Part 24 (1/2)
”Telegrams for Miss Baker, Mr. Josephs and Mr. Rover!” he called out.
”Here you are!” cried Sam, eagerly. ”Rover.” And the telegram was pa.s.sed over. Hastily the envelope was torn open and the contents scanned. The boys looked at each other blankly. The telegram read as follows:
”No young man answering to name Tom Rover on this train. Will watch pa.s.sengers closely as instructed.
”FOLSOM, _Conductor_.”
”What do you make of this, d.i.c.k. Maybe Tom didn't use that ticket after he bought it,” gasped Sam.
”But that ticket seller saw him rush for the gate. He must have gone on the train, Sam. He probably didn't answer to his name because if he is out of his mind he has forgotten what his real name is. And so long as he keeps quiet the trainmen won't suspect anything wrong with him.”
”Perhaps we'll get another telegram at St. Paul.”
”I hope so.”
On and on rolled the train through the afternoon, coming presently to the sh.o.r.e of the upper Mississippi, with its wide stretches of marshland and its dead trees. It was not an inviting scene, and the two Rovers were glad enough, when the time came, to turn from it and go to the diner for dinner.
There was to be a stop of ten minutes at St. Paul and in that time the boys must make up their minds whether they were going to continue on that train or not. If they laid over, several more hours of precious time would be lost.
It was well towards midnight when the train reached St. Paul and a number of sleepy pa.s.sengers got off and others got on. d.i.c.k and Sam waited impatiently for a messenger to appear. The telegram was there, sure enough, and this time it carried more interesting information.
”Queer-acting young man found, but says his name is Paul Haverlock.
Says he is bound for Alaska. Wire positive instructions, as I can take no risks.
”FOLSOM, _Conductor_.”
”It must be Tom!” cried Sam.
”But that name, Paul Haverlock,” mused d.i.c.k. ”Where did he get that?”
”Why, I remember, d.i.c.k! In that moving picture the hero was called Paul Haverlock. His name was on the letters they showed on the screen.
Tom must have remembered it, just as he remembered the name of the villain, Bill Stiger!”
”I see. Then this Paul Haverlock must really be Tom,” returned d.i.c.k.
”Now to have him stopped. I wonder where that other train is now?”
They found out that the other train was then in the vicinity of Livingston, the junction point for Yellowstone Park. From there it was bound for Helena, Spokane, and then to Seattle direct.
”We'll telegraph again, and keep right on this train,” said d.i.c.k, and this was done.
If the two youths had slept but little the night before, they were even more restless this night. And yet they realized that Folsom, the conductor of the other train, would not be likely to arouse Tom if he had gone to bed.
”He won't take the chance,” said d.i.c.k. ”Remember, he isn't sure of what he is doing, and all railroad men like to keep out of trouble. If he made a mistake, the pa.s.senger might sue the railroad company for big damages, and get them.”
”If only we could catch up to Tom!” sighed Sam.