Allen Chapman

“ In this line of books there is revealed the whole workings of a great American railroad system. There are adventures in abundance—railroad wrecks, dashes through forest fires, the pursuit of a “wildcat” locomotive, the disappearance of a pay car with a large sum of money on board—but there is much more than this—the intense rivalry among railroads and railroad men, the working out of running schedules, the getting through “on time” in spite of all obstacles, and the manipulation of railroad securities by evil men who wish to rule or ruin. ”

“ Then Ralph seriously and earnestly told his visitor the real facts of the case. He devoted a full hour to correcting Zeph’s wrong impressions of detective and railroad work. By the time he got through, Zeph’s face was glum.
“Why, if what you say is true,” he remarked dejectedly, “I’m next to being good for nothing.”
“Oh, no,” said Ralph, “don’t you be discouraged at all. You have the starting point of every ambition—an idea. I myself do not think much of the detective line for one as young as you are. As to railroading, I can tell you one fact.” ”

“ The engineer shut off all steam after sounding the danger signal, a series of several sharp whistles, and quickly joined his assistant.
In front of the locomotive, obstructing the rails completely, was a great mass of dirt, gravel and rocks.
“A landslide,” spoke Griscom, glancing up one steep side of the cut.
“If we had struck that big rock full force,” observed Ralph, “it would have been a bad wreck.”
“You saved us just in time,” cried the old engineer. “I’ve often wondered if some day there wouldn’t be just such a drop as this of some of these overhanging cliffs. ”

“ Evans,” replied Ralph.
“Oh, yes, you do. Forgan is partial to you. The others don’t like me because I’m a crack man in my line. One word, though; I’ll pay you off for this some time or other,” and Evans left the spot shaking his fist at Ralph menacingly.
“One of the bad kind,” mused Ralph, looking after the fellow, “not at all fit for duty half the time. Here comes one of the good kind,” he added as a freight engine with a long train of cars attached steamed up at the roundhouse. “It’s my run, Mr. Griscom.” ”

“ Ralph took a lantern and ran down the tracks, flashed the light across the empty freights lining the tracks, and returned to the locomotive more anxious than ever.
“I can’t think what to do, Mr. Trevor,” he said.
The young man consulted his watch nervously.
“Tell you, Fairbanks, we mustn’t lose time. You can’t find your partner. Run to the tower and have the man there telegraph the circumstances and get someone to look for Griscom. We will have to run on without him.”
“Without Griscom!” cried Ralph. “Why, we cannot possibly secure a substitute this side of Dover.” ”

“ Car loads of perishable fruits and the like were rotting in the yards, men were beaten, engines crippled, orders mixed up, crown sheets burned and cars smashed on open switches.
The Limited Mail was annulled as a regular train, and Griscom and Ralph and all other passenger employes placed on the irregular list. One day a man would take out the Mail, the next day he would be running freight empties to the city. ”

“ Ralph readily saw that speed would not be greatly diminished by the time the locomotive overtook the child in the baby carriage, and in a flash he acted. He was out on the running board and onto the cowcatcher so quickly that he seemed fairly to fly. Grasping a bracket, the young fireman poised for a move that meant life or death for the imperiled child. ”

“ The young fireman lost no time, dropping from the roof between platforms. As he reached the first passenger coach he ran inside the car.
Passengers were on their feet, amazed and alarmed at the reckless flight of the train. The conductor and train hands were pale and frightened.
“What’s the trouble?” demanded the conductor, as Ralph rushed up to him.
“A maniac is in charge of the train. He is crazed with drink, and armed. Who of you will join me in trying to overpower him?” ”

“ Ralph began to quietly tell the story of his own dealings with the village magnate of Stanley Junction. It had a great effect upon his auditor. From dark distrust and suspicion his emotions gradually subsided to interest, and finally to confidence.
It was only by gradations that Ralph led the man to believe that he was his friend and could help him in his difficulties.
The convict told a pitiful story. Ralph believed it to be a true one. To further his own avaricious ends, Farrington had devised a villainous plot to send the man to the penitentiary. He had escaped. ”

“ I’m a man and must earn a man’s wages. You’re only a kid. I’ve got a family. Come, give me the run and I’ll treat you handsomely,” and the speaker extended a cigar.
“Thank you, I don’t smoke,” said Ralph. Then looking the man squarely in the eyes, he said: “Mr. Evans, I’ll give up the run on one condition.”
“What’s that?” inquired Evans eagerly.
“If you will sign the pledge, work steadily, and give your wages to your family as you should do.”
“I’ll do it!” shouted Evans, not a whit shame-facedly.
“No, you won’t,” announced Forgan. “Fairbanks, kindness is kindness, but business is business. ”

“ Frogs and target rods were passed at a momentum that fairly frightened Ralph, and 210 it was a wonder to him the way the wheels ground and bounded that they always lit on the steel.
Lyle took frequent drinks from the bottle, which had been replenished. His eyes were wild, his manner reckless, almost maniacal. As they passed signals he would utter a fierce, ringing yell. Ralph crowded over to him.
“Mr. Lyle,” he shouted, “we are ahead of time.”
“Good,” roared the mad engineer, “I’m going to make the record run of the century.”
“If any other train is off schedule, that is dangerous.” ”

“ Within a week the young fireman of the Limited Mail was in full swing as a trusted and valued employe of the Great Northern. Engineer Griscom had got the time schedule down to a system of which he was proud. They made successful runs without a break or accident, and Ralph loved the life for its variety, experience and promise of sure promotion. ”

“ He knew how to run an engine, for the young fireman had watched Griscom at his duties, had studied every separate piece of machinery thoroughly, and more than once had relieved the veteran engineer for brief periods of time between stations.
“That was all well enough on a regular run,” thought Ralph, “but a special is a different thing.”
Then, coming to the switch tower, he called up to the operator there, who was at the open window. He explained hurriedly about the disappearance of Griscom. He also asked the towerman to telegraph ahead to Dover for a substitute engineer. ”

“ Well, it’s a good man in a good man’s place.”
“That’s right,” said Griscom. “None better. In to report, Sam? Good-bye. Shovel in the coal, lad,” the speaker directed Ralph. “It’s a bad night for railroading, and we’ll have a hard run to Dover.”
Ralph applied himself to his duties at once. He opened the fire door, and as the ruddy glow illuminated his face he was a picture pleasant to behold.
Muscular, healthy, in love with his work, friendly, earnest and accommodating, Ralph Fairbanks was a favorite with every fair-minded railroad man on the Great Northern who knew him. ”

“ Ralph came to the spot. The man lay groaning where he had fallen.
“Help me,” he muttered—“I’m nearly stunned.” 32
“Why!” exclaimed Ralph as he assisted the man to his feet, “it is Gasper Farrington.”
It was the village magnate, disguised. He stood regarding Ralph with savage eyes.
“I thought you had gone to Europe, Mr. Farrington,” said Ralph.
“Did you? Well, I haven’t,” growled Farrington, nursing a bruise on his face.
“Are you going to stay in Stanley Junction, then?”
“None of your business.”
“Oh, yes, it is,” retorted Ralph quickly. “You owe us thousands of dollars, and we want it.” ”

“ He wished to report about the discovery of the silk, and hunt up Zeph Dallas at once.
“I hardly believe the farmer boy a thief,” mused Ralph, “but he must explain his possession of that silk.”
The young fireman did not find Adair at the depot, and came back to the engine to discover Jim Evans lounging in the cab.
“Been helping Griscom out,” grinned the man.
“Well, get out, now,” growled Griscom. “Time to start up. There’s the signal from the conductor. That man has been hanging around the engine ever since you left,” the old engineer continued to Ralph, “and he is too good-natured to suit me.” ”

“ The young fireman brought up the two satchels from the hold of the old craft, and briefly related to Joe the incidents of his experience with Farrington, Slump and the others.
“I say, you have done a big thing in getting those satchels,” said Joe, “and you want to place them in safe hands at once. Come ashore, and I’ll drive you to the nearest railroad town. You don’t want to risk meeting any of your enemies until you have those papers out of their reach.”
When they came up to the wagon, Ralph gazed at its piled-up contents in surprise. The wagon bottom was filled with walnuts and butternuts. ”

“ It was an interesting scene, the meeting of the engineer and the young fireman. Griscom fretted and fumed over the mishaps to his pet locomotive. He was furious at the gang who had worked out such mischief.
“I’ll wire my resignation when we reach Stanley Junction,” he declared. “I’ll do no more railroad work until I find those scoundrels and rescue young Trevor.”
“Don’t be rash, Mr. Griscom,” advised Ralph. “The railroad detective force will soon be on the trail. The nephew of a railroad president doesn’t disappear in this fashion every day in the year.” ”

“ There was the last picnic of the season one day, and Ralph had been assigned to duty to look after things generally. He was surprised when Forgan took him off the run of the Limited Mail.
“It will be a sort of vacation holiday for you, lad,” said the roundhouse foreman. “We want somebody reliable to look after the train, with so many women and children aboard. You will be boss over the engineer, fireman and the whole train crew for the day.” ”

“ The strikers are in an ugly mood, and they are going to make a bold break to smash up things to-day, they threaten.”
“Yes,” sighed Ralph, “affairs must come to a crisis sooner or later, I fear. Duty is plain, though. I shall stick to Griscom, and Griscom insists that he will stick to the road.”
Mrs. Fairbanks looked anxious and frightened. Turning to enter the house, the young fireman started violently and his mother and Zeph uttered exclamations of excitement.
A terrific explosion had rent the air. Its echoes rang out far and wide, and its source seemed to be the railroad depot. ”

“ There are many trusted and reliable men in our service, but they do not think as quickly as you do. You are familiar with people at Stanley Junction, and on that account I wish you to do an important service for us.”
“I shall be pleased to,” said Ralph.
“It is this: Some one is working against us, 136 some one is undermining us. We now believe that the sympathetic strike, as it is called, is more the result of some plot than a genuine sentiment of unionism. A man named Delmay, from the Midland Central, and a man named Evans, a discharged employe of our road, are at the head of the movement. ”

“ The veteran engineer was serious and anxious as he pronounced the words. He and Ralph were proceeding down the tracks beyond the round-house, just returned from their regular run from the city.
“It’s a strike, is it?” inquired Ralph.
“Worse than a strike,” replied Griscom. “The railroad men’s union is in a squabble among themselves and a fight is on. That means trouble and damage all around.”
It was two weeks after the kidnapping of young Trevor, and affairs had subsided to regular routine for the engineer and fireman of the Limited Mail. ”

“ CHAPTER VIII THE HIDDEN PLUNDER
“That’s the fellow who brought the package of silk to old Ames,” whispered Zeph, staring hard from under covert at Slump.
“Yes, I recognize him,” responded Ralph in quite as guarded a tone. “Quiet, now, Zeph.”
Ike Slump and Mort Bemis continued to linger at the tree. They were looking at the wagon and beyond it.
“Say,” spoke the former to his companion, “what’s wrong?”
“How wrong?” inquired Mort.
“Why, some way our plans appear to have slipped a cog. There’s the wagon broken down and the boy has gone with the horse. ”