoot, -if you can't corner him. It won't do the show any good to have him do -damage or scare people. Fifty dollars' reward for the capture of the -beast!" - -"What kind of an animal was it?" Ralph asked of Griscom. - -"Toothless old bear, I suppose, or a blind lion," bluffly answered the -railroad veteran, who did not have a very high opinion of the average -circus wild beast. - -Just here the menagerie manager seemed to discover an opportunity for -advertising the show and lauding its attractions. - -"I beg of you, gentlemen," he said, in a suave tone, as the crowd made a -move to follow the searching party--"don't impede our efforts by getting -in the way. Calcutta Tom, the largest and fiercest Indian tiger in -captivity in any menagerie in the country, is loose. This superb king -of the forests killed five men before he was caged, was brought to this -country at a cost of six thousand dollars, and, if captured now, will be -on exhibition this afternoon, along with the most marvelous aggregation -of brute and human celebrities on the face of the civilized globe -to-day." - -"And all for twenty-five cents--lemonade and popcorn a nickle extra," -piped a mischievous urchin. - - - - -CHAPTER IX--CALCUTTA TOM - - -Ralph walked in the direction of the switch tower. - -He noticed that all the tracks seemed unusually inactive, even for the -noon hour. The main rails were perfectly clear, and a good many -locomotives were on the sidings. - -Glancing up at the switch tower, Ralph was a good deal surprised to -notice that it was entirely unoccupied. - -This was startling. Ralph had never known that post of the service to -be untenanted at any hour of the day or night. - -Then he noticed on the out main rails near the tower a handcar. A -trackman stood with his hands on the pumping bar. One foot on the car, -his watch in his hand, old Jack Knight was looking impatient and -excited. - -"Hustle, Fairbanks!" he shouted, and Ralph came up on a sharp run. -"Here," spoke Knight, extending a slip of paper to Ralph. "Get down to -the depot master, double-quick. Then hustle back to the tower. I'm -bound for the limits tower, to keep things straight there." - -"Why, what's up, Mr. Knight?" inquired Ralph. - -"Mile-a-minute special from the north, due at 1.15. You've got fifteen -minutes. The out tracks are set for the 1.05 express all right. Soon -as she passes, set the out main after her so the special will take the -in tracks to the limits. No. 6 will wait at the limits while we shoot -the special to the out again." - -"A special?" repeated Ralph, in some bewilderment, "and from the -north----" - -"Obey orders," interrupted Knight crisply. "Nothing to move except the -express till the special passes. Understand? Don't lose any time. Get -that slip to the depot master, and hurry back to the tower." - -"All right," spoke Ralph promptly. - -He started on a run for the depot, as Knight sprang to the handcar and -it was whirled down the rails. - -Ralph had a right to be mystified. There was no special in place on the -depot tracks. The Great Northern had its terminus at Stanley Junction. - -There was a single track running north from the depot, but it was not in -use. It had been built by the Great Northern to connect with a belt -line fifteen miles distant, all equipped as to rails, switches, and -roadbed. Then the holding companies had some squabble. Suits and -counter-suits had tied up the line, and it was temporarily out of -service on an injunction. - -Ralph therefore comprehended that it was only over this stretch of road -that any special could be expected from the north. Further, he decided -that it must be a very important special that could gain the right of -way under existing legal complications and interrupt the regular system -of the Great Northern. - -However, the order was out and Ralph had definite instructions. He made -the depot in three minutes, and darted into the private office of the -depot master without ceremony. - -That official looked nervous and engrossed. He clicked at a telegraph -instrument with one hand, while he hastily unfolded and scanned the slip -of paper Ralph had brought. - -"Very good," he nodded. "Clear tracks to Springfield. If they boost -the special along on the other sections as well as we have done on this, -and our president can score a mile-a-minute run, he can reach his dying -wife in time." - -Ralph hurried back towards the switch tower. He fancied he now -understood the situation. The brief words of the depot master had been -enlightening. - -He guessed that the president of the road at a distance had been -apprised of serious illness in his family. Perhaps the attendant -physician had wired a time limit. If the anxious husband hoped to see -his stricken wife before she died, he must exert every privilege he -controlled as the head of a great railroad system. - -Ralph reflected that he might have been a thousand miles away when he -received the anxious summons. Influence and the wires had possibly -called half a dozen interlocking lines into service. Even the law had -stepped aside, it seemed, to speed the distressed official on his way, -via the north spur of the Great Northern. - -The 1.05 express steamed out of the depot just as Ralph reached the -switch tower. - -"That clears the situation," he reflected. "Set the out main for the in -switch after she passes. Hark!" - -Ralph bent his ear at an unusual sound. This was the echo of a sharp -locomotive whistle--to the north. - -"The special is coming," he observed, and naturally with some -excitement--a mile-a-minute dash through the depot and town was a -novelty for Stanley Junction. - -There was no one visible in the immediate vicinity of the switch tower. -The unusual quietude of the yards made Ralph think of Sunday. At a -little distance were many engines and freight trains standing on -sidings. They were held inactive on order. Engineers and firemen -lounged on their cab seats, looking down the yards north expectantly. - -Ralph rounded the tower structure briskly. He pulled out his watch. - -"Four minutes," he spoke, and turned into the lower doorway. - -In a jiffy he would be up the ladder. A turn of the lever, and he, too, -could sit down, and from his lofty point of observation leisurely watch -the mile-a-minute special flash by. - -Half-way across the lower tower space, Ralph checked himself. - -A chill, startled sensation crept over his nerves. He halted with a -shock, gave a vivid stare, and uttered a sharp gasp. - -A growl had warned him. Ralph saw a bristling, sinuous form arise from -the floor directly at the bottom of the ladder. - -Two fire-balls seemed to glow at him with venom and menace. In a flash -the young leverman realized the situation. - -Ralph Fairbanks faced the escaped tiger. - - - - -CHAPTER X--A MILE A MINUTE - - -Ralph stood dumfounded as he made out the great Indian tiger, Calcutta -Tom, that "had cost six thousand dollars to cage after it had killed -five men." - -The encounter was so unlooked for that Ralph stood transfixed for a -second or two. - -The escaped animal could not have been long in the switch house, -otherwise Knight or others would have discovered it. It had escaped -before daybreak that morning. Since then it must have been in hiding -around the depot yards. - -About twenty feet away from the switch tower were some open vault-like -recesses fitting into a brick abutment. This inclined from the depot -baggage room. Up and down this, baggage was run on trucks. It was -possible that for a time the tiger had lurked in some of these dark -recesses, transferring itself to the lower tower room within the last -fifteen minutes. - -Calcutta Tom was a formidable-looking beast of enormous size. Ralph -noticed, however, that while the animal growled and bristled fiercely, -it did not crouch or threaten to spring. It posed clumsily, showed no -teeth--if it had any--and seemed determined to act simply on the -defensive and repel intruders. - -Toot-toot-toot-too-ooo-oot! - -The shrill, strange whistle in the distance cut vividly on Ralph's ear -because it proceeded from that unusual locality--the north spur. - -With a thrill he caught its signal warning. The limited was coming, the -mile-a-minute special would be hammering the main depot rails in less -than three minutes now! - -Its engineer had right of way track signal from fifteen miles back. He -was not expected to be looking out for obstructions. The "O.K. clear" -order meant that he need not trouble his mind as to complications in -unfamiliar territory. The delayed express on the out track was hidden -from view by a curve. Even if discovered, the special, going at a -tremendous rate of speed, could not slow up in time to avoid a -collision. - -All these thoughts flashed through the young leverman's mind within the -space of a single second. Ralph knew that he must instantly scale the -ladder and set the levers, or else all would be lost. - -He made a reckless run for the iron ladder. Four feet from it, he went -bounding back like a rubber ball. - -Calcutta Tom had simply raised a ponderous paw. It dropped on Ralph's -breast with the force of a sledge-hammer. - -Ralph landed with a thud against the inside sheathing of the tower. Then -he stumbled flat, but came erect, grasping a broken brake-rod his hand -had chanced to touch on the floor. - -Again the "Clear the way!" signal of the speeding special to the north -sent the blood rushing through his veins like quicksilver. - -Ralph sprang at the tiger, striking out with all his strength. - -The bar was wrenched from his grasp by his formidable brute foe. He saw -it twisted up like a bit of flexible licorice. The tiger made a spring. -Its bristling form filled the doorway almost as quickly as Ralph had -sped through it. - -There the tiger stood, blinking at the light, and snarling fiercely. -Ralph gave a great gasp of desperation, and looked wildly all about him -for escape from his dilemma. - -No one on the sidings was near enough to signal to any advantage. By -the time he could summon help and explain matters, the special would be -on hand and the damage done. - -A cold sweat came out all over his body. Ralph began to quake. It -meant sure death to oppose the stubborn brute in the open doorway. - -"What shall I do--oh, what can I do?" panted Ralph in a torment of -agony. - -He ran out a few steps and looked up at the tower room. This loomed -twenty feet aloft, flanging out mushroom-fashion over the lower story, -which presented a solid base. - -The tower room was inaccessible, even if he could scale the lower -building. Ralph ran a complete circuit of the structure. Then his eye -flashed with sudden hope. - -As nimbly as though his tiger foe was directly at his heels, Ralph -sprang at and clasped a telegraph pole. Its surface was roughened and -indented by the hooks of linemen, allowing him to get a lifting grip. - -Ralph drew himself up slowly. The ascent to his overwrought mind seemed -to consume an age. It was just forty-five seconds, however, when -twenty-five feet from the ground, his slivered and bleeding hands -grasped the first cross-bar of the telegraph pole and he lifted himself -to it. - -A foot or two down and six feet away was the glass-windowed side of the -tower room. Ralph pulled himself erect till both feet rested on the -narrow cross-bar. - -He steadied himself on his dizzy perch. He seemed to have ceased to -breathe, and his heart stood still, so intense was the strain on his -nerves. The wreck and ruin of a great railroad system to his -exaggerated senses seemed to impend on his success in a daring dive. - -For a dive it was, and a desperate one. All the upper sashes fronting -him were lowered, as was the usage in clear weather. Ralph caught the -shrieking blast of the special. His expert ear told him that it was -less than a mile distant. He poised, wavered, and then made a forward -spring. - -There was a great clatter of glass. Ralph half hung over the top of the -lower and the lowered sashes, but his feet had kicked in the double -panes. He fairly fell over the sashes into the tower room. - -On his feet in a flash, the youth darted a swift glance at the tower -clock. It was just 1.15. - -"Made it!" he cried, but in a faint, hoarse tone--"made it, but just in -time!" - -He was so overcome that it was his sheer weight rather than any exertion -of muscle that pulled bar 4 over into place. Then Ralph staggered back, -and fairly fell into the armchair. - -The ordeal had been a terrible one. He understood how a man's hair -turned white sometimes in an hour. His teeth were chattering, his -cheeks blanched. He turned his eyes to the north, chained to the chair -momentarily in a kind of a dread stupor. - -A flagman across the rails was yelling up at him. He had witnessed -Ralph's sensational proceedings, and was staring at the broken window -panes. Ralph did not hear him. - -Instead, his ears were filled with a grinding on the north rails. -Tearing down them, swaying from side to side, shrieking out constantly -for clear tracks, a locomotive with one car attached reached the far -depot end and went its length like a flash of light. - -"The special!" breathed Ralph,--"on time!" - - - - -CHAPTER XI--SPOILING FOR A FIGHT - - -As Ralph spoke the special was a blur as it passed the tower, a flying -spot as it flashed to the in rails, a speck as it turned the curve. - -Ralph sat motionless till he caught its whistle past the limits tower. -Then he realized that his crucial test was past and done. - -The telephone bell rang noisily. The dial indicator began to move. The -delayed freights set up a piping call for service. For five minutes -Ralph jumped actively from lever to lever. He was glad of the task--it -diverted his mind from the harrowing ordeal that had so nearly unmanned -him. - -As there was a lull in the service, Ralph thought of the tiger below. He -started to send a message for relief over the 'phone. Just then he -noticed a familiar form smoking a pipe on a baggage truck near by. - -"Hey, Stiggs!" he called from the open window. - -The person addressed was a simple-faced, smiling man of about fifty. He -wore a railroad jumper and overalls, but they were spotless, as if he -had pretty light work. He wore, too, a regular fireman's peaked cap--in -fact looked like a seasoned railroad hand, but moved as placidly towards -the tower at Ralph's hail as though he was inspector-general and main -owner of the railroad. - -Stiggs was a character about the yards. He was one of the first -switchmen employed by the Great Northern. About two years previously, -however, he had got terribly battered up in trying to rescue an express -driver and his horses who had got wedged in on an X-switch. Stiggs -succeeded, but paid the penalty. - -When he came out of the hospital he was sound of limb, but his mind was -affected. He was not dangerous or troublesome, but he still imagined -that he was in active service for the railroad company. - -The Great Northern pensioned him, and he and his wife got along quite -comfortably on the sixteen dollars a month allowed them, as they owned -their little home. Stiggs, however, haunted the yards. He put on a -fresh, clean working suit twice a week, and went the rounds of depot, -flag-shanties, switch tower, and roundhouse twice a day regularly. - -He was so pleasant and inoffensive that all hands gave him a welcome. He -ran errands for men on duty, and at times unofficially spelled the -crossings flagmen while they went to their meals. - -His great need was tobacco. His wife would buy him none, saying they -could not afford it. When the railroad men rewarded his little services -with a pipeful or a package of his favorite brand, Stiggs was a very -happy man. - -"Want me?" he called up to Ralph as he neared the tower. - -"Yes," answered Ralph. "Will you do an errand for me?" - -"Sure pop. That's what the company hires me for, isn't it?" demanded -Stiggs cheerfully. - -"You know where the circus train is unloading?" - -"Over near the street--of course. I supervised getting their band -chariot down the skids. New men here--never handled chariots before. -They'd have smashed her if I hadn't been on deck to direct them." - -"Experience counts, Mr. Stiggs," remarked Ralph indulgently. - -"You bet it does--that's what the company hires me for." - -"Well, you go down and see if any of the circus people are still -around." - -"They were ten minutes ago." - -"Find the manager. You know one of their wild animals is loose?" - -"I heard so." - -"Then you bargain for a reward. Tell them you can produce their escaped -tiger if they pay you for your trouble." - -Stiggs stared in perplexed simplicity at Ralph. - -"But I can't," he demurred, "and I never tell a lie, you know." - -"Yes, you can," asserted Ralph--"at least I can. I know where the -animal is. You hurry the circus manager here, and I will show up the -tiger." - -Simple-minded Stiggs craned his neck as if expecting to see the animal -in question in Ralph's company. Then his face grew mildly reproachful. - -"I didn't think you would try to hoax me, Fairbanks!" he said -sorrowfully. - -"I wouldn't for the world, Mr. Stiggs," said Ralph. "I have too much -respect for you. Do as I say now--only hurry. Make a good bargain, for -a little money won't do Mrs. Stiggs any harm. Hustle, though--for -tigers are slippery customers, you know." - -Stiggs nodded dubiously, and set off on his errand. Ralph kept an eye -on the side of the tower where the lower entrance was, ready to warn -anyone approaching. - -He could hear the animal occupant of the room below moving about. Then -it quieted down, after a jangle of metal pieces. Ralph figured out that -it had made its lair in the darkest corner of the apartment where there -was a heap of old junk. - -He looked down the ladder, but did not venture below. - -It was about ten minutes after Stiggs had departed on his errand, that -Ralph had occasion to warn a newcomer. - -He had watched this person cross the tracks from Railroad Street in a -rather lurching, irresponsible way. - -As he came nearer, Ralph recognized the belligerent friend of his -predecessor at the switch tower, Young Slavin. - -Ralph had not seen nor heard from Slavin, Bemis, or Ike Slump since his -adventure with the trio at "The Signal" restaurant on lower Railroad -Street. - -As Slavin drew nearer, Ralph judged, from the way that he glanced up at -the tower, that this was his intended goal, and, from the way he -clenched his fists and hunched up his shoulders, that he had got himself -primed for some mischief. - -Slavin halted as he got within ten feet of the switch tower. In a -stupid, solemn sort of way he scanned its side, trying to determine -where its entrance was located. Ralph stuck his head out of the window. - -"Hello, there!" he hailed. - -"Hello, yerself!" retorted Slavin, finding some difficulty in steadying -himself as he crooked his neck to make out his challenger. "Who's that? -Fill my heart with joy by just telling me it's the fellow I'm looking -for--young Fairbanks!" - -"That is who it is," responded Ralph promptly. "Want me?" - -"Do I!" chuckled Slavin, cutting a pigeon-wing and giving a free -exhibition of pugilist fist play. "Oh, don't I! Business, strictly -business--young man. Will you come down, or shall I come up?" - -"I don't want to see you bad enough to come down," observed Ralph. "As -to coming up, I warn you not to attempt it, just at present." - -"Afraid, eh?" jeered Slavin. - -"Was I the other night?" asked Ralph pointedly. - -"That was a foul," cried Slavin wrathfully. "I've come for satisfaction -now, and I'm going to have it." - -"Not in working hours, and not here," declared Ralph definitely. "Hold -on, Slavin!" he called in some alarm, as his irresponsible visitor -rounded the structure, bent on forcing an entrance. "Hey, stop! Don't -go in there." - -Slavin had reached the lower door of the tower room. - -"I tell you to stop!" cried Ralph strenuously. "There's a wild beast in -there--the tiger that escaped from the circus." - -"You can't bluff me," retorted Young Slavin, making a determined lurch -through the doorway. - -Ralph ran to a window sill and seized a long iron wrench lying there. He -was really alarmed for the safety of his would-be visitor. - -At all odds, he felt it his duty to save even an acknowledged enemy from -a foolhardy fate. - -Ralph got to the trap, and started to descend the ladder. - -A curdling yell rang out from below, and Ralph saw tiger and pugilist -whirling together in a maze of wild confusion. - - - - -CHAPTER XII--THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OPINION - - -It seemed as if the escaped circus tiger had disputed the intrusion of -Young Slavin just as it had previously that of Ralph. - -Whether his belligerent enemy had tried to beat off the animal, or it -had attacked Slavin as he attempted to ascend the ladder, Ralph could -not tell. One thing was sure, however: the impetuous "champeen" found -himself in the mix-up of his life. - -The tiger was growling and snarling. Slavin was uttering muffled shouts -of terror and pain. Ralph fairly dropped down half a dozen rungs of the -ladder. - -The wrench with which he had armed himself was heavy, and had a very -long handle. Six feet from the floor of the lower tower room, Ralph -leaned as far out as he could, holding on to the ladder by one foot and -one hand. - -Swinging the wrench in the other hand and watching his opportunity, -Ralph landed a sturdy whack directly on top of the head of the -infuriated tiger. - -The blow was severe enough to crack the skull of a human being. The -tiger, however, only ducked its head and sneezed, but it relaxed its -hold of Slavin. - -Ralph saw its great paw cut the air in one lightning-like downward -stroke. He saw Slavin, with a curdling shriek, bound through the -doorway like a ball. Then the tiger turned, caught sight of his new -assailant, and crouched with a malignant snarl, posing for a spring. - -Ralph took aim. He let go of the heavy wrench, using it as a missile -now. It struck the tiger squarely between the eyes, throwing the animal -off its balance. Then with due agility Ralph shot up the ladder like a -steeple-jack. - -Once in the tower room he closed the trap and fastened it down. A -glance from its window showed some commotion in the yards round about. - -A wild, tattered figure was scudding in frenzy for the street. It was -Young Slavin. He was hatless, and, from neck to heel down his back, -every garment he wore was ripped exactly in two as if slashed -scientifically by a butcher-knife. - -This envelope of tatters and Slavin's fearful outcries had attracted the -attention of flagmen, engineers, and brakemen in the vicinity. They -shouted after the scurrying fugitive, they even tried to head him off -for an explanation. Slavin, however, lost to reason for the moment, -made a mad bee-line for Railroad Street, and disappeared behind some -freight sheds. - -Ralph hailed a roundhouse hand carrying a bucket of oil. - -"Shut the lower door, will you?" he asked. - -The man did so. It operated on a spring, and all he had to do was to -detach a hook from a staple that held it open. - -"Slip the padlock," continued Ralph. - -"Why, that will lock you in!" exclaimed the bewildered oilman. - -"That's all right," answered Ralph. "Thanks." - -He smiled to himself as he answered some switch calls. The smile -broadened as he ran over the exciting incidents of the hour. - -Young Slavin was probably more scared than hurt. In his muddled -condition, amid the semi-darkness of the lower tower room he might not -have discerned or realized what had attacked him. - -"He will report me a demon, and his friends will think me one, if he -shows up in those tatters, laying his plight to my charge," smiled -Ralph. "Well, I fancy 'the young Hercules' has got all the satisfaction -he wants for the present." - -In about fifteen minutes Ralph leaned from the window to greet a coterie -he had been expecting for some time. - -Stiggs, placid-faced and leisurely as usual, led a party Ralph had seen -grouped around the circus cages on the street tracks at noon. - -The six menagerie men still carried their equipment for capturing the -escaped tiger: pikes, hooks, halter chain, and muzzle. - -The manager, his hat stuck back on his head, nervously chewing a match -and urging Stiggs to hurry, looked very much excited. - -"Come, can't you hustle a bit?" Ralph heard him say to Stiggs. "Where's -your tiger?" - -Stiggs pointed up to the switch tower. - -"What are you giving me?" demanded the circus manager in -disgust--"that's a boy." - -"He sent me--he knows where the tiger is," asserted Stiggs. - -"Oh, that's it. Young man!" called up the circus manager. "Do you know -this man?" - -"Very intimately. I sent him to you. I have located your escaped -animal, as he told you, I presume?" said Ralph. - -"He did. It's true, then?" cried the circus manager eagerly. "Where is -the brute?" - -"Mr. Stiggs," called down Ralph, "are these people going to pay you for -your trouble?" - -"Oh, sure," replied Stiggs animatedly. "See there--they gave me a whole -package of tobacco." - -Ralph regarded the simple-minded railroad pensioner pityingly. He fixed -a censorious glance on the circus manager. The latter flushed and -looked embarrassed. - -"He said that was all he wanted," stammered the man. - -"Oh, well, that won't do at all," declared Ralph. "Your animal has done -some damage--in fact, came very nearly doing a great deal of damage. -Besides that, Mr. Stiggs is a poor man. You offered a liberal reward -for the capture of the animal this morning, I believe. Does that offer -stand good now?" - -A little crowd had been drawn to the spot by the presence of such an -unusual group. Among them was a young fellow who had kept with the -party since it had started out. - -The circus manager knew this young man to be a reporter on the local -paper, in the quest of a sensation. He could not risk an effective free -advertisement by an exhibition of niggardliness on the part of the -proprietors of the circus. - -"Sure," he said importantly; "our people spare no expense in catering to -the great show-going public. They spent six thousand dollars in caging -the famous Calcutta Tom, the wonder of the animal universe, and-- - -"You went over all that this noon," said Ralph, in a business-like way. -"What about the fifty dollars?" - -"Have you got the tiger?" - -"I have," answered Ralph definitely. - -"Produce him, and the money is yours." - -"Very good," nodded Ralph, tossing down the key to the padlock of the -lower door. "You will find the escaped animal downstairs here." - -The local reporter made himself unduly active within the ensuing thirty -minutes. He had written up Ralph Fairbanks once before. That was when -the young railroader had acted as substitute fireman during the big fire -in the yards at Acton, as already related in "Ralph of the Roundhouse." - -Ralph had proven "good copy" in that instance. The fact of his having -the escaped animal in custody, the litter of glass under the tower -windows, some vague remarks of the flagman who had witnessed Ralph's -sensational ascent of the telegraph pole, set the young reporter on the -trail of a first-class story in a very few minutes. - -The circus manager and his assistants soon had Calcutta Tom in fetters. -As they pulled him out into daylight the manager cuffed and kicked him -till the animal slunk along, spiritless and harmless as some antiquated -horse. - -He drew out a roll of bank bills, counted out fifty dollars, made sure -the reporter was noticing the act, and with a flourish tossed the money -up to Ralph. - -He wrote out a free pass to the show for Stiggs, slapping him on the -shoulder and calling him a royal good fellow. - -"Don't know if the railroad company can spare me," said Stiggs, shaking -his head slowly. - -"Come up here, Mr. Stiggs," said Ralph. - -Jack Knight came along from the limits tower just then. He was halted -by the reporter. Stiggs joined Ralph a few minutes later. - -"I want to tell you, Mr. Stiggs, about this fifty dollars' reward from -the circus people," began Ralph. - -"Yes, glad you got it, Fairbanks," said Stiggs heartily. "If it wasn't -for you I wouldn't have got the tobacco." - -"Well, I want you to tell Mrs. Stiggs when you go home that I've got -twenty-five dollars for her," went on Ralph. - -"My! that's a lot of money," exclaimed the old railroad pensioner, -opening wide his eyes. "Say, Fairbanks, that would stock me up with -tobacco for the rest of my life!" - -Knight came through the trap, the local reporter at his heels. - -"What's been going on here?" demanded the veteran towerman, with a -glance at the broken window panes. - -Ralph glanced at the reporter. That individual had a paper tab in his -hand all covered with notes, and looked eager and expectant. - -"If our friend here will excuse our attention to railroad business -strictly, I will try to tell you," said Ralph. - -"Certainly," nodded the reporter, but disappointedly, as Ralph took -Knight to the end of the room and a low-toned conversation ensued. - -The same was interspersed with sensational, startling ejaculations of -wild excitement, such a vivid play of interest and wonder on the part of -old Jack, that the reporter wriggled in a kind of professional torment. -He knew that Ralph must have a graphic story to relate. - -"Mr. Fairbanks," he said anxiously, as the two terminated their -conversation, "I hope you will give me a brief interview." - -"Really, I couldn't think of it," answered Ralph, with a genial smile. -"A tiger escaped from the circus and hid in the switch tower. That's -about the facts of the case." - -"You're a deal too modest," snorted old Jack. "You see, he's a stickler -for railroad ethics," he explained to the reporter. "Well, that's all -right in a young man, for the company usually want to give out their own -reports to the press. In this instance, though, I don't think they will -hold back the credit young Fairbanks deserves. You come with me, young -man, and as soon as I report to the superintendent, I think you can get -the facts for the liveliest railroad sensation you have had in Stanley -Junction for many a long day." - -Ralph had no right to interfere with this arrangement. - -Knight came back in thirty minutes, chuckling gleesomely. - -"Shake, old man!" he called out, grasping Ralph's hand with a -switch-lever clutch that would have made his assistant wince a week -back. "I guaranteed you to the company when they put you on here. The -man with the iron mask just thanked me for it. Thanked me for it, just -think of it--and smiled!" - -"Who is the man with the iron mask?" asked Ralph innocently. - -"The superintendent, of course. Ever see him? Well, they say he was -born with a frown on his face, called down his father and mother when he -was six months old, and spent ten years at a special actors' school -where they learn the ebony glare, the tones that chill a fellow, and -that grand stern air that makes a railroad employee shake in his boots -when the superintendent passes by." - -"Why, I have found him rather dignified, but a thoroughly just and -genial gentleman," said Ralph. - -"Thank you, Fairbanks!" interrupted a voice that made the two friends -start, and the head of the superintendent of the Great Northern came up -through the trap. "Quite a word-painter, Mr. Knight!" he continued, -glancing at old Jack with a grim twinkle in his eye. - -"Ah, overheard me, did you?" retorted Knight, never abashed at anything. -"You didn't wait till I got through. I was going to add, for the -benefit of our young friend here, that all the qualities I was -describing have made you the most consistent, thoroughgoing railroader -in the country, that back of the mask were more pensions to deserving -disabled employees than the law allowed, and a justice and respect for -loyal subordinates that made you an honorary member of our union, and -the Great Northern the finest railway system ever perfected." - -"Thank you, Mr. Knight!" retorted the superintendent, a genuine flush of -pleasure on his face. "I know you are sincere, so you will join me, I -am certain, in telling our young friend that the risk he took to save -the special this day entitled him to a high place in the esteem of his -employers and associates." - -"Right you are, sir!" answered Knight emphatically. "I'm proud of Ralph -Fairbanks--and so are you." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII--SQUARING THINGS - - -Ralph was tremendously pleased at the praise of the superintendent of -the Great Northern. He started for home, his work through with for the -day, feeling that life was very much worth living. - -He lost no time on this especial occasion in reaching the home cottage. -He wanted to share his pleasure with his devoted mother. - -Ralph found the front door locked. He had a key to it however, let -himself in, and was wondering at this unusual absence of his mother at a -regular meal hour, when he caught sight of a folded note on the little -table in the hall. - -"I am at Mrs. Davis'," his mother's note ran. "She is not very well, -and wishes me to stay with her for a few hours. Please call for me at -her house at about nine o'clock." - -Entering the little dining room, Ralph found the table all set. He -proceeded to the kitchen, and discovered under covers on a slow fire his -meal ready to be served. - -"Always kind and thoughtful," he reflected gratefully, as he sat down to -his solitary repast. "Nine o'clock, eh? That gives me time to attend -to some pressing duties. Perhaps Mrs. Davis may have something to say -about those bonds." - -Ralph's mother had done her duty in seeing to it that he was not put out -by her absence. He now proceeded to do his by clearing up the table and -washing the dishes. He had everything in order before he left the -house. - -He sauntered downtown, changed a twenty-dollar bill that was among those -the circus manager had given him, and started down a humble side street. - -In about ten minutes Ralph reached the Stiggs home. It was a small -one-story structure, but comfortable-looking and well-kept. - -In the garden was a small summerhouse. A spark of light directed Ralph -thither. It appeared that Stiggs was banished from the house while -using his favorite weed. This was his "smokery." - -Before Ralph could announce his presence, someone spoke from an open -window of the house. - -"John Jacob Stiggs--smoke! smoke! smoke!" proclaimed a high-pitched -voice-. "I should think you'd be ashamed--at it all the time. If you -are so valuable to your railroad cronies why don't you bring home a -chicken, or a watermelon, or a bag of potatoes once in a while, instead -of your perpetual 'plug cut,' and 'cut loaf,' and 'killmequick'? Oh, -dear! dear! you are such a trial." - -"That's so--never thought of that," responded Stiggs from his snuggery, -in his usual quiet way. "But, my dear, something is coming. Some -money--you know I told you." - -"Nonsense!" retorted Mrs. Stiggs violently. "They stuff you full of all -kinds of stories. Last week you said they were going to make you master -mechanic." - -"I declined it! I declined it!" answered Stiggs in quick trepidation. -"The responsibility of the position--think of it, my dear!" - -"Well, I suppose you're my cross," sighed his helpmate patiently. "Only, -don't get a woman's hopes all alive with your story of five dollars -coming, and a new shawl for me." - -"Ten, my dear," interrupted Stiggs. "I've quite forgotten the amount, -but I am sure it was more than five. You see, I helped catch a -tiger----" - -"John Jacob Stiggs!" cried his wife severely, "you'd better keep those -wild notions out of your head. Tigers! Who ever saw a tiger in Stanley -Junction?" she sniffed disdainfully. - -"Why, I did, Mrs. Stiggs," broke in Ralph, stepping to the window with a -pleasant smile, and lifting his cap politely. "It escaped from the -circus now in town. Your husband helped me get it into the hands of the -show people, they paid us fifty dollars' reward for our services, and -half of it belongs to Mr. Stiggs. There is his share, madam." - -"Laws-a-mercy!" cried the astounded woman, as the crisp green bills were -placed on the window ledge. "You don't mean----" - -"Twenty-five dollars," nodded Ralph. - -"His? mine? ours?" - -"Yes, Mrs. Stiggs. You can have a famous new shawl now, can't you, -madam?" - -"Oh, come in. Oh, dear! dear! it don't seem real." - -Ralph stepped around to the door and entered the little sitting room. -Mrs. Stiggs could not keep still for excitement. She was laughing and -crying by turns. - -Old Stiggs followed after Ralph in a kind of dumb amazement, and stood -staring at the banknotes in his wife's hand. She chanced to observe -him. For the first time in his life, it seemed, her husband had -ventured inside the house smoking his despised tobacco. - -"John--Jacob--Stiggs!" she screamed. - -"Oh--my!" gasped the horrified culprit. - -The lighted pipe dropped from his mouth, and he bolted out of doors as -if shot from a cannon. - -Mrs. Stiggs was profuse in her thanks. She got more coherent, and -poured out her little troubles to Ralph, who was a sympathetic listener. -He gave her some advice, and his heart warmed as he finally left the -house, happy in the consciousness that he had bestowed some pleasure and -benefit where he felt sure they were fully deserved. - -"Anybody but mother would call me a chump for what I've got to do next," -he mused, as he proceeded briskly in the direction of lower Railroad -Street, "but I've got the impulse, and it looks clear to me that I'm -doing the right thing all around." - -Ralph proceeded past the long line of poor buildings just back of the -depot tracks. He looked into the restaurant where he had found Mort -Bemis and Young Slavin some evenings previous. - -They were not in evidence now, however, at this or other places he -inspected. Ralph made inquiries of some "extras," who had a good deal -of spare time, and were likely to know the denizens of Railroad Row. - -No one could tell him of the whereabouts of the persons he sought, until -he met a young urchin whom he questioned. - -"Slavin?" pronounced the precious street arab. "Champeen? He's at -Murphy's shed." - -A man named Murphy ran a cheap ice cream place further down the street, -Ralph remembered. The shed he also recalled as a loafing place for -juvenile road hands around the noon and evening hours. - -It was a great open structure where expressmen stored their wagons for -shelter. Ralph reached its proximity in a few minutes. He glanced -around the open end of the place. - -Three or four boys were squatted on the ground. Two of them had a coat -and a vest, on which they were clumsily sewing. Near by, wrapped in an -old horse-blanket, seated on a box, his eyes fixed gloomily on the -ground, was the object of Ralph's visit--Young Slavin. - -Ralph went forward at once. Two of the group sprang to their feet, -startled. Young Slavin, looking spiritless and cowed, craned his bull -neck in silent wonder and uncertainty. - -"Mr. Slavin," spoke Ralph promptly, "I have been trying to find you." - -"What for?" mumbled Slavin in a muffled tone. "I'm ripped up the back. -Out of training--see you later." - -"Oh, I haven't come to fight," Ralph assured him. "It is this way: I -saw you meet with an unfortunate accident this afternoon." - -"If you mean you made rags of the only suit of clothes I've got, it's -correct," admitted Slavin dejectedly. - -"Well, I warned you, but you would rush on your fate," said Ralph. -"Pretty badly used up, are they?" - -"Are they?" snorted Slavin bitterly. "They were ripped from stem to -stern. And what's worse--look at them now!" - -Ralph could scarcely keep from laughing outright. One of the amateur -tailors had essayed to mend Slavin's trousers. - -He had taken up a seam four inches wide. In pursuing the seam, he had -sewed it into bunches, knobs, and fissures. One leg was shorter than -the other, and stood out at an angle from the knee down. - -"No, that won't do at all," said Ralph gravely. "I felt sorry for you, -Slavin. As I warned you, that tiger was in the switch tower. I got a -reward for telling the circus people where it was, and I think it is -only fair that they pay for the damage the animal did. They advertise a -good eight-dollar suit down at the Grand Leader. Go and get one. That -squares it, doesn't it?" - -Ralph extended a ten-dollar bill to Slavin. The eyes of his engrossed -companions snapped at the sight of so much money. As for Slavin -himself, he stared at the bill and then at Ralph in stupid wonder. - -"Take it," urged Ralph. - -"Mine?" gulped Slavin slowly. - -"Of course it's yours." - -"You give it?" - -"Why not? I collected damages from the circus people--that's your -share." - -Slavin's fingers trembled as he took the proffered banknote. He -wriggled restively, looked up, and then looked down. - -"Say," he spoke hoarsely at last, "your name is Fairbanks." - -"Yes," nodded Ralph. - -"A good name, and you're a good sort. I jumped on you wrong the other -night, and I want to say it right here. I thought Mort Bemis was my -friend. This afternoon he took up with a fellow named Slump, broke open -my trunk, stole two of my silver medals, and sloped. That's what I got -for being his friend. Now you come and do me a good turn. I'm not your -kind, and we can't ever mix probably, but if ever you want anyone -hammered, I'll be there. See? I'm--I'm obliged to you, Fairbanks. -You've taught me something. There's something better in the world than -muscle--and you've got it." - -When Ralph left the old shed, he was pretty certain that he had made a -new friend. He had, too, won the respect of the little coterie who had -seen the terrible "champeen" eat humble pie before a fellow half his -size. - -Ralph went to a millinery store next. The Saturday evening before he -had accompanied his mother on her shopping tour. She had admired a hat -in a show-window, but had said she could not spare the money for it just -then. - -Ralph proudly walked home with the self-same hat in a band-box. - -"I have made quite a hole in that fifty dollars," he mused, as he left -the band-box at the home cottage, and started for Mrs. Davis' house. "I -wonder if I would be as extravagant on a bigger scale, if we should be -fortunate enough to get back those twenty thousand dollars' worth of -railroad bonds?" - - - - -CHAPTER XIV--A BUSY EVENING - - -The nearest cut to the house where Mrs. Davis lived was along a sort of -a ravine, and Ralph pursued this route. It was the shortest, and it was -here that the switch spur was to run up to Gasper Farrington's old -factory. - -Ralph was interested in this as a railroader. The work of grading had -already commenced. It was not to be a very particular job, as the -service would be only occasional. The company was using old rails and -second-hand ties. - -There was a natural rock shelf on the north side of the ravine. This -the roadbed would follow. There were several sharp grades, but there -would be no heavy traffic. The entire factory output, which was in the -furniture line, would not exceed a carload a day. - -Mrs. Davis' home stood back from the ravine about a hundred feet. It -was some three hundred yards from the factory building. Between it and -the latter structure was a low two-story house, very old and -dilapidated. Ralph wondered if this was the spot which Farrington had -said he would appropriate, law or no law, as the connecting link in his -right of way. - -"Mr. Farrington may well look out for wrecks," soliloquized Ralph, as he -passed along the ravine. "The freight business from the factory is not -worth enough for the company to put in a first-class roadbed. A poor -one means danger. They will have to go slow on some of those mean -curves and crooked grades, if they want to avoid trouble." - -Ralph turned from the ravine as he caught the gleam of a light in the -house he knew to be occupied by the mysterious Mrs. Davis. - -It was a desolate place, and he felt sorry for anyone compelled to live -so remote from neighbors. He felt glad, however, that the lonely widow -had been so fortunate as to find a friend in his mother. - -Mrs. Davis had proven her honesty by wishing to repay him the ten-dollar -loan. Ralph in a way counted that evening on some intimation concerning -the twenty thousand dollars railroad bonds. He was naturally wrought up -and anxious over this particular phase of the situation. - -The house did not front on the ravine. In approaching it, Ralph came up -to its side first. The light that had guided him was in a middle room. -Its window was open and the shade was lowered, but the breeze blew it -back every little while. - -It was a bright moonlight night. Ralph could make out the house and its -surroundings as plain as day. As he walked beside a hedge of high -alders, he paused with a start. - -Someone stood directly beside the open window where the light was. The -house shadowed him, but even at a distance Ralph could see that the -lurker was a boy about his own height. - -This person stood with his face to the window. Every time the breeze -moved the curtain, he bobbed about actively. He craned his neck, and -made all kinds of efforts to look into the room. - -"Why," said Ralph indignantly, "it is someone spying!" - -The breeze freshening, the curtain was just then blown on a forty-five -degree slant. A perfectly plain view of the room and its inmates was -momentarily shown. - -Even at a distance Ralph could make out Mrs. Davis propped up in a chair -with pillows, and his mother seated near by. - -The lurker at the window was taking a good clear look. He suddenly -whipped a card out of his pocket. He glanced at it quickly, then inside -the room again. The breeze let down, and the curtain dropped plumb once -more. - -Ralph made an impetuous run for the window. He came up to the lurker, -grabbed his arm, and still at full momentum ran him twenty feet along -from the window. He did not wish to startle the inmates of the house. -The astonished boy he had seized Ralph landed against the side of a -summerhouse. He never let go of him. His prisoner wriggled in his -grasp. - -"Hey, what's this?" he began. - -"Who are you and what are you up to?" challenged Ralph sharply. "What!" -he cried, loosening his hold in stupefaction. "Van--Van Sherwin!" - -"Hello!" muttered his companion, now faced squarely about, and staring -in turn. "It is you, Fairbanks? Well, that's natural, seeing your -mother is here, but you took me off my feet so sudden. Shake. You -don't seem glad to see me one bit, although it's an age since I met you -last. How goes it?" - -Ralph shook the hand affectionately extended. It was not the hearty -greeting, however, he usually awarded to this his warmest boy friend. -Ralph looked grave, uncertain, and disappointed. - -Of all the chums he had ever known, Van Sherwin had come into his life -in a way that had appealed strongly to every friendly sentiment. -Deprived of reason temporarily through a blow from a baseball, and -practically adopted by the Fairbanks family, Van's gentle, lovable ways -had charmed them. When he recovered his reason and was the means of -introducing Ralph to Farwell Gibson, Van was cherished like a brother by -Ralph. - -Less than two weeks previous Van had gone back to the wilderness stretch -beyond Springfield, where Gibson was keeping his railroad cut-off -charter alive by grading the roadbed so much each day, as required by -law. - -Through Gibson Ralph had got the information that enabled them to prove -Gasper Farrington's mortgage on their home a fraud. Naturally he felt -thankful to the queer old hermit who was working out an idea amid -Crusoe-like solitude. - -As to Van,--mother and son made him a daily topic of conversation. They -had longed for a visit from the strange, wild lad who had unconsciously -brought so much good into their lives. - -Now Van had appeared, yet a vague distrust and disappointment chilled -the warmth of Ralph's reception. Van had always been frank, -open-minded, aboveboard. Ralph had just discovered him apparently -engaged in eavesdropping. - -Thinking all this over, Ralph stood grim and silent as a statue for the -space of nearly two minutes. - -"Hey!" challenged Van suddenly, giving his arm a vigorous shake. "Are -you dreaming, Ralph?" - -Ralph roused himself. He determined to clear the situation, if it could -be cleared. - -"Van," he said definitely, "what were you doing at that window?" - -"Why, didn't you see--looking in." - -"I know you was. In other words, spying. Oh, Van--spying on my -mother!" - -Van Sherwin's eyes flashed. In a trice he had whipped off his coat. His -fists doubled up. He advanced on Ralph, his voice shaking with an angry -sob. - -"Take that back, Ralph Fairbanks!" he cried. "Do it quick, or you've -got to lick me. Me spy on your mother? Why, she's pretty near my -mother, too--the only one I ever remember." - -"But I saw you lurking at that window," said Ralph, a good deal taken -aback by Van's violent demonstration. - -"Lurking, eh?" repeated Van sarcastically. "I'm a lurker, am I? And a -spy? Why don't you call me a bravo--and a brigand? Humph--you chump!" - -The impulsive fellow shrugged his shoulders in such a pitying, indulgent -way that Ralph was fairly nettled. - -"I won't fight you," declared Van, putting on his coat again. "You -think so much of your mother that I'll forgive you. But I think a lot -of her, too, as you well know, and, knowing it, you ought to have -thought twice before you--yes, imputed to me any action that could do -her any harm." - -"You're right, Van," said Ralph, grasping both hands of his eccentric -chum, heartily enough this time. "I am so strung up, though, with -things happening, and so much suspicion and mystery in the air, that I'm -jumping to all kinds of conclusions helter-skelter. I hate mystery, you -know." - -"Sit down," said Van, moving around to the door of the dismantled -summerhouse, and dropping to its worm-eaten seat. "I want to tell you -something. I wasn't looking in that window expecting to see your -mother." - -"No?" - -"Not at all." - -"Then it must have been Mrs. Davis, the woman who lives there." - -"Is that her name?" inquired Van, with a shrewd smile. - -"She says it is." - -"You know her, then? Well, I don't, Ralph. Never saw her before. Yet, -I've traveled a long distance to get a look at her. See here--can you -make it out?" - -Van took from his pocket the card Ralph had seen him consult at the -window. Ralph held it up to the moonlight. - -It was an old-fashioned card photograph. Judging from its yellow, faded -appearance, it seemed taken in another generation. It presented the -face of a woman of about thirty years of age. - -Ralph scanned this with a certain token of recognition. - -"This picture resembles Mrs. Davis," he said. - -"Think so?" asked Van. "I know it does. It's meant for the lady in -that room yonder--when she was younger, though." - -"How do you come by it?" inquired Ralph. - -"It's a secret for the present, but I don't mind telling you. A -friend--a long distance away--asked me to locate the original of that -picture. Somehow he got a clew to the fact that she was living in this -district." - -"Yes, she came to Stanley Junction recently." - -"Anyhow, I followed out directions," narrated Van. "I've done what I -came for. The woman lives in that house yonder. I must go back and -inform my friend." - -"Not right away. Mother will want to see you, Van." - -Van shook his head resolutely. - -"I'll be back again soon, Ralph," he promised. "I wish I could tell you -more, but it's not my business." - -"That's all right, Van. I don't want to pry into your secrets." - -Van restored the picture to his pocket. He sighed with a glance at the -house, as if it would indeed be a pleasure to have a chat with his -adopted mother, Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Oh, Ralph!" he said suddenly, checking himself as he was about to move -away--"have you ever heard anything more about those twenty thousand -dollars railroad bonds?" - -"Have I?" spoke Ralph animately; "I seem to be hearing about them every -step I take, lately!" - -"Is that so?" - -"Yes, but always in a vague, unsatisfactory way. What made you ask that -question, Van?" inquired Ralph, with a keen glance at his companion. - -"Oh, nothing," declared Van carelessly. "I was just thinking, that's -all. You see, Mr. Gibson is a rare, good fellow." - -"He did me some rare, good service--I know that," said Ralph warmly. - -"Well, he's pegging away at that railroad of his, wasting valuable time. -He don't dare to leave it, because he might vi--vi--bother the word--oh, -yes! vitiate his legal rights. He told me, though, that if he could get -someone to put up a few thousand dollars so he could hire help, he would -go to some big city and interest capital and rush the road through." - -"I will bear that in mind," said Ralph thoughtfully. "I believe he has -the nucleus of a big speculation. There are rich men in Stanley -Junction who might be induced to help him." - -"Suppose you got those twenty thousand dollars bonds, Ralph," said Van -suddenly. "Would you be inclined to invest?" - -"I would feel it a duty, Van," responded Ralph promptly. "I believe my -mother would, too. You will remember that if it was not for Mr. Gibson, -we would probably be without a home to-day." - -"You're a good fellow, Ralph Fairbanks!" cried Van, slapping his chum -heartily on the shoulder. "I knew you'd say that. And say--I guess -you're going to hear something about those bonds, soon." - -"The air seems full of those bonds!" half smiled Ralph. "I wish -something besides shadows would materialize, though." - -Ralph felt that Van was keeping something back--certainly about the -person so interested in the mysterious Mrs. Davis, possibly in reference -to the railroad bonds, as well. - -Before he could express himself further, Van grabbed his sleeve and -pulled him into the shelter of the summerhouse with a quick warning: - -"S-sh!" - -"What is it, Van?" inquired Ralph in surprise. - -"Speak low, look sharp!" whispered Van, pointing through the interstices -of the trellis in the direction of the house. "You hate mystery, you -say. Then how does that strike you?" - -"Why," exclaimed Ralph, after a steadfast glance in the direction -indicated--"it is Gasper Farrington!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV--A HERO DESPITE HIMSELF - - -Ralph did not have to look twice to be sure that it was the village -magnate who stood just where he had discovered Van Sherwin a few minutes -previous. - -Gasper Farrington was stooping stealthily under the open window. He did -not seem to care so much to see who was inside. Perhaps he had already -seen. His whole attitude showed that he was listening intently. - -Ralph disliked Farrington. He had reason for the sentiment. He could -not recall one gracious action on the part of the miserly old man in all -the years he had known him. - -His present occupation, that of an eavesdropper, was so expected and -characteristic of Farrington, that Ralph's indignation was less than his -contempt. - -"What is he after here?" reflected Ralph; "no good, of course. Mrs. -Davis knows him and fears him, it seems. He is going." - -Before Ralph could make up his mind to any definite course of action, -Farrington, after a meditative pause, slunk from under the window. Then -he disappeared briskly around the corner of the house. - -Ralph ran softly after him and peered around the end of the structure. -He saw Farrington headed for town, across lots to the nearest highway. - -Ralph came back to the old summer house to find Van gone. He looked for -him, even tried a whistle signal both understood, but obtained no -response. - -"It's all a queer affair," mused Ralph. "Mrs. Davis seems to be a great -center of interest just at present. Perhaps she has told mother -something that explains matters." - -Ralph was doomed to disappointment in this hope. When he knocked at the -door of the Davis home, his mother answered the summons. - -"Mrs. Davis is resting nicely," she whispered. "It would only excite -her to see you to-night. Just wait outside, and I will slip away and -join you in a few minutes." - -Mrs. Fairbanks was soon on the way homeward with Ralph. She explained -that Mrs. Davis was quite unwell and nervous. She had stayed with her -and nursed her, and left her comfortable for the night. - -"She gave me the ten dollars for you, Ralph," said Mrs. Fairbanks, "but -she said very little about the bonds. I have an idea that she knows -something about them, and I think she has been writing to Gasper -Farrington. The last thing she said as I left her, was for both of us -to come to see her to-morrow night. She said she would get something in -the meantime she had placed with a friend to show us, in which we would -both be interested." - -Ralph said nothing to his mother about meeting Van, nor did he mention -Farrington's visit to the Davis home. He did not wish to worry his -mother, and he hoped that another twenty-four hours might somewhat clear -the situation. - -Of course Mrs. Fairbanks was more than pleased over her present of the -new hat. Her son's recital of the tiger episode frightened and thrilled -her by turns. - -Ralph did a good deal of thinking after getting to bed. He wondered if -Mrs. Davis was up to any double-dealing. Perhaps she knew something of -importance about the bonds. She might have come to Stanley Junction to -sell her secret to Farrington. Possibly later she became undecided as -to her course, her accidental meeting with Ralph moving her to favor him -in the matter. - -Ralph guessed that no one but Farwell Gibson could have sent Van to -Stanley Junction. Gibson had been mixed up in the matter of his -father's railroad bonds, years back. Was there some kind of a -three-cornered complication, in which Farrington, Gibson, and Mrs. Davis -each had a share, and all three playing at cross-purposes? - -At ten o'clock that night the local newspaper left the press, weighted -with the biggest sensation of the year, but Ralph did not know it. - -He was made aware of it next morning, however, as he left the house. Ned -Talcott, an old school chum, came running up to him fluttering a -freshly-printed sheet. - -"Did you see it? Did you really do all that?" he demanded, in -breathless excitement. - -"See what--do what?" inquired Ralph. - -"Well, just run your eagle eye over these two front columns!" chuckled -Ralph's ardent admirer. - -"Oh, dear!" said Ralph, in faint stupefaction. - -The ambitious newspaper reporter had dished up a wonderfully graphic and -interesting story. He did not seem to have missed a point in the -episode of the escaped circus tiger. - -He had got every fact about the special, every detail of Ralph's -encounter with Calcutta Tom, the sensational climb of the telegraph -pole, the swing of the lever just in time. He even touched on the -accident to Young Slavin, Ralph's benevolence to that enemy, and his -generous division of the reward with the Stiggses. - -"Whew!" gasped Ralph, concluding the article with a whirling head. "Why, -if I wasn't mad at all the bosh he has put into this screed, I could -laugh--it is simply ridiculous!" - -All the same, the reporter had written a very entertaining article. It -was the "fancy touches" that seemed preposterous to Ralph, who had gone -through the episode practically. - -All through the story the writer held the tension high as to suspense -and impending peril. He made the reader fairly see the glaring eyeballs -of the defiant tiger. He almost made him hear the wild beatings of the -heart of the desperate but intrepid young leverman. - -The warning shrieks of the devoted special on the verge of destruction, -the nearing hiss and splutter of the steam jets, the thunderous thunder -of the grinding wheels--all these were the thrilling concomitants of a -breathless description. It ended in the crash of the tower window, the -leap to the levers, the action that made of Ralph Fairbanks the hero of -the hour. - -The grand finale was a pathetic touch. It alluded to the great -throbbing heart of humanity always electrically responsive to such -appeals as that involved in the anxious haste of the distressed railroad -president to reach a beloved wife at the door of death. - -Three people whom Ralph knew stopped him to congratulate him before he -reached the depot yards. - -A cheer greeted him as he crossed from Railroad Street to the switch -tower. It came from a flag-shanty, where four of his firemen friends -were standing. Two of them waved papers. Ralph laughed and nodded -carelessly, but flushed with pleasure. - -"There's two men I would like to have see that article," spoke old Jack -Knight, emphatically slapping the newspaper in his lap as Ralph came on -duty. "One is the master mechanic. The other is that old skeesicks, -Farrington." - -Ralph was embarrassed by further congratulations all through the -morning. He had a pleasant day, however. The praises of his real -friends were very sweet, and the sense of duty well done was a spur to -his noblest ambitions. - -It was toward five o'clock that the crowning episode of the day -occurred. Ralph was busy at the levers, Knight was at the telephone, as -the superintendent came up the trap ladder. - -His manner to both these valued employees was more than usually genial. - -"Dropped in on my way to the roundhouse," he observed. "I received a -wire from the president of the Great Northern about an hour ago, -Fairbanks." - -"Yes, sir?" said Ralph, wondering what was coming. - -Shrewd Jack Knight gave a wise chuckle, and his eyes twinkled. - -"He mentioned you," pursued the superintendent. "He sent a long wire, -requesting an expression of his thanks for prompt service all along the -line. He added a paragraph that may interest you. As I take you to be -too practical a young man to get the swelled head, or impose on an -appreciation of duty well done, I will read the paragraph to you." - -The speaker drew a typewritten yellow sheet from his pocket. He -resumed: - -"The president says: 'I imagine that by young Ralph Fairbanks, who has -shown such devotion to his duty and saved the special under such -extraordinary circumstances, the intelligence will be gladly received -that my timely arrival at home probably saved my dear wife's life. The -morning papers here have a full account of his remarkable adventures at -the switch tower. I desire that you commend him warmly in my behalf, -and it is the sense of the road directors that, while you do not promote -him too fast, you must see that he gets what he deserves promptly." - -Ralph flushed with emotion. He could not speak. - -"Good!" commented blunt old Jack. "The president is a brick. You're -another one, Mr. Superintendent, and you don't lose, let me tell you, by -warming up a thrifty employee's heart by giving him the real stuff, -right from the shoulder, when he deserves it." - -The superintendent smiled and bowed, and went on his way. - -"Stiff as a poker, looks as if his only thought was to catch a chance to -fire someone," observed Knight, watching the prim, dignified official -crossing the tracks below. "Look at him--cold as an iceberg. You've -thawed him out, though, Fairbanks!" chuckled the veteran towerman. -"That's so--there is something I wanted to find out." - -He pretended to be mightily busy poring over a little red memorandum -book for a few minutes. - -"Got it," he called out finally: "Chief Train Dispatcher. One hundred -and seventy-five dollars a month. Keep it in view, kid. You heard what -the president said." - -"Nonsense!" flushed Ralph; "my highest ambition for a long time to come -is to run a locomotive." - -Mrs. Fairbanks regarded her son with humid eyes as he told the story of -the day that night. - -She did not try to express her emotion. She could not. Ever since -Ralph had resolutely started at work, there had been what she greeted as -a continual round of blessings. And Ralph shared her heartfelt -gratefulness. - -Right after supper they started together to visit Mrs. Davis. Ralph -carried a basket which contained some dainties his mother had prepared -for the invalid. - -On their way Ralph told his mother of the suspicious circumstances of -Gasper Farrington's visit to the Davis home the evening previous. He -thought she ought now to know of it. He intimated, too, that it might -be wise to warn Mrs. Davis. - -"If she would only talk out what is evidently preying on her mind," -observed Mrs. Fairbanks, "we could understand the situation much more -clearly." - -"You know she has promised to enlighten us in a way, this evening," -suggested Ralph. - -"The house is dark," said his mother, as they neared it. - -"Yes, and--why, mother! the door is open." - -Ralph knocked loudly. There was no response. - -"I hope nothing is amiss," murmured Mrs. Fairbanks, in a fluttering -tone. - -She groped her way down the dark hall and into the sitting room, -stumbling over some garments lying on the floor which nearly tripped her -up. - -"Mrs. Davis! Mrs. Davis!" she called, "are you here?" - -Again there was only silence. Mrs. Fairbanks sighed with deep suspense. - -"Perhaps I had better get a light," suggested Ralph. - -"I wish you would," said his mother. - -Ralph flared a match. He discovered a lamp on a mantel-shelf and -lighted it. Mother and son glanced about the apartment searchingly. - -On the floor lay the heavy shawl Mrs. Fairbanks had stumbled over. A -little table was overturned. A drapery that had festooned the entrance -doorway from the hall was torn half loose, as if someone had grasped it -in being dragged from the room. - -"That looks bad," said Ralph gravely. - -He took up the lamp and went all through the house. In the one upper -chamber the contents of the bureau drawer were scattered all over the -floor. A trunk was broken open, and its interior all in disorder. - -"Is she here, Ralph?" questioned his mother anxiously, as he returned to -the sitting room. - -"No," answered Ralph. "Mother, there is foul play here." - -"Oh, Ralph!" - -"I am sure of it. Someone has ransacked the house, and I believe they -have kidnapped Mrs. Davis." - -"But--why?" stammered the affrighted Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Why?" cried Ralph, greatly stirred up by tumultuous thoughts and -suspicions that irresistibly thronged his brain. "To secure something -that Mrs. Davis had in her keeping, I believe." - -"But who would do it?" - -"Who?" responded Ralph. "I can imagine only one person who might be -interested." - -"And that is?" - -"Gasper Farrington." - -"Right!" pronounced a new voice, startlingly near. "You have hit the -nail squarely on the head this time, Ralph Fairbanks!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVI--KIDNAPPED - - -Mother and son turned quickly towards the open doorway of the little -sitting room. - -It framed a forlorn figure--a boyish form covered with mud, hatless, and -disheveled. - -"Van!" cried Mrs. Fairbanks in astonishment. - -She had a warm corner in her heart for the refugee who had made her home -his for so many weeks when his poor mind was distraught. - -Her motherly face lit up, and she extended her arms in greeting. - -But Van edged up to her gingerly, and kissing her cheek quickly drew -back with the remark: - -"I've been homesick and hungry for a week just to see you smile and to -hear you call me your boy, but I'm too muddy and torn up for even a -second-class prodigal son!" - -"Why, Van!" cried Ralph; "how did you get in that fix?" - -"Run down by a team." - -"And you are hurt--there is a deep cut on your cheek." - -"Oh, that's a whip-handle clip from a very particular friend of yours," -responded Van carelessly. "Ike Slump." - -Mrs. Fairbanks shivered at the mention of that detested individual. -Ralph was eagerly inquisitive. - -"And about Mrs. Davis?" he asked hurriedly. - -"The woman who lived here--the photograph woman?" - -"Yes, Van. Do you know anything about her?" - -"I fancy I do. She has been kidnapped." - -"We feared that!" murmured Mrs. Fairbanks anxiously. - -"Yes," nodded Van briskly, "it looks that way, and I have had a lively -time of it. Did you tell your mother about meeting me here last night, -Ralph?" - -"No, Van." - -"Then I will tell her now. You see, Mrs. Fairbanks, I was caught by -Ralph peeking into this very room, last night. I explained to him how -it was. I had an old photograph of a woman who turns out to be this -Mrs. Davis. I had been instructed to locate her." - -"By whom, Van?" inquired the astonished Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"It's a secret, it is not my business in a way," he burst forth -abruptly, "but I can't keep the truth from you two. I think you ought -to know it. I think, too, that the person for whom I am acting, the way -things have turned out, would also wish you to know it. Here is the -fact: Farwell Gibson is the person who got me to come here to locate -this Mrs. Davis." - -"Farwell Gibson?" repeated Mrs. Fairbanks in wonderment, though Ralph -was not surprised at the statement. He had already half guessed out -what his chum now disclosed. - -"Yes," nodded Van. - -"Then he knows Mrs. Davis?" asked Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Ought to," answered Van promptly, "seeing she is his wife." - -"You astound me, Van!" murmured the mystified Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Well, she is. At least, the original of the photograph I showed Ralph -is his wife. I don't know all the details, only it's some more of -Farrington's fine work. You know Gibson was in his clutches for years. -Mr. Gibson and his wife had a bitter quarrel over money matters many -years ago. It seemed he had used some of her means in his stock-jobbing -operations with Farrington. They separated. Later Farrington made -Gibson believe his wife was dead. He did this to get Gibson to consent -to sign certain papers that furthered Farrington's schemes. Then he got -Gibson under his thumb, and drove him into exile." - -"I wonder the villain sleeps nights!" said the indignant Ralph. - -"Well, anyhow," proceeded Van, "Gibson got looking into matters, when -his meeting with Ralph led to your having your rights, and old -Farrington taking the clamps off Gibson by destroying the forged note he -had held over him for so many years. Gibson learned that his wife was -not dead. He sent me to try and locate her--which I have done." - -"But she is lost again," suggested Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Oh, don't fret about that," spoke Van coolly. "I'll find her again, -don't you doubt it. You see, all this concerns you and Ralph very -closely, I am sure. In fact, Mr. Gibson intimated to me that if he -could get into communication with his estranged wife, he believed she -could give information that would lead to the recovery of those twenty -thousand dollars in railroad bonds." - -"Everything fits to one conviction," mused Ralph aloud. "All this being -true, it is certainly to Farrington's interest to drive Mrs. Davis away -from Stanley Junction." - -"They drove her away, right enough," nodded Van vigorously--"in a close -carriage, behind a spanking team. It was old Farrington's, and the -drivers were Ike Slump and a fellow I heard him call Mort." - -"Mort Bemis," murmured Ralph. - -"You see," said Van, "when I left you last night, I had only one idea: -to get back to Mr. Gibson and report. I started for the depot to take -the train for Springfield, intending to come back and see you all in a -day or two. Well, on my way to the depot I ran across old Farrington I -got thinking that his appearance on the scene, spying on the woman -Gibson, was sig--sig--what's the word, anyhow?" - -"Significant," suggested Ralph. - -"That's it--significant. I thought I would watch him a bit. He did not -go home. He went to an old abandoned shanty near the fair grounds. He -met two fellows there, apparently waiting for him. They strolled up and -down the road, talking together. As soon as I recognized Ike Slump, I -knew deep mischief was up. I saw Farrington give them money. I caught -the name of the other fellow--Mort. I saw old Farrington to bed, and -lay down in one of his comfortable garden hammocks to think. When I woke -up it was daybreak." - -"Why didn't you come to the house and see us?" inquired Mrs. Fairbanks -reproachfully. - -"Couldn't bring my mind to disturb you, with business on hand," declared -Van sturdily. "I hung around, and saw old Farrington go about as if -nothing unusual was on the string. Then about noon I went down to the -shanty where he had met Slump & Co. No one there. They had moved -quarters, it seemed. I nosed around generally. About four o'clock I -ran across that Mort. He was visiting some stores. Acted as if it -wasn't exactly safe to linger around people, for he didn't lose much -time in buying some neckties, collars, cigars, and two new hats." - -"He robbed a chum day before yesterday," explained Ralph. - -"Oh, that was it? He looked like a thief. I suppose Slump didn't care -to show his face at all. Well, I took up the trail of his crony. He -started out the west turnpike. I kept safely in the rear. He beat me." - -"How?" - -"A man came along with a fast team. This fellow, Mort, begged or paid -for a lift. They disappeared in a cloud of dust. I went back to town, -saw your railroad detective, told him Ike Slump was on the scene, and he -is looking for him with a warrant for stealing those brass fittings from -the roundhouse. I thought I'd clip Slump's wings for good. It made one -the less to watch." - -"Whew!" whistled Ralph slowly, "you're action when you get started, -Van." - -"There is only a little more to tell," continued Van. "I went back to -the Farrington place. Just at dusk, who should drive out but old -Farrington himself, with his best team hitched to a close carriage. The -fates were again against me. He got out by the rear, and he, too, took -the west turnpike. I ran for a mile, keeping tab on a cloud of dust. -It was no use. I sat down on a log by the roadside to rest. In a few -minutes I keeled over double-quick, and lay flat. Farrington was coming -back--on foot." - -"He had left his team somewhere?" - -"That's it. I waited until he was out of sight. Then I reasoned out -that this was a very queer proceeding. I made up my mind that somehow -he had given that team over into the keeping of his two young scallawag -friends. I put for the country. I inquired along half a dozen -branching country roads I took. About an hour ago I gave it up, was -trudging back for town, when down the road came a team--Farrington's -team. One of its drivers flashed a match to light a cigarette. Then I -knew my people. I edged aside, but as the carriage flew by I jumped on -the rear axle, drew myself up, and tried to look in through the rear -little glass window. Someone was lying on the back seat. There was a -smell like chloroform in the air. I managed to climb right up on the -smooth, slippery top of the carriage." - -"What was your idea?" asked Ralph. - -"I hardly knew. Somehow, a quick suspicion came into my mind that the -person inside that carriage was Mrs. Davis." - -"It was." - -"I know that now, sure enough. I crept forward. That fellow, Mort, -happened to turn. Our faces came nearly together. I grabbed at him, he -at me. He must be a pretty husky specimen. Before I could save myself, -he gave me a pull and a fling. I went down between the horses." - -Mrs. Fairbanks shuddered, and looked solicitous and alarmed. - -"Ike Slump reversed the whip and struck out at me. I dropped into a -mud-puddle. For a minute anyhow I was insensible from the blow and the -fall. When I picked myself up the team was nowhere in sight. I came -back to find out if they had really kidnapped Mrs. Davis, and met you." - -Van sat down, pretty well tired out, at the conclusion of his recital. -Mrs. Fairbanks looked very serious, Ralph worried and excited. - -"Something must be done instantly," Ralph declared. - -"Hold on," interrupted Van coolly, "make this strictly my affair, if you -please. From what I hear, you need all your time and ability for the -splendid railroad service you are doing. You can't corner old -Farrington--he's too foxy. You can't overtake Slump & Co.--they've got -too good a start. It's a simple matter: Farrington is sending Mrs. -Davis out of the way. That team has got to come back. The police will -find Ike Slump. They don't dare seriously molest Mrs. Davis. I shall -keep on the watch. In the morning I will get word somehow to Farwell -Gibson. Then I will devote my time strictly to finding Mrs. Davis, -and--I intend to find her." - -They closed up the deserted house. Then all three took their way -homewards. - -"Of course you are coming with us, Van?" said Mrs. Fairbanks. - -"Yes, ma'am," answered Van promptly. "I want to forget all about this -worrying business for twelve hours, so as to be fresh and bright for a -new trail in the morning. And I'm just pining for a good, thick slice -of your home-made bread." - -"You shall have it, Van," smiled Mrs. Fairbanks, trying to momentarily -put aside her troubles, "and half a mince pie, as well." - -"Home-made, too?" interrogated Van, in a famished way. - -"Only to-day." - -"M-m-m!" mumbled Van ravenously. "I'm homesick for one of your rare, -square meals. Hustle, Ralph--lead the way to the royal banquet!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII--A MIDNIGHT VISITOR - - -Ralph was a month old at switch-tower service. - -Looking back over thirty days, it seemed more than four weeks, so many -varied and important incidents in his career had been crowded into that -space of time. - -It was a wild, stormy night. Sleet and wind were battering the switch -tower windows. Although there was a chill in the air, the lightning was -vivid and the thunder roll incessant. - -The clock showed even midnight. Ralph for over a week had been on night -duty solely. Doc Bortree was laid up with a fever, and Ralph and Jack -Knight had been running the place on two shifts. - -Since the night of her disappearance, neither Ralph nor his anxious -mother had learned a thing as to the fate or whereabouts of Mrs. Davis. - -Van had left them the following day. Upon that day, too, Gasper -Farrington appeared, imposing and self-contained as ever, driving about -the town with his team. It had returned, it seemed, but Ike Slump and -Mort Bemis had not. Ralph looked for them and inquired about them at -many sources, friendly and unfriendly. They had completely vanished. - -Ralph and his mother had many consultations over the situation. The -former was for interviewing Farrington. He even suggested going to some -lawyer or to the police with his story of the disappearance of Mrs. -Davis. - -On second thoughts, however, he realized that he had very little -tangible evidence implicating the magnate to offer. Farrington was -wealthy, influential. To make a mistake at this juncture would be to -only strengthen and warn the scheming magnate. - -So Ralph concluded to wait patiently, hoping day by day that Van would -get some word to them. - -A week went by, two of them--no token from Van to show that he was -following up the Davis affair. - -About the middle of the third week, however, Ralph received a brief note -from Van. It had been mailed at Springfield. - -"I am laid up at Farwell Gibson's with a sprained ankle," the brief -letter ran. "Don't worry. Will soon be on deck again. Things -working." - -This was pretty vague encouragement, but Ralph was forced to be content -with it for the time being. - -"There's one thing," he told his mother: "Mr. Gibson knows all that we -know, and all that Van knows, and probably a great deal more. He is not -the man to be idle in a matter like this. Between them, he and Van will -probably do all that can be done in finding Mrs. Davis, and we shall -hear from them in due time." - -Ralph met Gasper Farrington face to face several times. The magnate did -not speak to him. He did, however, look very sneeringly and -significantly at the young towerman with a kind of triumphant -vindictiveness, Ralph fancied. - -Farrington was busy pushing along the work of the switch spur up to his -factory. It had progressed rapidly, adding two new levers to the -battery that Ralph operated. - -Another person Ralph was somewhat interested in crossed his path -occasionally. This was Young Slavin. He would simply nod to Ralph, but -the old rowdyish swing was gone. There was a strange, grave respect in -his manner. When Ralph tried to engage him in any protracted -conversation, however, Slavin backed off with an embarrassed excuse -about being busy. - -Ralph was pretty lonesome and weary that night in the switch tower. A -couple of night watchmen had alternately kept him company up to ten -o'clock. Since that hour he had been completely alone. - -The tracks were comparatively idle. There was a west train at 12.15, -the night out mail. The night in express train from the switch was due -at 12.05, but was reported delayed by a washout beyond Acton. Behind -her was the through freight. - -These were all the regulars Ralph had to look out for. About eleven -o'clock two trains had come in. The limits tower had given siding -directions on one, and a new depot terminal on the other. - -This led to a mix-up, nothing worse, but Ralph wondered why the peculiar -orders had been given. At 11.30, limits dialed for "Chaser on the way." -None came. At 11.15 the telephone called for a double switch on a -freight special. It did not show up. - -"Strange!" reflected Ralph. "Old Bryson is on duty at the limits. He -is exact as a die, and never jokes. Is the electricity playing tricks -with the wires, or is some one at the limits spelling Bryson and having -some fun with me? Pretty serious business to fool with, and a pretty -bad night to indulge in jokes." - -Ralph swung the out rails for the 12.15. He sat down in the comfortable -old armchair in ready reach of the telephone and plain sight of the -dial, and spread out his lunch for a midnight nibble. - -He was just realizing what famous doughnuts his mother made, when the -trap came up. Ralph had closed it to shut out the draught. - -A familiar head came up from the ladder. Ralph in some wonderment -recognized Young Slavin. - -"Oh, it's you?" he said pleasantly. "Come in--sit down." - -"No, I won't stay," demurred Slavin, shaking his outer coat, which was -dripping with wet. "I--you see, I was strolling by. Saw you up here, -and thought I'd drop in for a minute." - -"I am glad. It is pretty lonesome up here, you know," said Ralph. - -He noticed a certain embarrassment in Slavin's manner. It was a queer -night and a queer hour for Slavin to select for a stroll. Ralph -wondered what really was the motive of his visit. - -As Slavin shook his outer coat Ralph caught a gleam of bright red -beneath it. He was quite surprised to observe that this was a sweater, -bearing the initials "S.A." braided across its front. - -"Why, Mr. Slavin," he said with an inquisitive smile, "is that a uniform -you are wearing?" - -"Why, yes," admitted Slavin, turning as red in the face as the sweater -itself--"Salvation Army, you know." - -"I thought so. Joined them?" - -Slavin fidgeted, and regarded Ralph suspiciously from the corner of one -eye to see if he was laughing at him. Ralph preserved a reassuring -gravity on purpose. - -"N-no," said Slavin. "You see, I got tired of that mob I was training -with. They borrowed and stole all I earned." - -"I am glad you have left them," said Ralph. - -"Thought you would be, and thought I'd come and tell you," stammered -Slavin in a floundering way. "Oh, I'm playing no goody-goody act. I am -just holding my mouth, and watching those preacher fellows at the army -barracks. They're all right. Wish I was. 'Live and let live,' I told -them, when some rowdies pelted them and smashed a hole in their big bass -drum. So, just at present I am acting as their bouncer." - -"Good for you!" commended Ralph heartily. - -"You know I can bounce all right?" said Slavin significantly. "Well, I -must be going. So long. Oh, say--by the way, Fairbanks." - -It was evident to Ralph that Slavin was now about to reveal the real -motive of his midnight call. - -"I wanted to ask you," proceeded Slavin, rather lamely--"has anyone been -troubling you lately?" - -"Why, no," answered Ralph in quick surprise at the pointed inquiry--"but -who, for instance?" - -"Mort Bemis, for one. And do you know the fellow he went off with?" - -"You mean Ike Slump?" - -"That's his name. Look out for him--for both of them. I'll do the -rest," rather emphatically observed Slavin, doubling up his fist till it -resembled the hammering end of a big sledge. - -"It seems strange, your asking me about them," remarked Ralph. "I would -like very much to know where they are at present." - -"You would? I can tell you--they are right here in Stanley Junction. -I'm laying for them. That's why I'm up so late. I know they have it in -for you." - -"Why?" - -"Oh, on general principles of meanness. That's why I came to warn you. -I think," continued Slavin with a dangerous gleam in his eye, "I think -I'll get there first. Don't you worry--I'm pretty sure to head them -off. Only keep an eye open." - -"Thank you," said Ralph. "So they are back in town? Are they going -about openly?" - -"They came late this afternoon. A friend told me he saw them driving -along in a cab, fixed up reckless. He said they had on the latest new -togs, diamond pins, kid gloves, et settery, till you couldn't rest." - -"I should think that was rather venturesome on Slump's part," said -Ralph. - -"You mean, because there's a warrant out for him on that old -junk-stealing case?" - -"Yes," answered Ralph. - -"It's settled." - -"It's--what?" demanded Ralph in profound astonishment. - -"Settled--at least fixed up in some way." - -"How do you know?" inquired Ralph skeptically. - -"Adair, the road detective, told a crossings man, boiling hot over it. -Said that Slump had gone to the justice, put in an appearance, and was -bound over to next court term." - -"Why," said Ralph, "that looks incredible. He would have to give -bonds." - -"Yes, five hundred dollars' bail. He gave it, right enough. Bondsman -was right there. The thing had been cut and dried beforehand." - -"Who was his bondsman--did you learn?" asked Ralph. - -"Sure--it was old Gasper Farrington." - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII--A DESPERATE CHANCE - - -"Gasper Farrington again!" cried Ralph. - -His thoughts ran rapidly. At a good many turns of late, it seemed, the -miserly magnate of Stanley Junction was coming into his life. - -To Ralph the solution of the present problem was prompt and logical: -Farrington probably had the unfortunate Mrs. Davis in his power. He had -hired Mort Bemis and Ike Slump to kidnap her. Now he himself was at the -mercy and in the clutches of his conscienceless confederates. - -Ralph theorized that he had paid his accomplices a goodly sum of money -for their assistance. For a time, with plenty of ready cash in their -possession, they had found diversion in the city. The longing to cut a -dash at home, however, had brought them back to Stanley Junction. - -It looked as if Slump had set a price for his silence and secrecy -regarding the magnate's schemes. He had probably demanded that -Farrington go on his bail bond, and afterwards stand back of him in the -trial with his wealth and influence. - -"I am very much obliged to you for what you have told me, Slavin," said -Ralph at last. "Also for your kindly intentions toward me. If I were -you, though, I wouldn't go getting into trouble with those two fellows." - -"Trouble?" cried Slavin wrathfully. "I want to get back my medals. Say, -if those fellows who stole them have sold them where I can't get them, -or melted them down, I'll pretty near cripple them for life. But you -mind what I came to tell you. They hate you, and they'll try and trap -you. So, you watch out close. As I say, I'll do the rest. I'm going." - -"Good-night, Slavin," answered Ralph, extending his hand. - -Slavin started at the sight of it. He flushed, looked pleased, and his -big broad paw shot out. - -"You honor me," he said, "and I'm proud of it. Oh, say--'sense! -'sense!" - -"Excuse what?" demanded Ralph calmly, with a twinkle in his eye. - -Slavin had unconsciously given Ralph the crushing hand-shake that used -to lay up unsuspicious new acquaintances for a week. To his surprise -the grip was returned with equal force. Ralph did not even wince. - -"You're a good one," pronounced Slavin, in genuine admiration. "I -thought I'd hurt you." - -"Pulling those levers is a great muscle-builder," explained Ralph. - -"Looks so, in your case," admitted Slavin. "Say," he added, in a kind -of longing sigh, his eyes sparkling as they ran the grim battery of -switch pullers--"there's my ambition in life." - -"What's that, Slavin--tower duty?" - -"Oh, anything in the railroad line, from pulling up piles to driving -spikes," declared Slavin, swinging his big arms about restlessly. -"There's no bad in me. I'd love to work. Only, you see, I was born -strong, and something has kept me pushing my muscle to the fore. It led -to encouraging me to be a bruiser. I tell you, if I had a job like -this, where I could work off the extra steam, I'd just make a record." - -"Then--why not?" inquired Ralph. - -"You mean, why not get the job?" exclaimed Slavin in an eager breath. - -"Exactly." - -"Would they have me?" - -"Again, why not?" said Ralph--"if you are in earnest." - -"Oh, am I!" - -"I'll speak to Mr. Knight. I will do more. I will ask the depot master -to take your application, Slavin," said Ralph earnestly, laying a gentle -hand on the big fellow's shoulder, "you have shown yourself a man -to-night. Keep it up, and"--Ralph smiled significantly as he quoted -Slavin's own recent words--"I'll do the rest." - -Slavin dashed an impetuous hand across his eyes. They had filled with a -suspicious moisture. He evidently could not trust himself to speak -further, for as he started down the trap ladder he only waved Ralph a -clumsy, silent adieu. - -The episode of Young Slavin's visit had been a pleasant diversion to the -monotony of the hour Ralph pulled the out switch for the 12.15 mail. -Then he sat down again and finished his lunch. - -The storm raged on with unabated fury. There was nothing to do now -until morning except to watch out for the night express and the regular -freight. - -The express, Ralph knew, was stalled by a wash-out beyond Acton. -Naturally the freight, blocked behind it, could not get through until -the road was cleared. Ralph walked up and down the tower for exercise. -Suddenly he threw up a window. - -Some moving lanterns over on the repair trade attracted his attention. -Their flare and that of the lightning showed him three men getting a -handcar in to service. One of them ran up to the tower and made a -trumpet of his hands. - -"Give us the out track," he called. - -"All right," answered Ralph - -"Train ditched--wrecking crew ordered out." - -"Yes, I know--the wash-out at Acton," said Ralph--"the in express." - -"No, the outmail--just beyond the limits." - -"What!" cried Ralph in a startled tone. - -He kept at the levers until he saw the handcar speed safely down the -main rails. Then he ran to the telephone and called up the limits -tower. - -There was no action, and no response. - -"That's bad," murmured Ralph--"fuse burned out. The lightning has put -the 'phone out of commission. I wish I understood things straight. Two -trains delayed by the wash-out. The mail ditched. Bad shape all -around, this, for such a night." - -Ralph wished he could run up to the dispatcher's office and get more -information at the depot. This he dared not do, however. He paced up -and down restlessly, wondering how serious the mishap to the mail might -be. - -It was precisely one o'clock when the dial hand moved with a kind of an -electric tang. It circled and then shot back, as if directed by an -erratic hand. - -Ralph watched it intently. That dial disc was his only present reliable -communication with the outside railroad world. The pointer vibrated, -then halted. - -"Through freight, track 7," it directed. - -"Why," exclaimed Ralph, "that can't be! The through freight is stalled -at Acton behind the express, and--why, she's coming now!" - -He could hardly believe his eyes. Usually a minute and a half elapsed -before a train announced at the limits showed coming around the curve. - -Now, boring the water-laden air with a quiver that showed full speed, a -great laboring headlight glared along the in tracks. - -Had Ralph caught her sooner, he could have switched onto any one of the -half a dozen tracks which were empty. She was now past all the main -switches, however, except the in passenger track 7 and inside 6. - -"It is No. 3, the through freight, sure enough," said Ralph, recognizing -the approaching train with the intuitive sense of experience. The -headlight, the sway of the ponderous locomotive, the very sound of the -long train, vague as it was, told a sure story to his practiced eye and -ear. - -"She must have got around the wash-out and ahead of the express," said -Ralph. "Why, there's some mistake at the limits. She should have been -given the long freight siding, and she has passed it, and--track 7. It's -in use!" - -Ralph, darting to the levers, uttered these words in a great hollow -shout. - -Lever 7, operating the switches of that set of rails, had a card hung to -its handle. These cards were always used nights as a guide to the -levermen, where any special, extra, or transient cars, passenger or -freight, were stationary. - -The sight of the card recalled a startling fact to Ralph: at the depot -end of track 7 lay the occupied tourist car of an Uncle Tom's Cabin -theatrical troupe which was then visiting Stanley Junction. - -"Something wrong at limits--everything wrong here!" panted Ralph, his -heart suddenly beating like a trip-hammer. "What shall I do?" - -He shot a glance at the nearing headlight. Relying on limits signals, -evidently expecting the long freight siding, in the darkness and storm -taking no note of outside switches, and behind time, those in charge of -the through freight had nearly full speed set. - -Ralph felt the blood leave his face. Through his mind in rapid sequence -ran the plat of switches at the depot yards. - -"No. 6, or destruction!" he gasped. "I've got to make the choice. It's -the only track open. Open--no!" he added, with a new thrill of -apprehension, "but--there's no other way." - -He pulled the lever that would send the through freight down track 6. -Then a wild tumult seized him. He darted for the trap. He almost fell -the length of the iron-runged ladder. Then Ralph sprang through the -doorway and tore across the tracks. - -Track 6 was not empty. At its bumpered end were three old empty -freights. Ralph, however, counted their destruction as of little -consequence as compared with a crash on track 7 into the theatre car, -holding perhaps a dozen sleeping inmates. He had made an independent -choice. He had saved them. Now, if possible, to save the freight train -from a collision! - -As he passed the switch he tore from a pivot the signal lantern resting -there. Carrying it in his arms, he dashed forward diagonally to meet -the rushing freight. Extending its red slide, he waved frantically up -and down and across, yelling at the top of his voice. - -The locomotive of the through freight whizzed by him. In the blur of -rain and radiance Ralph fancied a grizzled head was poked out through -the cab window. At all events he caught the quick, harsh whistle of the -air brakes. A jolt shook the long freights. His signal had been -observed. - -Following the locomotive with his eye, Ralph saw, three hundred yards -further on, a figure suddenly cleave the air. The engineer had put on -full stop brakes and had jumped. - -The train was slowing up. Would she stop in time? Car after car -whirled by. Then crash! Far ahead, the last car past him, Ralph caught -the ominous sound, and shivered and gasped. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX--THE DOUBLE WRECK - - -Ralph Fairbanks had disobeyed orders. - -That was the first overwhelming thought that rushed through the young -leverman's mind. He stood in the midst of the storm, still clasping the -red switch light. - -The echo of that ominous crash was in his ears. Louder and fiercer, it -seemed, thumping away at his heart with a dull, depressing force, was -the realization that he had violated the stringent instructions of his -superior, Jack Knight: "Never disobey orders!" - -Something had been wrong at the limits tower--hence, two wrecks within -sixty minutes. But that was not Ralph's business. Limits had ordered -track 7. He had sent the through freight down track 6. No matter what -humane sense had prompted his choice, the railroad regime was strictly -inviolable. There had been a wreck, how bad he did not yet know, and he -was responsible for it. - -The freight had come to a stop. Lanterns now began to flit in its -vicinity. Above the raging tumult of the storm, vague shouts reached -Ralph's ear. - -A brakeman, carrying a lantern, came rushing towards him. - -"What has happened?" asked Ralph faintly. - -"Towerman?" queried the brakeman sharply, flashing the lantern in -Ralph's face. "Only a shake-up at my end. What's ahead, I don't know. -Nothing coming behind?" - -"No--get me word how bad the smash-up is, will you?" and, recalled to -his duty by the brakeman's appearance, Ralph hurried back to the tower. - -He closed the switch on track 6. Then, somewhat faint and badly -worried, he sank into the armchair. Nothing was due on regular -schedule. The express was reported stalled. Still, so many strange -mix-ups had occurred during the night, that Ralph watched the dial, on -the keen edge of suspense and distraction. - -"Hello!" he cried finally, and started to his feet in wonder. - -The dial disc transfixed his glance. It had begun to work. Within -thirty seconds it indicated as many varied orders. It scheduled -freights, passengers, "chasers." It called for one switch after -another. - -In stupefaction Ralph watched the brass index finger flit, whirl, and -tremble. Then it circled round and round several times, vibrated at -"blank," and rested there. - -"Why!" gasped the stupefied Ralph, "am I crazy, or is someone else at -the other end of the line?" - -Voices below made Ralph start, listen, and watch. A grimed face came up -through the trap. Ralph recognized the fireman of the through freight. - -"Quick!" he spoke--"how bad?" - -"Three empty freights kindling wood, front of the engine stove in," -reported the fireman. - -"No one hurt?" - -"Not a soul." - -"Thank Heaven!" murmured Ralph presently. - -"I jumped, after the shutting down of the air brakes," went on the -fireman. "So did Foster. But say, kid, why in the world didn't you -give us the long siding?" - -"Orders from limits for 7," explained Ralph. "It was a desperate -chance. I took it, and gave you 6, for 7 was in use with a sleeper. Are -you going to the depot? Please tell the dispatcher our 'phone is burned -out, something wrong at limits, and to send to me for a report right -away." - -"There's a mix-up all along the line, the way things look," observed the -fireman, disappearing. - -Ralph took up a position at an open window. He watched the lanterns -bobbing along the tracks and at the depot. - -He was unnerved and in a direful condition of suspense. Only the glad -thought that no loss of life attended the collision sustained him. - -The train dispatcher's assistant put in an appearance in about twenty -minutes. He looked flustered as he told Ralph that they had two wrecks -on their hands. - -Ralph made his report clearly, concisely. His visitor looked astonished -as he learned of the amazing gyrations of the signal dial. - -"You're a brick, just the same, Fairbanks!" said the man, as Ralph -concluded his report. "If the freight had got track 7, there would have -been a fine slaughter for the railroad company to pay for." - -"I disobeyed orders," observed Ralph in a depressed tone. - -"Whose orders?" - -"Limits." - -"Limits seems to have made a fine mess of it all along the line, and we -are going to find out why, very promptly." - -"I wish you would send a messenger for Mr. Knight," said Ralph. "I -think he ought to be here to straighten things out." - -"We have done that already." - -"Look--see!" cried Ralph suddenly. - -The dial began its strange manifestations again. The man from the -dispatcher's office started, gulped, and with a mutter of astonishment -and concern ran down the trap ladder. - -The depot yards became a scene of activity as the minutes wore on. - -The seriousness of the occasion, with three trains out of service, -called for immediate attention. Handcars were flitting hither and -thither. Ralph was kept busy sending them on their way. - -The master mechanic, depot master, and Jack Knight made up one handcar -load. Two engines with tackle and relief cars came down from the -roundhouse, lining up at the side of the through freight. - -Ralph was fully watchful and employed for the next hour. Then he became -dreadfully anxious. A handcar bolted right under the windows of the -switch tower. The master mechanic and Jack Knight got off, and came up -the ladder a minute later. - -Ralph stood holding to the armchair, a picture of suspense. The master -mechanic looked grave and bothered. On the contrary, bluff and hearty -as ever, Knight came forward. He grasped Ralph by both shoulders, -swinging him backwards and forwards in a playful, encouraging way. - -"Shake, old fellow!" he sang out, slipping one hand down one arm and -gripping Ralph's fingers heartily. - -"Why?" asked Ralph with a half-smile. "Good-bye? I suppose that is the -programme for me," he added, with an anxious look at the master -mechanic. - -"What's that?" demanded old Jack keenly. "Oh, on account of the through -freight? Humph! If the Great Northern don't appreciate the wise, -wide-awake common sense that saw the difference between three old box -cars and eleven precious human lives, I'll take my walking papers -instanter. Is that right, Mr. Blake?" challenged Knight. - -"Yes," nodded the master mechanic, "your sentiment is right, Mr. Knight. -I have nothing but praise for the good judgment young Fairbanks has -shown." - -"But I disobeyed orders," suggested Ralph in an uncertain tone. - -"Orders?" sniffed Knight--"yes, luckily! A crazy man's order." - -"Why, what do you mean?" inquired Ralph in perplexity. - -"What I say. For three hours the limits tower has been in charge of a -stark, raving lunatic--the Great Northern railroad system the plaything -of a madman. Never has this company been so near wreck and ruin. And -you, Fairbanks," added the veteran towerman, with a tender, fatherly -touch on the arm of his young protege--"you saved your end of the line!" - - - - -CHAPTER XX--THE CRAZY ORDERS - - -All Stanley Junction was agog with the story of the "crazy" train orders -the day after the storm. - -It was one of the most remarkable occurrences of risk and danger ever -known in the history of the Great Northern. - -Expert railroad men looked grave, as the facts came out. Citizens -generally shuddered, as they realized how nearly the caprice of a mad -leverman had come to causing wide-spread death and disaster. - -Ralph Fairbanks himself was thrilled and amazed, as he learned from Jack -Knight's lips the facts of the case. - -From ten o'clock the evening the storm until nearly two o'clock the -ensuing morning, a madman had controlled the Great Northern train system -at Stanley Junction, out and in. - -For over three hours, therefore, Ralph, at the depot switch tower, had -been the plaything of a crazed, delirious human being, who, by force and -cunning, had usurped the place of trusty, experienced old Joe Bryson. - -This was the way it had all come about: - -When the master mechanic and Jack Knight reached the limits tower after -the report of the double wreck, they had found it in total darkness. - -The ladder trap was bolted. They had to break the trap open. Entering -the tower room and securing a light, they discovered a strange and -startling condition of affairs. - -Lying on the floor in a heavy, leaden sleep, was Bryson. Crouching in a -corner, with lurid eyes, physical strength exhausted, but raving in wild -delirium, was Doc Bortree. - -The telephone receiver was smashed, and the transmitter lay torn loose, -wires and all, on the floor. Other parts of the tower equipment were in -rare disorder. The west levers were set in all kinds of erratic and -impracticable shapes. - -It took the two railroad men fully half an hour to restore order from -the chaos in the tower and along the tracks. It took them double that -time to arouse Bryson, and to get Bortree into a state of partial -coherency. They sent messengers to Bortree's home. They listened to -Bryson's confused story. Then, putting this and that together, they -finally got the truth of affairs. Doc Bortree, as Ralph knew, had been -confined to his bed with a high fever for nearly a week. That was why, -compelled to share two long shifts with Knight alone, Ralph happened to -be on all-night duty at the present time. - -It seemed that early in the evening, Bortree's sister had left her -brother sleeping quietly. He appeared to be on the mend. - -About ten o'clock the sick leverman must have had a relapse into -delirium. Railroad service was his daily routine. His brain, running -in that line, had suggested to him a whimsical and irrational course. -This he had carried out with all the cunning of a real madman. - -He had taken a bottle of cordial and had poured into it a sleeping -potion. He had got into his clothes, left the room by opening a window, -and, breasting the violent tempest, had made for and reached the limits -tower. - -Joe Bryson afterwards, in telling his story, said that the bedraggled -appearance of Bortree was startling enough. His actions were quite -lucid, however. All he noticed peculiar about his talk was the -persistency and strange delight with which Bortree alluded to an order -he expected to receive from the superintendent to take charge of the -entire train dispatching service the next day. - -When Bortree produced the bottle and told that it was a mild, pleasant -wine the doctor had prescribed for him, Bryson indulged in a glass--"for -companionship's sake." Then he remembered nothing further until -awakened by the master mechanic and Jack Knight. - -As soon as Bortree had disposed of his companion, he began his mad, -riotous work. - -All kinds of exaggerated ideas must have filled his mind. The reader -has already seen how his crazy orders operated. His own work at the -limits had ditched the midnight mail. His instructions to Ralph had -sent the through freight crashing into the three freight empties at -terminus. - -Finally, exhausted after his mad work at the levers, Bortree had -commenced a work of general destruction. When through, he had -extinguished the lights and lapsed into a weak delirium in which the two -railroad men had finally found him. - -"There should always be a team at the limits tower," was Knight's -ultimate comment on the affair. - -"Yes," the master mechanic assented--"sickness, enmity, a burned-out -wire, a dozen things might come up where one man would be helpless. If -it is only a messenger, we must not again leave these important points -at the mercy of chance and accident." - -Ralph made a note of this suggestion. He determined when the right -moment came to speak a good word for Young Slavin. - -He had never been more tired and sleepy than when he reached home that -morning. - -Ralph ate a hurried breakfast. He explained only casually the -happenings of the night to his mother. Getting to bed promptly, he put -in ten hours of the solidest sleep that he had ever enjoyed. - -He found his mother quite nervous and worried when he reported for his -late afternoon dinner. Mrs. Fairbanks had learned from a neighbor of -the startling occurrences of the previous night. - -"I am all unstrung over this railroad business, Ralph," she said. "I -would feel easier in my mind if you could transfer to some branch of the -service where you were not constantly meeting these terrible dangers." - -"What! my own dear mother going back on me in the midst of my -ambitions!" cried Ralph in a tone of playful raillery. "Oh, surely, -never! I hope you wouldn't advise me to follow old Farrington's grand -suggestion--for his own benefit; get a clerical position at the general -offices at Springfield, and--as he puts it--'be a gentleman.'" - -"No, Ralph, I should not like to have you leave Stanley Junction, where -you have made such a good record," responded Mrs. Fairbanks, "but think -of the fearful responsibilities of your position." - -"I do," answered Ralph gravely, "and that is why I am going to stick. -Mother, someone has to face these serious issues. Perhaps my clear -head, and willing hands, and genuine love for the business, fit me to be -just the person to fill the gap when these unavoidable troubles come -along. Besides, if someone does not go through the apprenticeship, -where will the service be when Jack Knight and the other old hands have -retired? I want to be, as I expect to be, a thorough railroad man," -pursued Ralph with resolution, "and first-class, or nothing. In order -to do so, I must know every step of the service, from roundhouse to -train dispatcher's desk. I have started up the ladder. I can't afford -to slip one rung. If I get jolted, I intend to hang on all the closer." - -The widow was silent. Her son's earnest determination consoled her, -somehow. Yes, she reflected, Ralph had braved perils and had saved the -lives of others, where one less brave and self-reliant might have -failed. So far he had proven himself "the right man in the right -place." Secretly she murmured a fervent prayer for his safety and -guidance, and tried to be content until he should reach smoother and -less risky paths of service. - -Ralph received an official assurance from the superintendent through -loyal old Jack Knight that afternoon, that his action in dealing with -the crazy orders had won the highest commendation of the railroad -company. - -The following day he spoke about Young Slavin to Knight. The next day -the latter informed him that on the first of the month the master -mechanic had agreed to pass on the application which Slavin was to file -in the meantime. Nothing unforseen happening, it looked as if the -sturdy young pugilist would speedily have a chance to exercise his -muscle in some department of the Great Northern service. - -Pleasant routine succeeded for some days for Ralph to the exciting -episodes of the week previous. Some changes were made on the limits -tower, and the day man there transferred to the depot yards. - -Ralph was back on the shift he preferred; four hours in the morning, and -four hours in the afternoon. - -He had not heard again from Van. As to Mort Bemis and Ike Slump, they -had flashed into town, thrown away a lot of money along lower Railroad -Street, and had again disappeared. - -Ralph met Slavin one day. The latter was delighted over the prospect of -soon getting at work for the railroad company. His face scowled, -however, as Ralph asked if he had seen or heard anything concerning Ike -and Mort. - -"Why, yes," answered Slavin, "I heard they were cutting a dash up at the -racetrack at Springfield. Plenty of money, and bragging that they owned -a rich old magnate here at Stanley Junction. I'd go gunning for them, -if I wasn't waiting to hear from my railroad job." - -"Oh, leave them alone--why bother your head about them?" suggested -Ralph. - -"No, Fairbanks," dissented Slavin stubbornly. "I want those medals, or -I want their hides. I'm not a good enough Salvationer just yet to -forgive those villains. I can't wipe them off the slate till I've had -one last round with them." - -Gasper Farrington had completed the switch spur to the factory. Ralph -learned that he had invited a heavy damage suit by crossing the lot of a -poor old invalid widow, who occupied a house next to that where Mrs. -Davis had formerly lived. - -He heard a good many comments on this last act of the selfish, -tyrannical magnate. There was some current criticism, too, as to his -going on the bonds of the idle scapegrace, Ike Slump. Farrington -pretended that he had bailed out Ike because his father was an old -acquaintance. Ralph knew better, but held his peace. He had faith that -the real truth would come out, sooner or later. - -With entire confidence in Van Sherwin, he believed that he would soon -receive some word from that good friend to show he had been quietly -working in the dark all this time. - -About five o'clock one afternoon a barefooted urchin Ralph did not know -by name came up the switch tower ladder. Ralph was alone, but expected -Knight to relieve him at five o'clock. - -"Say," projected the frowsy-headed lad, staring curiously around the -place, "you Mr. Fairbanks?" - -"That's right, my little man," answered Ralph. - -"Say, you know Mr. Stiggs?" - -"Slightly," nodded Ralph, with a smile. - -"Well, he sent me here. He said to fetch a message to you." - -Ralph recalled the fact now that Mr. Stiggs had not shown up about the -yards for the past two days. This was an unusual thing for the old -railroad pensioner. - -"Is Mr. Stiggs sick?" he inquired with interest. - -"Dunno," answered the youngster. "It was his wife I talked with. She -said Mr. Stiggs would like to have you call about seven o'clock, if -convenient. He wants to see you." - -"Very well," said Ralph. "Are you to see her again?" - -"Why, I can." - -"Then tell her I will drop around at seven o'clock this evening." - -The urchin lingered. He was a shrewd-faced little fellow. - -"Say," he again projected, "Mrs. Stiggs didn't have any change." - -"Didn't have--oh, I see!" laughed Ralph. "All right, son--there's a -nickel." - -Ralph thought little of this incident for the remainder of the -afternoon. He fancied that Stiggs might be indisposed, and had some -mission for him to execute. - -He went home, ate his supper, and strolled slowly in the direction of -the Stiggs home about dusk. - -There was a light in the rear room, and the front door was open. Ralph -knocked. - -"Come in," sounded a vague direction from the little front parlor. - -Ralph stepped into the hall and crossed the threshold of the parlor. He -made out a figure dimly, standing by a chair. - -"That you, Mr. Stiggs?" he observed. "Pretty dark here. Hold on--what -is this?" - -Ralph started back. The figure behind him had made a jump and had -seized either arm of the youth by the wrist. - -At the same moment a second person sprang from the shadows behind Ralph. -A rope encircled the young leverman's body, and Ralph Fairbanks was a -prisoner. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI--IKE SLUMPS "NUTCRACKER" - - -Ralph was taken completely off his guard. He struggled violently, but -his assailants had the advantage. - -One of them pinioned his arms. The other tied the rope about them. A -second rope was whipped about his ankles, and secured. - -"Push him down," spoke a quick voice. - -They half-lifted, half-dropped their prisoner. Ralph was thrust down -into an old easy-chair. - -"Now then, shut the door and fetch the lamp," was the next order. - -Ralph was too astonished to say anything for a minute or two. One of -his captors flitted from the room. The front door slammed shut. Then -the fellow ran to the kitchen and brought in a lamp and placed it on a -table. - -"Well," he said with a great chuckling guffaw, "how's Mr. Ralph -Fairbanks?" - -"Slump--Ike Slump, eh?" spoke Ralph calmly, but following a start of -some surprise. - -"Don't miss me, Ralphy," suggested Slump's companion in a tone of -sneering mockery. - -"And Mort Bemis?" added Ralph coolly. "Good-evening, gentlemen--what -can I do for you?" - -"Nervy!" sneered Slump--"but it won't last. It's what we're going to do -that will interest you, Ralph Fairbanks." - -Ralph looked over the enemy with a steadfast glance. They were -certainly "dressed to kill." He noticed that their clothing was of the -most expensive grade. For all that, it was disordered and ill-fitting. - -They looked as they had not slept regularly for a week, and when they -did, seemed to have made any old place their resting-spot. Their faces -bore marks of dissipation. - -Their whole bearing indicated that the money they had recently come into -had helped them down the road of idleness and crime. - -"We've come back to the Junction specially to see you," observed Bemis, -sinking upon a sofa opposite their helpless prisoner. - -"Yes, unfinished business, ha! ha!" jeered Ike Slump, looking mightily -bad and vicious as he proceeded to light a cigarette. "We owe you one, -as you'll perhaps remember. You put the police onto me." - -Ralph had not done this. As the reader knows, it was the act of Van -Sherwin. Ralph, however, did not care to enlighten his captors as to -the real facts of the case. - -"And you stole my job from me," added Mort Bemis savagely. "You've put -Young Slavin up to queer us, too." - -"So," resumed Slump, "seeing we did one good job for a certain liberal -gentleman in Stanley Junction, we'll try and please him in another. At -the same time, we get good and even with you for ourselves." - -"I can easily guess you might please Gasper Farrington with anything -that means harm to me, if that is what you are getting at," observed -Ralph pointedly. - -"Who mentioned Farrington?" demanded Slump. - -"He went on your bond. It is pretty easy to guess you are in cahoots -with him in some way," bluntly retorted Ralph. - -Mort Bemis got up from his seat and strode up and down the room. Through -a long tirade of his fancied wrongs, he worked himself up into a -seething fury, real or pretended. Ralph's cool unconcern nettled him. -Once or twice he referred to the saving of the limited, and to other -acts that had made Ralph popular and his friends proud of him. - -"You robbed me of my chance," he snarled. "If I'd have been on deck, -your luck would have fallen to me. I'm out for revenge. I'm going to -pay you off." - -"With bluff and blow?" demanded Ralph sarcastically. - -Bemis leaned over and slapped Ralph's face. - -"Don't you sass me!" he gritted out. "It won't be healthy for you." - -"You're a mean coward!" said Ralph. "Give me a free show, and we'll see -who is the better man." - -"I'll show you something!" snapped Bemis venomously. "Do you know what -we are going to do with you? I'm going to fix you, Ralph Fairbanks, so -you will never crow over me--you'll never pull another lever." - -"Jaw less--get into action," directed Ike Slump tartly. - -"Where's the fixtures?" - -"Here they are." - -Ike reached over to a chair and picked up something that jangled. Ralph -regarded the trap-like apparatus disclosed with some interest. - -Bemis took it from the hand of his associate. - -"Do you know what this is?" he inquired of Ralph. - -"I don't." - -"It's a nutcracker, see?" - -Ike grinned as if that was a big joke. - -"You're the funniest fellow in the world, Mort!" he chuckled gleesomely. - -The instrument Bemis displayed somewhat resembled a nutcracker. It -opened and was operated by hand pressure. It had fine grooves. These -tallied to the fingers on a human hand. - -"They used that on the scabs, the time of the big railroad strike," -exclaimed Bemis grimly. "The strikers did." - -Ralph started. He recognized the "nutcracker" now. It was one of the -brutal instruments of torture that had been used to terrify and cripple -the men who had taken the places of the strikers, during the labor -troubles on the Great Northern about a year back. - -"We put your hand in these grooves," proceeded Bemis. "Crack! Your -knuckles are gone. See? The man who can pull a lever ever afterwards -is a dandy. See?" - -"I see," nodded Ralph, his lips set firmly, though his heart misgave -him. "Do you mean, Mort Bemis, brute, coward, and traitor, to the -honest workingman's cause, that you intend to maim me for life to -satisfy a low, paltry spirit of revenge?" - -"Mr. Ralph Fairbanks," declared Bemis coolly, "I--mean--just--that." - -"Have you considered what this job is likely to cost you?" inquired -Ralph. - -"It didn't cost the strikers anything," jeered Ike. - -"I am not mixed up in any strike," observed Ralph. "I warn you I have -good friends, and any such fiendish act as that you contemplate will -send them on your track to the ends of the earth." - -"That'll do," growled Bemis. "Grab his hand--the right one, Ike." - -"Got it--he's easy to handle," said Slump. - -The young towerman was indeed easy to handle, for the reason that his -arms were securely surrounded by the ropes, both above and below the -elbows. - -Ike seized the wrist of Ralph's right hand and Bemis advanced with the -"nutcracker." - -A cold shiver ran over Ralph as his fingers were encased in the grooves -of the iron hand. - -He remembered having once seen a victim of the strike, a poor fellow who -had gone around with the knuckles of one hand twisted so out of shape -that he would never be able to straighten out his fingers again. - -Ralph could not resist. If he shouted for help, he knew that he would -be brutally silenced. He thought of his mother, of the bright ambitions -about to be wrecked by two worthless, cruel enemies. - -Then Ralph closed his eyes. He set his lips firmly, and silently prayed -that his wicked inquisitors would not dare carry out fully their -announced programme. - -"I'm ready," sounded Bemis' heartless tones. - -"So am I," chorused Ike. "You'll wish you'd minded your own business -and let us alone, Ralph Fairbanks." - -Bemis began to put the pressure on the vile instrument of torture. -Ralph's breath came quick. He felt his fingers compress. - -Chug! - -Ralph strained his hearing at the new sound. He opened his eyes with a -thrill. - -The pressure on his hand was relaxed. The "nutcracker," released by -Bemis with strange suddenness, dangled at Ralph's finger tips for an -instant. Then it dropped harmless to the carpet with a dull clang. - -Ralph saw something cleave the air directly in front of him. It was a -human fist. It met the broad, astonished face of Mort Bemis squarely. - -That shuddering, sickening sound echoed out. It reminded Ralph of the -noise made by a boy playing with a big lump of clay, and spatting it -violently against a wooden fence. - -He saw Bemis fall back with a roar of awful pain. In that fleeting -glimpse, it looked to Ralph as if Mort's face had been flattened out -from ear to ear. His nose seemed to have disappeared In its place was a -vague red blotch of color. - -Bemis fell flat backwards, his head striking a chair and smashing off -its arm. - -"You next!" shouted a terrible voice. - -Ike Slump had already dropped Ralph's hand. With a sharp cry of alarm -he tried to dodge back. - -Again that great fist swung forward. Ralph turned pale, and he felt his -flesh creep. - -As he looked, he saw Ike Slump reeling. There was a ghostly grin on his -face. His whole lower row of teeth was gone. - -"I said I'd do it," spoke Ralph's rescuer and the assailant of his -enemies, "and I've kept my word." - -Young Slavin proceeded to liberate Ralph from the ropes that bound him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII--A HEADSTRONG FRIEND - - -Ralph was faint and dizzy-headed with all that had transpired in the -last twenty minutes. - -He felt that he had been in the peril of his life. He bestowed a look -of immense gratitude on Slavin. - -"You came in time," said he. "How shall I ever thank you?" - -"Cut it out," growled Slavin grimly. "I ain't through yet. I've been -watching these skunks for an hour or more. I knew that Stiggs, who has -gone on a little jaunt with his wife to see some relations, would never -give those reptiles the free run of his house. I fancied burglary at -first. Then when you came I knew it was something deeper. Well, it's -the finishing touch. I suppose, in your usual soft-hearted way, you -want to beg them off from further punishment, don't you?" - -"It strikes me they have got about all the punishment they can stand at -present," suggested Ralph. - -"O, that's just a starter," announced Slavin. "Keep your eye on Slump -for a minute." - -Ike had fallen across the sofa. He was moaning and half-stunned. He -kept moving his hand over his bare and tingling gums, making a horrible, -hollow, hissing sound every time his breath exuded. - -"The dentist for you," said Slavin in cold unconcern. "This one is -delegated to the hospital, I guess." - -The speaker approached the prostrate Bemis. - -"Speak up, there," growled Slavin savagely. "I've a little business -with you, Mort Bemis. Where are those two silver medals that you stole -from me?" - -Bemis only wriggled and groaned. Slavin kicked him. He sat up with a -howl of pain. - -"Pawned," he whimpered. - -"Where?" - -"At Barry's cigar store." - -"For how much?" - -"Two dollars." - -"Hand it over." - -"I haven't a cent. Oh, you've half killed me. Oh, my head! my head! -Don't--don't hit me again. Slump has some money. Pay him, Ike, pay -him." - -Slavin advanced from Bemis, now sitting up on the floor, towards Ike, -with a menacing manner. - -"I'll pay, I'll pay," whined Ike. "Here, here. I haven't go any -change. Five dollars," and with celerity he extended a banknote. - -"Three for delay and damages," stated Slavin, coolly pocketing the -money. "Now then, you two, walk humble, or I'll finish this job right -here and now." - -Slavin took up the ropes that had bound Ralph. Quaking with mortal -terror, Bemis and Slump in turn allowed him unresistingly to tie their -arms behind them. - -Slavin picked up the "nutcracker." He looked it over and placed it in -his pocket. - -"If that bit of evidence don't send you over the road, I know what -will," he observed grimly. "March." - -He forced the two prisoners forward, holding to an arm of each. As they -got outside, Ralph asked: - -"What are you going to do with them, Slavin?" - -"Anxious to know, are you?" - -"Yes." - -"Then keep us company, and see. Oh, I'm not sassy, Fairbanks. I'm only -doing what you ought to have done the first break they made at -you--called in the law. These fellows are dangerous. I'm going to cage -them." - -The prisoners spoke not a word. Bemis had received a fearful fistic -punishment, and was blubbering. Ike Slump kept up a mumbling sound with -his lips, as if trying to get used to the lack of teeth. - -Slavin led them through the town by dark and unfrequented streets. When -they reached the railroad tracks, he made for a crossings shanty. - -The flagman had gone home for the night, but the door was secured by a -catch only. Slavin marched his prisoners inside, drew a lantern from -under a bench, pushed them to the bench, and lit the lantern. - -"You rest a while," he directed them. "Court will open soon. Fairbanks, -will you do an errand for me?" - -"What is it, Slavin?" - -"I promised the road detective, Bob Adair, to send him word when I found -these fellows." - -"I'm out on bail. They can't bother me till my trial comes off," -mumbled Ike Slump, making a grimacing, painful job of talking -intelligently. - -"Rest easy," advised Slavin grimly. "This is quite another round. Find -him, Fairbanks." - -"You think that is best, do you?" inquired Ralph. "These fellows----" - -"See here, Fairbanks!" cried Slavin, almost angrily, "you'd actually let -them go, after they had pretty nigh put you out of commission forever. -In this case I don't want your advice, good as it usually is. I know my -programme, and I intend to carry it out to the last letter." - -Ralph saw that it was useless to oppose his vigorous friend and -champion. He left the shanty forthwith, and went up to the depot. It -was some time before he could locate Mr. Adair. When he finally found -him, and explained simply that Slavin wished to see him, the road -detective joined him briskly, and look pleased. - -"About Slump, I suppose?" he inquired eagerly. - -"I think it is," answered Ralph. - -"Good," said Adair. "The company thinks that bailing out business was -rushed through. The bond was only five hundred dollars. They don't -understand old Farrington's peculiar interest in the matter, and we have -been ready to rearrest Slump for a week." - -Adair gave prodigious start as, entering the crossings shanty, his eyes -lit on the faces of Slavin's two prisoners. - -"Whew!" he whistled slowly--"you seem to have had some trouble with your -friends, Mr. Slavin." - -"You hear my story, and see if I gave them any more than they deserved," -said Slavin, and he stood up, looking like a judge and talking like a -judge, and narrated the incidents of the preceding hour. - -"Now then, Mr. Adair," added Slavin, "these fellows brag of having a -friend in that old miser, Gasper Farrington. I tell you that I happen -to know that he has tried all kinds of ways to scare and bribe my friend -here, Fairbanks, away from Stanley Junction. I suppose he's rich, and -so tricky you can't connect him with their doings, but you can cage -these fellows safely, and I want you to do it." - -"The railroad company will certainly insist that Slump's bond be raised -from five hundred dollars," spoke Adair. "You told me that Bemis very -nearly wrecked a train by magnetizing the levers at the depot switch -tower. Can you prove it?" - -"I can," nodded Slavin emphatically. - -"Very good. To-night's business there is no question about. It's a -case of murderous assault and attempted mayhem. I shall see the -prosecuting attorney at once, and demand that each of these prisoners be -held in heavy bonds." - -"I think that will hold them," said Slavin, in a tone of satisfaction. -"I've got a charge against them, myself. They robbed me of two silver -medals." - -"We will take them at once before a magistrate," said Adair. "You'll -have to subscribe to the warrants, Slavin. You, too, Fairbanks." - -Ralph simply bowed acquiescence. Slavin had taken the matter out of his -hands. It was better so, Ralph readily realized. He did not believe -that Farrington would go on their bonds for any large amount. This might -lead to a rupture, and the prisoners might be induced to implicate the -magnate, and tell what had become of Mrs. Davis. - -"Come on, you!" spoke Slavin, roughly pulling his prisoners to their -feet. - -"You look out!" snarled Mort Bemis savagely. "See here, Mr. Officer, -this fellow talks big, but he himself tied up a set of levers at the -switch tower." - -Slavin turned red. He looked at Ralph in a shamefaced way. Then he -said bluntly: - -"Yes, I did, Mr. Adair. That skunk got me to. It was before I knew -Fairbanks--before I knew better. I give myself in charge for the act. -I'm willing to suffer for it." - -"Nonsense!" cried Ralph quickly. - -"Do you make the complaint?" asked Adair. - -"No, sir!" spoke Ralph emphatically. - -"Nor would you appear against him?" - -"Hardly!" - -"You had better keep your mind on your own business then, Mr. Bemis," -advised Adair. - -"I call that a good night's work," said Slavin to Ralph, one hour later. - -Mr. Adair had legally presented his evidence and the prisoners to a new -magistrate. - -Ike Slump and Mort Bemis were remanded to the town jail in default of -bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars each. - -"Now," observed Ralph, as he parted with the strange, forceful companion -who had proven so good a friend to him--"now to wait and see what Gasper -Farrington will do next." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII--IKE SLUMP & CO. - - -"That fellow has got his nerve with him all right!" spoke old Jack -Knight. - -"I can't make out his idea," observed Ralph Fairbanks. - -It was two days after the arrest of Ike Slump and Mort Bemis. Knight -and his junior leverman were engrossed in watching a little interesting -by-play going on in the vicinity of the in freight tracks. - -A boy about Ralph's age and height had jumped into an open box car. He -came out with a head of cabbage. - -He did not run away, but stood stock-still on the near tracks, as if -dallying with detection and arrest. - -Some teamsters near by saw the act, but they only laughed carelessly. - -The boy dropped the cabbage, climbed into another car, and came out this -time with a small sack of potatoes. This he swung across his shoulders, -and started towards the depot. - -"The chump!" commented Knight. "Does he want to get caught purposely? -Look at that, now: coast clear to the street, and walking deliberately -into the jaws of justice!" - -"He's caught, yes," said Ralph. - -A day watchman had come rushing up to the boy. The latter neither -stopped nor ran. He kept on his way steadily. He halted only when the -watchman banged his cane down on the bag on his back. Then he dropped -it. - -The watchman grabbed the culprit's arm. The watchers in the switch -tower could observe him excitedly waving his cane. He seemed to be -trying to make his prisoner realize the enormity of his offense. - -The latter, however, was unconcerned. He walked quietly along with the -watchman towards the depot, making no effort to escape. - -"A mighty queer sort of a thief, that," remarked Knight. - -"Yes," said Ralph--"oh, my!" - -Ralph gave a quick start. He leaned far through the open sash, and -stared fixedly at prisoner and watchman as they passed the switch tower -in his direct range of vision. - -The young leverman was greatly perturbed. A call to the 'phone had -distracted Knight's attention. As the watchman and his prisoner -disappeared in the direction of the depot, Ralph's face grew to a void -of wonder, doubt, and anxiety. - -"It was Van Sherwin!" he breathed excitedly--"Van Sherwin, surely. Van -a thief? Oh, there is some mistake!" - -Ralph was greatly worked up. There was nothing in the rough attire and -smirched face of the prisoner to recall the neatly-dressed Van whom -Ralph had last seen. Yet as the prisoner had passed the tower, a -gesture, the bearing of the latter, a familiar feature had enlightened -Ralph unmistakably. - -"Mr. Knight," he said quickly, "can I have ten minutes off?" - -"Sure thing. What's up, Fairbanks?--you look disturbed," spoke Knight -curiously. - -"I--I want to run up to the depot to ask about a friend," explained -Ralph, rather lamely. - -He slipped on a coat and was down the ladder in a jiffy. Once out of -the tower, he ran across the tracks in the direction of the depot. - -Passing a switch shanty, a figure stepped from its side directly in his -path. A challenging voice said quickly: - -"Hold on, there, Ralph Fairbanks." - -"Oh, you, Slavin?" said Ralph. "Don't delay me. I am in a hurry." - -"I see you are. No need," proclaimed Slavin coolly, seizing and -detaining Ralph's arm. "You're trying to overtake a friend, aren't -you?" - -"Why, how do you know that?" exclaimed Ralph in surprise. - -"Name, Van--Van Sherman. No, Sherwin--that's it. Am I right?" - -"Why, yes," admitted Ralph in a tone of wonderment, "but how you come to -know----" - -"I do know, don't I?" projected Slavin, with a shrewd smile. "This way -for a minute, please." - -He led Ralph out of range of the switch shanty. Then, buttonholing him -persuasively, he said: - -"Fairbanks, I know a good deal more about your affairs to-day than I did -yesterday. Mightily glad I am of it. You'd ought to be, too. It's this -way: I ran across that friend of yours last night." - -"You mean Van Sherwin?" - -"That's just what I do mean," responded Slavin. "It was queer, but I -was nosing around the jail for some point on those fellows Slump and -Bemis. I was very anxious to find out how they would act regarding old -Farrington. It appears they sent messages to him. I know that much. -But he didn't show up. I noticed a stranger hanging around, just as I -was doing. His actions aroused my suspicions. Well, it led to our -getting acquainted, cautiously. You know how such things go. Soon we -understood each other, perfectly. I was on the trail of Slump and Bemis -to head off any funny work on the part of their friend, Farrington. -Sherwin was trying to get a line on the whole case." - -"He told you----" began Ralph. - -"All I'd ought to know. Enough to show me that those fellows and -Farrington are up to a very deep game. It all affects your interests. -That was enough for me. There's a woman missing, isn't there? And some -bonds? Those prisoners know where the woman is. The woman probably -knows where the bonds are. All that is straight and simple. We took -some time, this famous friend of yours, Van Sherwin, and I, deciding -which thought the most of you----" - -"Thank you, Slavin," said Ralph warmly. - -"Then we concluded that you had enough real work to bother with, and -decided to help you out on this case. The question was: how could we -get in touch with Ike Slump & Co.? Your sharp-witted friend decided -that. He's chain lightning, I tell you, and no mistake. He saw only -one way. He acted on it. I reckon you saw how: he got arrested." - -"As a thief!" exclaimed Ralph anxiously. - -"Oh, don't let that worry you," and Slavin smiled coolly. "It was all -arranged and understood by Bob Adair. Sherwin will go to jail all -right. But Adair has fixed it so the minute he finds out what he is -after and gives the word, Van Sherwin will have his liberty." - -Ralph reflected seriously. He could find no fault with the unselfish -ardor of his friends, that was sure. Their plan was a drastic one, but -Van was smart, and probably knew what he was about. - -"So," remarked Slavin, "you just get back to your work. Don't spoil our -plans by interfering or trying to see Sherwin. Until I get that -railroad job I'm promised I have nothing special to do. I'll put in the -time in your service, see?" - -"But," said Ralph, "Ike Slump knows Van." - -"Does he? Very slightly, Sherwin says. And by the way, you didn't see -Sherwin--close at hand?" - -Ralph shook his head negatively. - -"Only a special friend like you would be likely to recognize him, -Sherwin says. He's fairly well disguised himself. Besides, he simply -wants to get where he can watch and overhear Slump & Co. He won't try -to chum with them." - -Ralph went back to the switch tower more easy in his mind. He felt -pretty tender towards his two loyal boy friends. Knowing Ike Slump's -crude, blurting ways, he believed that if Farrington got balky, Ike -would make some break that would be of advantage to Van. - -He decided to tell his mother of this new phase in the case. Something -startling, however, interrupted. - -He had got ready for supper, and was entering the cozy little dining -room, when Mrs. Fairbanks, at the window, called out suddenly: - -"Come here, quick, Ralph." - -"What is it, mother?" he asked. - -"I fancied I heard some sounds like an explosion--and shouts," said Mrs. -Fairbanks. "There is a great glare over to the south. Look, Ralph." - -She held aside the curtain so he could see. - -"Why," cried Ralph, "it is a fire--a big fire, somewhere!" - -"Farrington's old factory," said Mrs. Fairbanks. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV--FIRE! - - -A great red glare covered the whole southern sky as Ralph reached the -outer air. - -"Mother is right, I guess," he spoke quickly--"it is certainly in the -direction of the old factory." - -The spur switch to the factory had been completed for some days. Ralph -had that afternoon operated the levers opening the Farrington extension -for the first time. - -The new lessee of the factory, he understood, was going to use oil for -fuel under some of the boilers. Among the twenty-odd cars switched off -on the spur that afternoon Ralph had noticed as many as ten tank cars. - -As Ralph ran on, he was surprised to note the extent of the glare. It -spread from a point quite remote from the factory right up to the -factory location. - -He heard shouts in the distance, and scattered figures were thronging -the landscape from all directions. - -Ralph passed a short timber reach. A vivid panorama now spread out -before him. - -A thousand yards ahead was the ravine. This the factory switch spur -traversed. - -Shooting up from the depths of the ravine for nearly a quarter of a mile -were leaping, vivid tongues of flame. - -Getting where he could command a view townwards obliquely across the -ravine, Ralph realized just what had happened. - -Outlined against the black sky there showed the framework of several -freight cars. They were simply threads of flame now. - -In some way the stationary freights had caught fire. The blaze had -communicated to an oil tank. There had been an explosion, scattering -the burning oil far and wide. - -The cars had been blocked on an incline. Apparently the force of an -explosion, or the fire, had dislodged or destroyed the blocking plank. -Some of the cars had broken free. Scudding down the ravine, they had -lodged cinders and flame in all directions. - -Coming to a curve, they had jumped the track. About two hundred feet -from the factory they had gone down into a gravel pit, piling on top of -each other. - -The dry grass and shrubbery were on fire on both sides of the ravine for -a full quarter of a mile back towards the town. The house Mrs. Davis -had lived in was ablaze from cellar to garret. - -Suddenly there was an awful roar. It was fortunate that Ralph was no -nearer to the center of the explosion than he was. - -The tanks that had crashed down into the gravel pit had formed a -seething caldron of fire, and had now exploded. - -So powerful was the concussion that Ralph was thrown flat. Getting -erect again promptly, he saw a great flare of fire leap a hundred feet -in the air. - -This bore with it blazing planks, fragments of red-hot iron, and -dazzling cinders. - -They fell all over the landscape. They particularly enveloped the old -factory. This, Ralph noticed, took fire instantly in a dozen different -places. - -"Hello, Fairbanks!" cried a breathless passerby. - -"Slavin?" said Ralph. - -"Yes, keep on. There's hose and apparatus up at the factory. That's -all there is worth saving, now." - -"It will never be saved," pronounced Ralph convincedly, but he joined -Slavin on a run forward. - -They were compelled to make a wide detour here and there of the ravine -windings. Even great trees lining it had caught fire. The smoke was -dense, and the burning cinders rained down upon them like hail. - -"Hold on," ordered Ralph suddenly, but Slavin, catching sight of men and -ladders in the vicinity of the factory, dashed on for the main center of -excitement and activity. - -Ralph had halted. He stood within about a hundred feet of the old house -between Mrs. Davis' former home and the factory. - -It was across this stretch, belonging to an old invalid widow, that -Farrington had forced his right of way. The roof of the house was -ablaze, So was one side of the building. Ralph had been checked by a -wailing cry. - -"Some one shut in there," he decided. "Even if it is only an animal, I -must find out, and try to rescue it." - -Ralph ran through the open rear doorway. A hall extended the length of -the house. The outside blaze shone brightly into a side room, although -it was filled with smoke pouring through a sash half burned away. - -An old woman in a wheel chair blocked the doorway of the front room. -Apparently this was her only means of getting about. She had tried to -escape, the chair, had got wedged in the doorway, and she was moaning -and crying for help. - -"Is that you, David?" she gasped wildly, as her smoke-blurred eyes made -out Ralph. - -"No, but I am here to help you," answered Ralph in a cheery, encouraging -voice. "Don't worry, ma'am." - -Ralph soon extricated the chair. As he ran it and its occupant out into -the open air, the front windows blew in from the intense heat, and the -flames swept through the house. - -Ralph ran the chair to a high point of safety. - -"Don't go any further," panted the old woman. "My son David is due -home. He will be worried to death. I want to be where I can see and -call to him, when he comes." - -"Very well," said Ralph, "you are safe here, at least for the present. I -will run back and save what I can in the house." - -"No, no," demurred the old woman quickly. "There is nothing worth -saving. The furniture is old and insured. So is the house. Oh, I am -so thankful to you!" she cried fervently. - -"That is all right," said Ralph. "I am sorry to see you homeless." - -"How did the fire come?" questioned the woman. "From Gasper -Farrington's new railroad?" - -"Yes," said Ralph, "some oil cars on the switch spur took fire, and -exploded." - -"Then he is responsible!" cried the woman eagerly. "And his factory is -burning up, isn't it? It's a retribution on him, that's what it is," -she declared hoarsely. "He ran his tracks over our land without -permission. He spoiled our peaceful home. Won't I get damages from -him, as well as my insurance money?" - -"I think your chances are very good," answered Ralph. - -The old woman looked somewhat comforted. She sat mumbling to herself. -Ralph wished to hurry over to the factory. He offered to wheel her to a -shelter nearer the town, but she insisted she must wait in sight of the -house until her son arrived. - -Ralph did not like to leave her alone. The grass might catch fire and -the flames spread, even to the place where they were now. He stood -surveying the fire interestedly, when his companion uttered a sudden -scream. - -"Oh, my! oh, my!" she wailed, wringing her hands. "How could I forget!" - -Ralph pressed closer to her side. - -"Is something distressing you?" he asked quickly. - -"Oh, yes! yes!" said the woman. "Is the house all on fire? No, there -may be time yet. Boy, will you--will you do something for me?" - -"Surely, if I can." - -"In the house--something I must save." - -"What is it? In what part of the house?" - -"Not mine. It is a sacred trust. It is something I promised faithfully -to look after. Oh, dear! dear! if it should be burned up!" - -"Try and be calm, and tell me about it," advised Ralph. - -"It is upstairs--in the rear garret room." - -Ralph looked up rather hopelessly at the little window fully twenty feet -from the ground. - -"How do the stairs run?" he asked. - -"Only from the front. You can't go that way, though," panted the woman. -"It's all ablaze. But there is a ladder." - -"Where--quick." - -"Behind that old grape trellis." - -"How long is it?" asked Ralph. - -"It reaches the roof. My son used it in shingling. Take a hatchet or a -club with you. The window is nailed down on the inside, very tightly. -You will have to smash the window in. Is it too late?" - -"Not at all," declared Ralph briskly. - -"The roof is all on fire!" - -"Never mind that, only be quick and tell me: what is it you want me to -get?" - -"There's only one thing in the room. An old trunk." - -"An old trunk?" repeated Ralph rapidly. - -"It's all tied up with rope. Smash it open, too. Inside is a tin case, -a small flat tin case. That's what I want. Oh! you will get it, won't -you?" pleaded the old woman, in a fever of suspense and excitement. - -"I shall certainly try," declared Ralph. - -"Don't risk your precious life by any delay, dear, dear boy!" cried the -old woman hysterically. "I believe I should die of worry if that box -was burned up. I promised so sincerely to take care of it. What would -Mrs. Davis say if it was lost!" - -"Who?" cried Ralph sharply, with a great start. - -"Mrs. Davis." - -"The woman who lived next door?" - -"Yes, yes. She left it with me, about a month ago. She was afraid to -keep it with herself. I promised----" - -But Ralph was listening no longer. A great conviction filled his mind -that at this critical moment, amid fire and peril, a crisis in his life -faced him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV--THE LITTLE TIN BOX - - -Ralph ran towards the grape trellis. He soon found the ladder the old -woman had mentioned. - -It was long and quite heavy, but seizing one end he dragged it towards -the burning building. Soon he had it set in place and balanced. He had -guessed at the proper slant correctly. Its top just rested on the edge -of the attic window outside the sill. - -"No time to lose," declared Ralph. "Where will I find a hatchet?" he -called to the old woman. - -"In the wood shed--right near the door, on a chopping block," she -directed, watching his every movement in a fever of suspense. - -Ralph darted into the wood shed. He came out, hatchet in hand, and -sprang instantly onto the ladder. - -The building was doomed, he saw that. Its entire front half was in -flame. As he got a few feet from the ground a great whirlwind of smoke -and sparks enveloped him. - -"Why," exclaimed Ralph, as he reached the top of the ladder, "the window -is all right." - -He did not need to use the hatchet. Contrary to the old woman's -positive statement, Ralph found the sash raised an inch or two. It -pushed up smoothly. He felt obtruding nails on the inside, which -appeared to have been forced out of place. - -Climbing through the window, Ralph was nearly choked with the dense -smoke filling the room. The window vent somewhat cleared the air, but -he could not see an inch before his face. - -"I can't stand much of this," he reflected, and then held his breath -closely. - -Ralph had to grope with hands and feet. He lined one side wall of the -apartment, ran to the window for a supply of fresh air, and resumed his -difficult quest. - -"No luck so far," he panted. "The room seems entirely empty. There is -not even a carpet on the floor." - -Suddenly, a cracking sound and then a slight crash warned him to look -out for danger. - -A door leading into the front attic just then burned free of its hinges. -It fell inside the apartment Ralph was in. - -Its vivid blazing lit up the room somewhat. - -"I see it--the trunk!" said Ralph, and sprang to a corner where a -box-like outline showed. - -Again the old woman's statements were at fault. The trunk was perfectly -easy of access, and Ralph did not have to use the hatchet at all. - -Ropes that at one time possibly enclosed the trunk lay at one side, cut -in two. The broken lock of the trunk lay on the floor. Ralph threw up -the cover. - -Inside was a mass of cotton batting. He threw this out on the floor. -Then some old newspapers followed. Beneath these lay a little flat tin -box. - -"I have it," said Ralph with satisfaction, grasping the object of the -old woman's anxiety. - -It was high time to make an exit. Some sparks fell on the cotton. It -blazed up into his face and singed his hair. Ralph found himself nearly -overcome by the smoke. He fairly staggered to the window, and -spluttering and scorched, almost slid the length of the ladder. - -Reaching the ground the young leverman stood stationary for a moment. He -dug the cinders out of his eyes, and took a good long refreshing breath -of the pure air. - -A call roused him to new action. The old woman was shouting at him and -waving her hand eagerly. - -She was not alone now. A pale-faced young man of about thirty stood by -her side. Ralph presumed that this was her son, David, to whom she had -so frequently referred. - -"Did you get it--did you get it?" she called out anxiously, as Ralph ran -up to the invalid chair. - -"Yes, ma'am," responded Ralph, handing over the box. - -"Oh, dear! Oh, how shall I ever thank you? David, he is a brave, noble -boy!" and hugging the box to her breast, the old woman wept -hysterically. - -"You saved my mother's life," spoke the young man, placing a hand that -trembled on Ralph's shoulder. - -"I am glad if that is so," said Ralph. - -"David! David! David!" - -Just here the old woman interrupted with startling suddenness. Ralph -turned quickly toward her in amazement. Her son ran to her side, very -much alarmed. She had shouted out his name in such a lost, despairing -tone that both her auditors were thrilled. - -"Mother--what is it?" cried the young man. - -The old woman waved the tin box that Ralph had just given her. - -"It was tied with twine--in a sheet of writing paper, and sealed," she -said. "And look now, David--it is empty!" - -"Was there something in it?" questioned Ralph, his spirits sinking to -zero. - -All along he had entertained some hopeful ideas regarding that little -tin box, knowing that it had been the property of the mysterious Mrs. -Davis. - -"Why, surely," said the old woman, weeping bitterly and wringing her -hands. "Mrs. Davis put some folded papers in it. I saw her do it. She -said they were very valuable. She was afraid she would lose them, or be -robbed. She said she feared wicked enemies." - -"When was that?" asked Ralph. - -"About a month ago. She wrapped up, tied, and sealed the box. She -asked me where she could hide it for a time. I told her about the old -trunk. It was empty, except for some cotton and newspapers. I told her -to nail down the window, put the box in the trunk, tie up the trunk, and -lock the attic door. She did all that. She made me promise solemnly to -think first of that box if anything happened. And now someone has -stolen the papers! I have been faithless to my trust! Poor Mrs. Davis -said her very life depended on those papers. Oh, David! David! I -shall die of shame and grief, I know I shall!" - -"You did your best, you couldn't help it," said her son soothingly. - -"No, some thief has visited your attic," declared Ralph. - -"But no one except Mrs. Davis and myself knew that the box was there," -suggested the weeping woman. - -"Someone surely found out," said Ralph. "I found the window forced up -and the trunk lock broken." - -"Mother, you really must not take on so," spoke the young man in a -worried tone. "You are shaking all over. I must get you to some -shelter." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI--A CLEW! - - -The young switch-tower man had lost all interest in the fire now. He -stood thinking deeply, and felt quite depressed. - -He was very certain that the papers Mrs. Davis had placed in the tin box -in some way referred to her interest in the twenty thousand dollars' -worth of railroad bonds, to which she had so frequently and -significantly alluded. - -She had told his mother that she was going to get something from a -friend to show her and Ralph. Was it not these very same papers? - -It was very possible, Ralph reflected further, that in some way Mrs. -Davis' kidnappers had got a clew to the hiding place of these self-same -documents. - -"One word, please," spoke up Ralph, as the young man started to wheel -his mother away from the scene of the fire. "Someone certainly forced a -way to your attic and rifled that trunk." - -"Who could it be--how could they know?" queried the distressed invalid. - -"Have you had any strange visitors?" inquired Ralph. - -"No--no one hardly ever comes here, except neighbors. Of course there -have been a lot of workmen building the switch. But they were harmless, -ignorant persons. Got a drink at the well, and went about their -business." - -"You have noticed no suspicious characters hanging about?" pressed -Ralph. - -"Oh, no." - -"By the way, mother," interposed the young man, "you forgot about the -two young fellows who came here day before yesterday--no, the day before -that--Tuesday." - -"Oh, they were the insurance men." - -"What insurance men?" asked Ralph. - -"They said they were inspectors. They said they were hired by the -insurance companies to look over risks. They asked me if we had any -gasoline. I said no. Then they asked if I had any inflammable stuff -stored in the attic. They wanted to go up and see, but I told them the -attic was empty." - -"They wanted to inspect the attic, did they?" murmured Ralph -thoughtfully. - -"Yes. Then they said they would have to look over the chimneys and -roof, to be sure everything was all right." - -"Did they do so?" - -"I told them where the ladder was. Of course, confined helpless to my -invalid chair, I couldn't go out with them. They came back inside in -about ten minutes, and said they had found everything in shipshape -order." - -"Those are the persons who robbed the trunk," declared Ralph in a tone -of conviction. - -"Do you think so?" cried the old woman. "Do you know them?" - -"I don't know--yet. Do you remember how they were dressed?" - -"They were well-dressed, I remember that." - -"Young men, I believe you said?" - -"Yes, boys, almost--a little older than you. One wore a pearl-gray -derby hat. The other wore a kind of automobile cap." - -"Thank you," said Ralph, showing the value of this information in manner -and face. - -"Do you know them?" inquired the old woman eagerly. - -"I think I do," said Ralph. - -"Can you find them?" - -"They will not be hard to locate," answered Ralph definitely. "Do not -worry, ma'am. You have given me a very clever clew as to the robbers. I -think I know who has got the papers that were in that little tin box." - -"Oh, be sure to let me know if you get back those papers, won't you?" -pressed the old woman anxiously. - -"I certainly shall," promised Ralph. - -He bade mother and son good-bye. Then Ralph proceeded in the direction -of the old Farrington factory. - -Great crowds lined the ravine and surrounded the site of the factory. -This had been burned to the ground. The ravine in places was still a -nest of fire, but the flames were confined there. The fires in the -grass and in the shrubbery had been beaten out. - -Ralph passed from crowd to crowd, gleaning many a bit of exciting -gossip. - -He heard a local insurance agent say that the fire had done damage to -the extent of a hundred thousand dollars. The factory represented the -bulk of the loss. - -"And no insurance, did you say?" someone asked the agent. - -"Not on the building. The insurance expired there only last week." - -Ralph finally found the person he was in search of--Slavin. He had made -up his mind that something must be done promptly in regard to the -documents stolen from Mrs. Davis' tin box. - -Ike Slump and Mort Bemis tallied precisely to the old woman's -description of her "insurance inspectors" visitors. - -Their call at the old house had evidently been made on the afternoon of -the day when Slump and Bemis had decoyed Ralph to the Stiggs cottage. - -Ralph reasoned that if they had got the documents in question, they had -them now, for their arrest had followed within a few hours of their -rifling of the trunk. - -"I want you to do something for me, Slavin, if you will," said Ralph, -leading his companion out of hearing of the crowd. - -"All right," was the prompt response. - -"Something urgent and important." - -"Fire away--I'm yours truly." - -"Can you get word for me to my friend, Van Sherwin?" - -"Sure." - -"To-night?" - -"At any and all times. We arranged that with the road detective." - -"Very well," said Ralph. "I want you to deliver a note to Van. It will -take some time to write it, so you will have to come up to the house -with me, and wait till I get it ready." - -They proceeded forthwith in the direction of the Fairbanks homestead. -Ralph invited his companion to stay to supper. - -"Say," observed Slavin, as they had proceeded on their way some distance -and he took a last backward glance at the dying flames--"say, Ralph -Fairbanks, I wonder if it looks to you--that fire I mean--like it does -to me?" - -"How do you mean, Slavin?" questioned Ralph. - -"That some of old Gasper Farrington's chickens are coming home to -roost!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII--SLAVIN GETS A JOB - - -"Good-morning, Mr. Fairbanks." - -"Why, good-morning, Mr. Slavin, but--quite formal, aren't you?" said -Ralph with a smile. - -It was the second day after the factory fire. Ralph and Knight, both -busy at their duties, had been visited by Slavin. - -He came up the ladder and into the switch tower with a certain slow -dignity of manner that made Ralph stare. - -"Hello, Slav," nodded old Jack Knight carelessly. - -"How do you do--sir?" answered Slavin with rigid courtesy as he sank to -the armchair--always a welcome visitor, nowadays. - -"Bust me!" whispered Knight with a keen glance at Slavin, and -suppressing a quick snicker--"what's in his crop now, Fairbanks?" - -Ralph wondered, too. He stole a second furtive look at Slavin. Then he -had to turn his head aside to hide a smile. - -Slavin sat like a statue. The one impelling motive of his life at -present, it seemed, was to suggest the idea that he had weighty matters -on his mind. - -He looked like a being struggling with the most momentous -responsibilities. His eye ran over the long array of levers as if he -had been officially delegated to inspect them. His bearing -was--profound. - -Ralph noticed a change in his general dress. So did Knight, and in a -hoarse, undertoned guffaw he observed to his young assistant: - -"The spell is on, and he's got himself up regardless!" - -Knight could hardly hold himself in. The old veteran had seen every -phase of railroad regime and railroad vanity in his long career. At a -glance he had guessed what was up with Young Slavin. - -Ralph noticed that Slavin wore a new head gear. It was a direct copy of -the touring cap affected by the depot master. - -The top button of Slavin's coat was a brass one. It was either a -conductor's or a Pullman porter's official insignia--at a distance Ralph -could not tell which. - -Sticking out from one of Slavin's coat pockets was an assortment of -folders. Ralph recognized them as including all the official time -schedules of the Great Northern. - -Besides that, in his hand Slavin carried a somber-looking, -flexible-covered book. This suggested some technical engineering or -scientific work. - -Slavin consulted its pages as he sat in the armchair. Ralph and Knight -scented fun in the air. They went on silently with their duties. - -This grew irksome to Slavin. He finally arose to his feet, and began -restively pacing about the switch tower. - -"H'm," he observed at length. "Saw a great article on the combustion of -coal gases in locomotives, last night." - -"That so?" nodded Knight, and proceeded to whistle industriously. - -Slavin looked hurt at the repulse. In a minute or two he blurted out -again: - -"I see there's a new invention for economizing steam in short-run -engines. Sort of studying up things, see? This here book----" - -"What book is it, Slavin?" inquired Ralph pleasantly. - -"Yes, what's this high jinks in railroad education you're firing at us?" -demanded Knight, suddenly seizing the volume from Slavin's hand. "Oh, -my! hold me! ha! ha!" roared the veteran towerman. "Listen, Fairbanks: -'Technical Topography of High Grade Elevations in Asiatic Railways.' -Oh, me! Oh, my! Slavin, you take the cake!" - -"Mr. Knight, I didn't come here to have my feelings trampled on," spoke -Slavin in tones of offended dignity. - -"Right, old son. You came here to show how hard you'd got the railroad -fever--hey, you spoony? Why, it's sticking out all over you. I had it -once. They all get it at first. Why, you ambitious young lunkhead," -cried Knight, slapping Slavin's shoulder with a hearty whack that nearly -knocked him over, "you're simply tickled to death about something, and I -can tell it in three words." - -"What is it, Mr. Knight?" asked Ralph innocently. - -"'Got a job!'" - -"Good!" cried Ralph, grasping Slavin's hand in congratulation. "Is it -true?" - -"Why, yes, it is," answered Slavin proudly. "So, what's the harm in -trying to post up, hey?" - -"My son," observed Knight in a patriarchal fashion, "posting up and -looking railroady is all right, but there's many a long, tough reach in -plain buttons, and a long distance away from combustion and high grades, -before you even begin to guess what you know about practical -railroading. Who did you see--the master mechanic?" - -"No--depot master." - -"What--not put on duty here with us?" exclaimed Ralph in a really -pleased tone. - -"That's it," announced Slavin grandly. - -"Well, I am truly glad," said Ralph. - -"So am I," put in Knight--"I'll catch your mistakes like a true friend, -and help you along like a brother." - -"I am not going to make any mistakes," declared Slavin confidently. - -"Oho! aint?" said Knight softly. - -"No, sir. I've watched you two closely. It's simple. You get 7. Pull -7. Muscle does it." - -"That so?" continued old Jack, in a slow, pitying drawl. "Well, well! -Now, just to demonstrate, suppose you take a test?" - -"I'm your man!" cried Slavin, pulling off his coat and striking an -attitude. - -"Double switch," called out Knight--"18 and 19." - -Slavin wavered, Knight had called out two levers way down the line, -rarely used. Slavin's eyes ran the long array. Then he got his -bearings, and swung his arms down into the battery with a ponderous -swoop. - -His great strong fists clasped the lever handles in a really admirable -manner, and he looked the prodigy of muscle he claimed to be. - -"Open 'em up!" shouted Knight - -Slavin bent to his task. - -"Pull--you lubber, pull!" yelled old Jack Knight. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII--WHAT THE "EXTRA" TOLD - - -"They won't move!" cried Young Slavin disgustedly. "They don't budge. -Oh, rot on you! guying a fellow," and he slunk back to the armchair in -chagrin. - -Old Jack laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. He had tricked his -new apprentice into a "grand-stand" display at two levers that had been -wedged tight shut and out of use for a month. - -He rallied the would-be railroader for a few minutes. Then in his -kind-spirited way he took up the matter seriously. - -He told Slavin just what his initial duties would be: sweeping out the -tower, keeping the fuel supply handy, oiling the lever and rod sockets, -cleaning the windows. - -Slavin was somewhat disappointed at this dreary routine. When, however, -Knight recited his own early experience and what it led to in -proficiency and promotion, Slavin became more resigned. - -"It looks good," he said longingly. "The day I draw more than board and -lodging wages and pull a lever, I'll give you two a banquet. Say, I can -hardly wait to begin!" - -"When do you begin, Slavin?" asked old Jack. - -"Next Monday." - -Slavin hung around the switch tower till Knight went away in answer to a -'phone call from the limits tower. Then he sidled up to Ralph. - -"Been waiting to tell you," he said in a low tone. - -"Something about Van?" - -"Yes." - -"Did you get any word from him?" - -"This morning. Came to the rear jail window, where I wait for him. Said -just one word." - -"What was it?" - -"To-night." - -"That was all?" - -"Someone inside interrupted him, I think, so that was all." - -"'To-night,'" repeated Ralph musingly. "I wonder what he means?" - -"Action to-night, of course. Something is going to happen. Last -night--you remember what he told me?" - -"Yes, Van said he felt sure that Slump and Bemis had the documents -stolen from Mrs. Davis." - -"That's it," nodded Slavin. "You know Slump wrote a sassy letter to old -Farrington." - -"So you told me." - -"Farrington paid no attention to it. Then Van overheard these two -precious schemers concocting a new note. It told old Farrington that -they had something better than merely knowing where a certain woman -was." - -"They meant Mrs. Davis." - -"Of course. In this last note they said that they had some very -valuable papers belonging to Mrs. Davis. They threatened that if -Farrington didn't get them out of that jail inside of forty-eight hours, -they would send for Ralph Fairbanks and turn the papers over to him." - -"This is getting interesting," remarked Ralph. - -"And exciting. Oh, something is sure to drop, soon. That old miser -will never go any twenty thousand dollars' bonds on those two -scape-graces." - -"It is not likely," said Ralph. "Do you think Farrington paid any -attention to the second note?" - -"I think he did." - -"Why so?" - -"As I left the jail, I saw his coachman come out of the building. He -had an empty basket on his arm. I think he had been taking some food -and such fixings to Ike Slump & Co." - -"And the latest is Van's 'To-night'," mused Ralph. "Slavin, you will -keep a close watch on things, won't you? I believe affairs are very -near a crisis." - -"I'll not miss anything," Slavin assured Ralph stanchly--"least of all -you, when there's any important word to report." - -Ralph was restless and expectant all that evening at home. He sat up -till ten o'clock, hoping that Slavin might bring him some word. - -None came, however. He went to bed, and as usual left the house for the -switch tower at 7.30 in the morning. - -Just as Ralph neared the depot yards, a small boy with a bundle of -papers under his arm darted down the street. - -Ralph remembered that this was "paper day." He paused and listened as -the lad shouted out his wares. - -"Extry! extry!" he called. - -"Here, boy--what have you got extra?" asked a passer-by. - -"Full account of the great Stanley Junction jail escape!" - -"What's that?" cried Ralph irrepressibly. - -"Hey, never mind--I'll tell you," pronounced Slavin's voice suddenly at -his elbow. "I'm out of breath. Just missed you at your house, and ran -all the way here after you." - -"Slavin, what is this I hear--a jail escape?" - -"Yes--Slump and Bemis. It seems someone smuggled some tools in to them -yesterday." - -"Farrington's man." - -"That's how I figure it out," assented Slavin. "Anyhow, they discovered -that the prisoners were gone about midnight. I didn't hear of it until -about an hour ago. I hurried to the road detective. He got a 'phone -from Van Sherwin at the jail about two o'clock this morning. It was to -wire to the jailer to give him his liberty." - -"What--Van gone, too!" exclaimed Ralph. - -"That's the way it looks. I just came from the jail. They had let -Sherwin go. The jailer said he had left a note. For Ralph Fairbanks. I -took it to deliver. Here it is." - -Ralph eagerly tore open the letter Slavin handed him. - -It contained Van's signature in initials, and one line only. This read: - -"Got track of Mrs. Davis--I have the stolen papers." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX--GUESSING - - -Young Slavin was marking some initials on the current date on a big -calendar hanging up on the door of the coat closet of the depot switch -tower. - -It was his third day of service. As old Jack Knight came up the trap -ladder, his grim face broke into an expression of sincere approbation. -He took a keen look around the place. - -"Neat and tidy," he observed. "You'll do, Slavin. But what's those -hieroglyphics on that calendar for?" - -"Oh, just a memoranda," explained the new tower hand, with a conscious -flush. - -"'P.I.N.' eh?" said Knight. - -The initials were blue-penciled in the date space of each of the three -days of Slavin's employment. - -"Yes, sir." - -"What's the answer? Something about a coupling pin?" - -"Naw. Those initials, Mr. Knight, represent the boiling down of the -rules for employees printed on the card of instructions." - -"That so?" - -"Yes, sir, Promptness, Industry, Neatness. I'm trying to fill that -bill." - -"You've done it so far," observed old Jack. "I hear you show up an hour -before time." - -"Can't sleep, thinking of my grand luck!" chuckled Slavin. - -"You're certainly all the time fussing around, if that's industry," went -on Knight. "Those windows shine like headlights. You've oiled up -everything till the lack of creaking makes a fellow lonesome. As to -neatness--well, if you haven't actually scrubbed the floor here!" - -"I thought it needed it," said Slavin. - -"Keep it up, son," encouraged old Jack. "You're making a fine -beginning." - -Slavin went singing and whistling about his work the whole day long. It -did Ralph's heart good, when he arrived, to see his protege happy, -industrious, and headed in the right direction. - -Things were going on famously smooth and satisfactory at the switch -tower. A friend of old Farrington's, and by no means of Ralph's, one -Bardon, an inspector, had looked over the layout with a critical eye the -day previous. - -"You'll find no flaws here, friend," old Jack had announced. - -Bardon had to admit that the switch tower regime was in perfect working -order. - -Since the escape of Ike Slump and Mort Bemis and the new disappearance -of Van Sherwin, not a clew as to the course or whereabouts of the -missing trio had reached either Ralph or his friends. - -There had been a big row up at the jail, and one of the under officers -had been discharged under suspicion. - -It was evident that someone had smuggled tools and ropes into the jail, -for these were found in the cell through the forced window of which -Slump and Bemis had escaped. - -These could hardly have passed proper inspection, if hidden in food or -clothing brought to the prisoners by outsiders. - -"Of course old Farrington's man did the job," asserted Slavin. - -"Of course he did," assented Ralph. "It was the cheapest way of giving -his troublesome pensioners their liberty." - -Van's message to Ralph had a very encouraging tone to it. He evidently -had a clew to Mrs. Davis' place of confinement, and "he had the stolen -documents." - -As the days went by, however, Ralph began to grow anxious, and his -mother shared his worry. Ralph had told her everything concerning the -rifled tin box. Mrs. Fairbanks was mainly troubled over the possible -imprisonment and mistreatment of Mrs. Davis. - -"The poor lady has suffered a great deal of trouble," she remarked. "Her -mind was none too strong. It is wicked to torture her further, Ralph, -can we do nothing to force Mr. Farrington to tell where she is?" - -"He would deny having ever heard of Mrs. Davis," asserted Ralph -convincedly. "Of course, if any mishap or failure comes to Van, and he -doesn't report soon, I will see a lawyer and try and compel Farrington -to some action. He is a shrewd, cruel man, though, mother. I am afraid -our only hope is in Van, or the recapture of Slump and Bemis." - -"Have they tried to find them?" - -"Mr. Adair has been searching for them everywhere. He believes that -Farrington assisted in their escape, and gave them a large amount of -money to leave the country." - -Gasper Farrington was not having a very happy time of it. Ralph decided -this that morning, as he noticed the magnate pass on the other side of -the street. - -Farrington looked bent, old, and troubled. He had sustained a total -loss at the factory fire. His tricky methods were becoming known to the -public. He was losing the respect of people. This he realized, and -showed it both in bearing and face. - -Ralph was thinking about all this about three o'clock in the afternoon, -when the depot master's messenger came up the tower ladder. He had a -pocketful of mail. - -"Postal card for you, Fairbanks," he said. - -Ralph took the card and went to the window to inspect it. The postal -was blurred over and wrinkled, back and front. It looked as if it had -been posted after being wetted by snow or rain, or in some stage of its -transmission had fallen into a mess of wet dirt. - -Its address was clear enough. It bore a railway mail postmark. On its -reverse side the letters had run with the moisture. - -"From Van," said Ralph, setting himself the difficult task of -deciphering the blurred lines. "I know his handwriting, and it is -signed 'V.' It was written in a hurry, that looks certain. What has he -to say?" - -Ralph conned the imperfect message over and over. After many -interruptions, at the end of fully half an hour's careful study, these -were the only coherent words he could formulate from the blurred scrawl: - -"----hurry--and important. Don't miss telling--Slump--Bemis--Wednesday -evening--safe--bank shipment--express--found out, and special -freight--sure to be there--not later--near South Dover--don't delay a -minute--will soon--back at Stanley Junction." - -"What is he trying to tell me?" murmured Ralph in a puzzled and anxious -way, after a third and fourth reading of the perplexing message. - -He finally gave up guessing what the missing links in the postal screed -might be. - -"One thing is certain," reflected Ralph. "Wednesday evening something -is on the books. The only other definite clew is South Dover. Does he -mean for me to meet him there? Does he mean that Slump and Bemis are in -that neighborhood? There is something about a bank shipment, express, -and special freight. That means the railroad is somehow interested. -'Don't miss,' he writes, 'don't delay.' I won't," resolved Ralph -keenly. "I wouldn't dare to, with such a word from Van. He has kept mum -all along. Now that he does speak out, it certainly means something -important." - -Ralph thought things over for another half-hour, and then made up his -mind what he would do. - -He consulted the train schedules. Then he explained to Knight the -necessity for a brief absence from duty. Without seeing Slavin, who had -been sent for some report blanks to the depot, Ralph hurried home. - -He told his mother about the postal card, dressed for the trip down the -road, and caught the 4.30 train. Ralph was cordially invited to a seat -in the cab by his loyal old friend, Engineer Griscom. - -It was nearly dusk when the train reached South Dover. The place was -only a name. There was not a building within a mile of the tool sheds -and water tank that marked the spot. - -The train slowed up for Ralph, who jumped off. He waved his hand to -Griscom in adieu, and looked all about him. - -South Dover was a switching and make-up point for the accommodation of -Dover freight transfers. It had a dozen sidings and spurs. Freight -coming into Dover on a north destination was switched here, and made -ready to be taken up by through trains. - -A man on a track bicycle had just set some lights. He whirled away -towards Dover as Ralph stood looking about him. - -No other human being was in sight. On a near siding stood half a dozen -freight cars. Over on another track, near the water tower, stood a dead -freight dummy. - -"I can't make out much here," reflected Ralph. "No one in sight, no -indication why Van mentioned the place." - -He strolled over to the dead locomotive. Its tender was full of coal. -Ralph opened the furnace door. Everything was ready to kindle up, and -the gauge showed a full water supply. - -"I see," mused Ralph. "There is to be some switching, or a night run. I -don't know how soon, though. Well, I'll hang around a bit. Something -may develop." - -Ralph walked down the short line of freights, casually inspecting the -cars. As he came to the last one he dodged back in a very lively -fashion. - -Climbing up the embankment to the left were four persons. They had just -emerged, it seemed, from thick underbrush lining the tracks. - -Two of them were grown men--bearded, rough-looking fellows, resembling -tramps. - -The other two persons of the group had a prompt and distinct interest to -Ralph. He at once recognized Ike Slump and Mort Bemis. - -They were coming directly towards the freights. Ralph saw the danger of -discovery. - -The door of the car next to the last box freight was ajar. - -Ralph leaped up into the car just as Ike Slump reached the top of the -railroad embankment. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX--PRECIOUS FREIGHT - - -"Here we are!" almost immediately sounded out the tones of Mort Bemis. - -"Glad of it," growled a gruff, breathless voice, unfamiliar to the -listening Ralph. "We are about done out lugging these heavy crowbars -over swamps and up this steep climb." - -"Quick action, now," broke in Slump. "Here, give me a crowbar." - -Ralph glided to the end of the box car he was in. He got near its -little rear grated window. - -Cautiously he looked out. Standing at the side of the track were Bemis -and the two tramps. One of them held a crowbar. Another like it Ike -was extending between the bumpers. He knocked up the coupling pin -connecting the rear car with the rest of the train. - -Then he pried against the head of the pin, and forced it out. As it -fell to the roadbed, he said: - -"Watch up and down the tracks, Mort." - -"Oh, there's no likelihood of anybody coming for three hours," retorted -Bemis. "The express has passed, and the signal man. The switching crew -will keep snug and cozy in Hank Allen's restaurant up at Dover till -schedule time, and that isn't till nine o'clock." - -"Well, keep a sharp lookout, all the same," directed Ike. "I worked up -this deal, and I reckon I have a right to boss the job. Come, my -friend," to the tramp holding the other crowbar. "Pry on that left -wheel. I'll take the right. Soon as we get momentum, you two give us a -shoulder. Push, till I say let go. Understand?" - -Ralph was momentarily bewildered. The quartette were about to separate -the last car from the train. Why? - -Ike and his helper got their crowbars each under a wheel. They budged -the car, and got it fairly started. Then they yelled to the other two, -and, dropping the crowbars, joined them in pushing the car along by -sheer shoulder strength. - -Ralph stared after them in doubt and concern. Then as they took a -switch with rusted rails, he clearly saw their object. - -The wheels of the detached freight car, striking a sharp slant, ran away -from the persons who had started it up. - -They stood still, gazing after the runaway. It moved on with sharpening -speed, took a curve, and was shut out from view. - -For fully two minutes afterwards, however, Ralph could catch the -diminishing clatter of the fast revolving wheels. The others stood -listening, too. - -It was fairly dusk now. As the quartette approached the remaining cars, -Ralph noticed that Mort Bemis was chuckling. Ike Slump's face wore an -expression of intense satisfaction. They all halted as they reached the -stationary freights. - -"Here," spoke Ike, "we don't need those any longer." - -He seized the crowbars in turn lying on the roadbed. He gave them a -swing, sending them in among the long grass at the side of the -embankment. - -"Done quite neatly," spoke Bemis. "Now then, fellows--back the way we -came. Horse and wagon all ready?" - -"Yes," assented one of the tramps. - -"Make it lively, then. We can get around to the switch off where that -car has come to a stop, in about an hour." - -"Then for the safe, and a fortune apiece!" cried Ike excitedly. "Say, -Mort, the five hundred we lost on the races looks a fleabite to what -we'll divide up in the next two hours!" - -"I don't see why you didn't drive right up here and dump the safe?" -suggested one of the men of the party. - -"Don't you?" spoke Ike. "Well, you'd have a fine time, driving over, -that boggy waste, wouldn't you? Besides, that spur is never used. No -chance of any meddlers where that car is now. The train crew won't be -here till nine o'clock. When they do come, even if they miss the car, -they won't suspect where it has gone to." - -"Correct," assented Mort Bemis in a jubilant tone. "Oh, we're working -on greased rollers! Come, let's go around for the horse and wagon, and -get that safe in our claws." - -The quartette descended the embankment and disappeared from view. Ralph -jumped from the car the moment they were out of sight. - -In the light of the overheard conversation and recent doings of Slump -and his companions, the young leverman was pretty well able to -conjecture what they were doing. - -Van's blurred message grew clearer now. Ralph doubted not but that -Slump and Bemis had projected and were carrying out a daring robbery. - -According to what they had said, the detached car had aboard some very -valuable freight: nothing less than a safe. And Ike had intimated that -it contained "a fortune apiece." - -This seemed incredible to Ralph. All the same, he realized that they -had isolated the car to loot it. - -"In an hour they will have their booty," he reflected rapidly. "Can I -foot it to Dover in time? No way to wire. Why, I'll do it!" - -A quick idea came into Ralph's mind. He would anticipate the robbers. -He ran fast as he could to the locomotive on the siding. - -Ralph Fairbanks never valued his practical roundhouse experience so -greatly as during the ensuing fifteen minutes. - -He knew all about a locomotive, for he had been a shop hand to some -profit. He lit the fire, set the steam gauges, piled on the coal. Steam -up, he backed towards the spur, stopped, opened a switch, and glided -west after the runaway car. - -As he rounded a curve he noticed that the spur had two tracks, and he -had by chance taken the outer one. - -The tracks ran parallel, however. There must be switches further on, he -decided, and he put on a fair head of steam and sped on his way. - -The spur ran in and out a hilly district with numerous curves. At -length there was a level stretch. Ralph whizzed by the detached car, -standing stationary at the end of a steep grade about a quarter of a -mile from the main rails where it had been started. - -He took a new curve, slowed up, and began looking for a switch. The -tracks ended near a dismantled ruin. It had evidently once been in use -as a factory, but now, like the spur tracks, was abandoned. - -At this terminus were several switches. Ralph got righted on the inside -rails and started back for the detached car. - -There were as many as four curves to pass, all breasting elevations at -the side. Ralph proceeded rather slowly. As he reached the final open -stretch, however, his hand came down sharply on the lever. - -He pulled the throttle open. A glance had warned him that there was no -time now to dally. - -It was not quite dark yet. Some lanterns were now at the side of the -detached car. - -Near it was a horse and wagon. The side door of the car was open. One -of the tramps was carrying a rope from the wagon. The other was just -climbing into the car. - -Ralph drove the locomotive forward so promptly that the alarmed shout of -the man coming from the wagon was mingled with a resounding crash, as -the bulkheads of the cow-catcher struck the end of the car. The freight -was momentarily lifted from its trucks. Then car and engine swept on. - -The tramp, just climbing into the car when the contact came, was knocked -free of his hold by the shock. He went keeling over and over in the -gravel by the side of the track. - -From the inside of the car sounded loud and fervent yells. Ralph kept -his eye fixed on the side of the freight. A head was thrust out--two of -them. - -Staring back in startled wonder, Ike Slump and Mort Bemis saw what had -happened, and marvelled. - -They did not attempt to jump. Ralph believed that they recognized him. -Whether this were true or not, just as the locomotive reached the main -road bed a report rang out. A bullet smashed in the front window of the -cab. - -Ralph dodged down. His enemies were driven to desperate straits. He -held back from the window out of range, but kept his hand firmly on the -lever. - -A glance showed what he was running into. The stationary freights -blocked his course. Ralph slowed up. Then, as the expected contact -came, he put on full steam again. - -A momentary halt had given Bemis a chance to leave the detached car in -safety. As the locomotive glided by he grabbed at its step. - -Ralph threw out one foot. It met Mort's jaw, and sent him spinning -clear of his hold. - -The locomotive was now pushing the entire train. Ralph's heart began to -beat fast. He dared not stop, for Slump was probably armed, and his -confederates might come in pursuit. - -Ralph did not know what he might run into, or what might run into him. -He was a "wild" of the most reckless description. It was make or break -for Dover, now! - -"He's jumped!" exclaimed Ralph. - -A dark form, that of Ike Slump, leaped from the car ahead as it passed a -morass. Ralph ventured to lean out of the cab window. - -He could make out the nearing lights of Dover. Glancing back, he saw by -the signals that the tracks were clear for the regular service. - -Toot-toot-too-oot-too-oot! - -Far and wide rang the ear-splitting alarm signal. Ralph kept it up -continuously. Then, as he neared the crossings tower lights at Dover, -he shut off steam and jolted down to a dead stop. - -Glancing back and ahead, he saw the signals change in a flash, blocking -all rails. - -A lantern moved down the tracks. Two men came running towards the -freights and along them till they reached the locomotive. - -One of the men was evidently the head towerman. He glared wildly up at -Ralph. - -"What in thunder is this?" he cried. - -"Why, you may call it a special," answered Ralph promptly. - -"Special?" roared the irate towerman--"special what?" - -"A special treasure train, I would call it, from what I learn," said -Ralph coolly. "I have just run it clear of four robbers, and I -understand it has 'four fortunes' in it." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI--HALF A MILLION DOLLARS - - -"Name?" - -"Fairbanks." - -"Ah, I have heard of you. Towerman at Stanley Junction--first name -Ralph?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Wasn't it you who made that terrifically heroic run through the fire at -the Acton freight yards with engineer John Griscom?" - -"I was there, yes," admitted Ralph modestly. - -"Thought so. Shake. Proud to know you, Mr. Fairbanks, and glad to see -you are keeping your name clean and bright on the railroad roll of -honor." - -"Thank you." - -Ralph sat in the room of the assistant superintendent at Dover, an hour -after taking the special into safety. He had made a brief explanation -to the towerman. The freights were sidetracked, a dozen watchmen -guarded the cars, as many specials were sent back to South Dover to -attempt the capture of the robbers. - -"Here," spoke the assistant superintendent, summoning a messenger, "take -that wire for Stanley Junction. Fairbanks, do you happen to know that -you have done an amazing thing?" - -Ralph shook his head with an uncertain smile. - -"Well, you have. I have wired the Junction that you can't go back -to-night." - -"But my leave of absence was only temporary." - -"Don't let that disturb you at all," said the assistant superintendent. -"The road needs you here at present. I fancy the road will be very -likely to acknowledge your services of to-night. You have prevented the -theft of half a million dollars." - -Ralph started at this monstrous statement. It seemed incredible. - -"That is right. The real owner of the sum will probably give you a bank -calendar free, or sue the Great Northern for delay. All the same, the -road feels its obligation to you, and I want you to know it. You will -have to stay here till we get this matter straightened out. You see, -you are the only person who can identify those robbers--if they are -caught. You will stay at my home to-night." - -The assistant superintendent then went over the entire matter in detail, -and Ralph heard an interesting story. - -A parsimonious country banker--who seemed to be a sort of second edition -of Gasper Farrington--had decided to move his bank from its original -location to a point two hundred miles distant. - -Too niggardly to purchase the security of his money by sending it by -express, he had put it and his securities in a small safe. This he had -boxed up, and had shipped it by special freight as merchandise. - -How Slump and Bemis had got wind of the proceeding, Ralph could only -theorize. They had certainly planned well to make off with this -magnificent booty. - -How Van Sherwin had been able to send the intimation he had to Ralph, -was yet to be explained. - -The railroad official treated Ralph like a prince. Both of the tramps -were captured and placed in jail. They claimed they had simply been -hired by Slump and Bemis to work for them. - -The next morning the banker who had so nearly lost his banking capital -arrived in hot haste. - -He proceeded to express his precious belongings the rest of the way--for -which the express company proceeded to charge him as strong as the case -would stand. - -"Ha, hum," this individual observed, as he shook Ralph's hand--"a -slight--ha, hum--testimonial. Don't mention it!" - -Ralph exhibited a dollar bill to the curious and furious assistant -superintendent as the banker withdrew. Then he handed it to the -messenger, with the remark: - -"You take your own risk in trying to pass it!" - -Just before noon Ralph was given a telegram from Stanley Junction, -signed by Slavin. - -It read: - -"Hear you are at Dover, so I will wire. Needed in S.J. V.S. and Mrs. -D. here, G.F. in a panic. Quick action needed. Come." - -Ralph told the assistant superintendent of the urgent message. - -"Of course you must go," said the latter, "but you will have to come -down and identify the two prisoners in court in a day or two. By the -way, we have sent a full report of the case to headquarters. I would -suggest, Fairbanks, if you are tired of tower service, you won't have to -ask for promotion." - -"Not tired of it, sir," explained Ralph, "only anxious to get higher up -the ladder as fast as I can." - -"Very good. You've earned a good boost this time," declared the -assistant superintendent. - -Ralph reached Stanley Junction just after dark. He left the train at -the limits and took a short rut home. - -The front of the little cottage was aglow with cheerful light, and he -knew there was "company." - -Ralph burst in upon his good friend, Van, with a boisterous welcome. -More gently, but none the less sincerely, he greeted Mrs. Davis. She -sat in a comfortable armchair, rather pale and feeble-looking, but -smiling through her happy tears. - -Young Slavin occupied a humble seat at one side of the room. - -"Lawyer made me come," he whispered to Ralph,--"waiting for him now." - -"What lawyer?" inquired Ralph in surprise. - -"One Van got. Oh, he's been running all the switches this afternoon, I -can tell you!" - -Just there Van beckoned to Ralph, and led him into an adjoining room, -closing the door on the others. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII--CONCLUSION - - -"You had best know just how things stand," remarked Van Sherwin, as he -proceeded to tell an interesting story. - -Van had learned from Ralph's note sent to him to the town jail that Ike -Slump or Mort Bemis had the documents stolen from Mrs. Davis' little tin -box. - -He had watched his fellow prisoners closely, finally discovering that -the papers were carried by Slump in a secret inner coat pocket. - -The very night that Slump and Bemis escaped, Van with a window pole -reached into the cell, got the garment in question, and left his own -coat in its place. - -He secured the stolen documents. Folded in with them was a receipt for -somebody's board at a place called Millville. Van decided that this was -the place where Mrs. Davis was imprisoned, or detained. - -He intended to gain his freedom in the morning early. In the meantime, -as the reader is aware, Slump and Bemis escaped. The former was -probably unaware in the darkness that he was wearing Van's coat instead -of his own. - -Van started forthwith to locate Mrs. Davis. He found there were two -Millvilles, and it was several days before he settled down on the right -one. It took several more to locate Mrs. Davis' present guardians. - -They proved to be a wretched couple in an isolated farmhouse. They kept -their prisoner in a barred attic room. - -Mrs. Davis had missed a paper which told where the tin box was secreted. -This her jailers had probably given to Slump, who thus obtained a clew -as to the whereabouts of the documents. - -Van managed to rescue Mrs. Davis without being discovered by her -guardians. That very day he came upon Slump and Bemis near the old -farmhouse. - -He secreted himself and overheard some of their conversation. They had -squandered all of their ready money, and dared not return to Stanley -Junction. They had come to the farmhouse to remove Mrs. Davis, and with -her in their hands blackmail Farrington afresh. - -They had discovered her escape, and then they talked of a last desperate -scheme. It was to "hold up" something or somebody at South Dover. - -Van could not leave Mrs. Davis, to follow or pursue them. He wrote the -hurried postal to Ralph that had got wet and blurred in transmission, -but, despite which fact, Ralph had managed to utilize with such grand -results. - -Mrs. Davis' secret was a simple one. As has been said, her husband was -none other than Van's adopted father, Farwell Gibson, who had been -fleeced by Gasper Farrington along with Ralph's own father. - -The magnate had maligned Gibson so that Mrs. Gibson left him. They -became strangers, and later Farrington claimed he was dead. - -Mrs. Gibson, or Mrs. Davis as she now called herself, became quite poor. -She discovered among some old papers an agreement between herself, Mr. -Fairbanks, and Gasper Farrington about the twenty thousand dollars' -worth of railroad bonds. - -This document showed plainly that in equity she had a quarter interest, -and Mrs. Fairbanks the balance in these bonds really held in trust by -Farrington. - -She had come to Stanley Junction to sell this paper to Farrington. -Embittered by her sad past, she had no thoughts of the rights of others, -until Ralph did her a kindly act and changed all the motives of her -life. - -Now, after learning from Van how her husband had been wronged and -misrepresented by Farrington, she longed to secure her five thousand -dollars to assist him in beginning his short-line railroad. - -"There will be a happy reunion," Van told Ralph. "As to the money, the -twenty thousand dollars, I have had a lawyer working on her claim and -yours all day long. They say that Slump wrote a letter to some friend -here, telling all about Farrington's dealings with him. The local paper -threatens an expose, and this, with the factory fire and our claim, has -driven the miserable old schemer nearly to his wits' end. Ah, there is -the lawyer now." - -Ralph knew the legal gentleman in question. They rejoined the others in -the front parlor. - -"Have you seen Farrington?" asked Van promptly. - -"No," responded the lawyer. "He has secluded himself, and refuses to be -seen. I have had to deal with him through his attorney. It has been -quibble and evasion all day long. Just now, however, they arrived at an -ultimatum." - -"What is it?" inquired Ralph. - -"Farrington is near to nervous collapse. His losses and his fears of -disgrace have driven him to leave Stanley Junction until the storm has -blown over. His lawyer admits the justice of our claim. He asks that -they be given a little time to settle it." - -"Not an hour, if the claim is just and right!" declared Ralph sternly. -"We have been kept out of our rights all these years." - -"Then I have a suggestion to make," said the lawyer. "I have no doubt -whatever of your forcing payments in time. The only thing is, that -crafty old fox, Farrington, will scheme for delay. He intends to get it -by taking a trip to Europe." - -"Out of the country?" exclaimed Ralph. - -"So I learn. In fact, he has left, or is leaving now. That will be -unfortunate for your case. Now, if you could get service on him before -he leaves, you head off his dilatory arrangements." - -"What kind of service?" asked Van. - -"A legal demand of your claim, to be proven in court if he does not -settle. That would bring his lawyer to time. I have prepared the -demand--in fact, I have a man waiting outside to serve it--if you can -suggest any way to reach Farrington." - -"Why, if he is leaving for Europe to-night," said Ralph, arising to his -feet and consulting his watch, "he will have to take the southern -train." - -"Not from the Stanley Junction depot, I fancy," observed the lawyer. - -"No, he will probably get on at the limits, or down at Acton, and take -the train there." - -"See here," spoke up Slavin suddenly--"leave this to me, will you?" - -"How do you mean?" inquired Ralph. - -"Send your man with me," said Slavin to the lawyer. "The railroad -people will give me every chance to nab my man, if I tell them it's for -Ralph Fairbanks." - -"Very good," nodded the lawyer with satisfaction, "try it with my man, -if you will." - -There was so much to discuss, that Ralph, Van, and the two ladies sat up -until long past midnight. - -Just as they were retiring, the lawyer's messenger appeared at the front -door of the cottage. - -"O.K.," he said, with a chuckle. - -"Got your man?" asked Van. - -"Sure thing. Farrington sneaked on to the train at Acton, disguised, -and hid in a sleeper. The conductor knew Fairbanks here, and Slavin did -the rest. Snaked him out of his berth, and made him acknowledge our -legal demand. He's off for Europe, but I'll warrant won't tangle up his -affairs here by letting you sue. But he has already wired his lawyer to -settle with you people." - -"Good!" shouted Ralph, and his face showed his pleasure. - -Everything seemed working out happily. Ralph came up into the switch -tower with a bright, cheery face, next morning. - -"Hello, Slavin," he said, noticing his muscular young friend at the -levers--"practicing?" - -"No, sir--on duty," answered Slavin with great dignity. - -"What's that?" demanded Ralph sharply. - -"Sure," coolly nodded Slavin, giving the levers a truly professional -swing. "Don't talk to the leverman when he's busy--rule of the office, -you, know, for outsiders." - -"Ho! ho!" chuckled old Jack Knight. - -"Outsiders?" repeated Ralph. "Call me one?" - -"Ask Mr. Knight." - -Ralph looked inquiringly at the veteran towerman. - -"That's right," assented Knight. "Superintendent was just here. Put -Slavin on the levers, and wants you up at headquarters." - -"What for?" asked Ralph. - -"Says you're due for promotion. Asked me what I thought about your -choice. I told him fireman." - -Ralph's eyes sparkled with pleasure. - -"Thank you, Mr. Knight," he said. "If it's to be another step up the -ladder, I would like it to be in just that line." - -"You take another rung sure, that's settled," declared old Jack proudly. -"And--you'll get to the top!" - -One hour later Ralph Fairbanks was officially instructed by the -superintendent of the Great Northern, that he had been promoted to a new -branch of service. - -How did he succeed? How well, and how his influence and example helped -the success of his loyal railroad friends, will be told in a succeeding -volume to be called "Ralph on the Engine; or, The Young Fireman of the -Limited Mail." - -For the time being he was very happy and so was his mother. Mrs. -Fairbanks felt certain that they would soon be in possession of the -property Gasper Farrington had so long kept from them. - -"I think so myself, mother," said Ralph, and then he added with -enthusiasm: "Isn't it wonderful how we have prospered!" - -"Yes, Ralph." - -"And to think that I am to be a regularly appointed fireman," he -continued. - -"I can see that you are bound to be a railroad man, Ralph," answered the -fond parent with a faint smile. "Well, you take after your father. I -surely wish you the best of luck in your chosen calling." - -And so do we; is that not so, gentle reader? - - THE END - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RALPH IN THE SWITCH TOWER *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39051 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a -registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, -unless you receive specific permission. 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