Part 13 (2/2)
”I couldn't hear him,” said Ralph.
”Thought he pointed at the engine--at the cow-catcher,” remarked Trevor.
”Everything all right there,” a.s.sured Ralph, and in the brisk action of the hour the circ.u.mstance was forgotten.
Twenty, thirty, forty miles made, and as they slowed down Griscom turned to Trevor, a proud glitter in his eye.
”How is that, sir?” he inquired.
”Famous!” cried the young man cheerily. ”Badly shaken up, and this seat up here is rather b.u.mpy, but I enjoy it, just the same. Going to stop?”
”Yes, crossing. Only for half-a-minute, though.”
The engine halted on regular signal. Griscom got down and ran about a bit, explaining that he was subject to cramps when seated long in one position. Two men came up to the locomotive.
”Give us a lift?” demanded one of them.
”Couldn't do it, partner,” responded Ralph. ”Under special orders.”
”Plenty of room up there on the tender.”
”Not for you,” answered the young fireman.
Both men regarded Trevor very keenly. Then they disappeared in the darkness. Ralph got the signal from the crossing's switch tower to go ahead.
”Mr. Griscom,” he called out from his window.
”Why, where is he?--I don't see him,” said Trevor in surprise. ”I saw him out there not a minute ago.”
Ralph jumped to the ground in amazement. Nowhere in sight was Griscom; nowhere within hearing either, it seemed. Like the two rough fellows who had just approached the engine, Griscom has disappeared.
”Why, this is mysterious,” declared the young fireman in an anxious tone of concern. ”Where can he have disappeared to?”
”I don't like the looks of things,” spoke Trevor. ”Something is wrong, Fairbanks,” he continued. ”Look ahead there--I just saw a man on the cowcatcher.”
Now Ralph was more than mystified, he was alarmed. He seized a rod and jumped again to the ground. Sure enough, on the cowcatcher sat a man, huddled up comfortably.
”Who are you?” demanded Ralph, keeping his distance and eyeing the intruder suspiciously.
”Call me a tramp, if you like,” laughed the fellow.
”You must get off of that cowcatcher.”
”Who says so?”
”I do--against the rules. Come, move on.”
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