him dress quickly, ran out. It took only a minute for Bucks to
spring from his cot and get into his clothes and he hastened out of
doors to learn what the excitement was about. Scott was walking fast
down toward the bridge. Bucks joined him.

"What is it, Bob?" he asked hastily. "Indians?"

"Indians?" echoed Bob scornfully. "I guess not this time. I've heard
of Indians stealing pretty nearly everything on earth--but not this.
No Indian in this country, not even Turkey Leg, ever stole a
locomotive."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Dan Baggs's engine is gone."

Bucks's face turned blank with amazement. "Gone?" he echoed
incredulously. He looked at Scott with reproach. "You are joking
me."

"See if you can find it," returned Scott tersely.

As they hastened on, Bucks looked to the spot where the engine had
lain the night before. It was no longer there.

He was too stunned to ask further questions. The two strode along the
ties in silence. Eagerly Bucks ran to the creek bank and scanned more
closely the sandy bed. It was there that the wrecked engine and tender
had lain the night before. The sand showed no disturbance whatever. It
was as smooth as a table. But nothing was to be seen of the engine or
tender. These had disappeared as completely as if an Aladdin's slave,
at his master's bidding, had picked them from their resting place and
set them on top of some distant sand-hill.

"Bob," demanded Bucks, breathless, "what does it mean?"

"It means the company is out one brand-new locomotive."

"But what has happened?" asked Bucks, rubbing his eyes to make sure he
was not dreaming. "Where is the engine?"

Scott pointed to the spot where the engine had lain. "It is in that
quicksand," said he.

The engine, during the night, had, in fact, sunk completely into the
sand. No trace was left of it or of its tender. Not a wheel or cab
corner remained to explain; all had mysteriously and completely
disappeared.

"Great Heavens, Bob!" exclaimed Bucks. "How will they _ever_ get it
out?"

"The only way they'll ever get it out, I reckon, is by keeping Dan
Baggs digging there till he digs it out."

"Dan Baggs never could dig that out--how long would it take him?"

"About a hundred and seventy-five years."

As Scott spoke, the two heard footsteps behind them. Baggs and
Delaroo, who had slept at the section-house, were coming down the
track. "Baggs," said Scott ironically, as the sleepy-looking
engineman approached, "y