engineer was a short and very solid man of quiet demeanor; he
looked Jim over thoroughly in a brief moment.

"Glad to know you, Darlington. Hear you had a run-in with that Bear
Valley gang, Bob. Stole the pilot off your engine, eh?" And the engineer
gave a silent laugh that shook his whole system.

"You notice we came in on time, Joe," said Ketchel, briefly.

"If we are going to pull out on time, we'll have to start now. Anything
I can do for your friend, Bob?"

"Yes," returned Ketchel, "give him a ride through the Red Canyon."

"I will," replied Joe as he climbed into his engine and the train slowly
got under way.

"Good-by, Jim," said Ketchel, as they gripped hands; "take care of
yourself."

"The best luck to you and the Missus, Bob," cried Jim as he swung onto
the train, that was now gathering speed and soon the settlement was left
behind as the cars swayed through a narrow passage in the encircling
hills.

Jim slept during the morning hours and nothing of peculiar interest
happened on the day's trip, though Jim enjoyed every minute of it,
especially the ride on the locomotive through Red Canyon, with its
walls rising for several thousands of feet in breathless grandeur.
Gazing from above, the train must have appeared like a worm crawling
along the base of the cliffs.

Twenty-four hours later the huge rounded bulk of the Sierra Nevada
loomed dead ahead. When the train came to a halt at a small station at
the foot of the range, Jim got out as usual to take a walk up and down
the platform. He saw a small box in front of the station supported on a
larger one with a curtain in front of it. Upon the lower box was
inscribed the legend, "The Famous Rocky Mountain Bat."

Jim was naturally interested in all fauna. (Note the word, youthful
reader, and look it up in the dictionary.) So he sauntered up to the
cage and lifting the cheap red curtain looked in. What he saw made him
gasp for a second, but he did not run, his native courage standing him
in good stead. Upon a rich green cloth of Irish hue, was an ordinary red
brick.

There was a number of the inhabitants leaning against the side of the
depot, waiting for just such an occasion as this. They went into
paroxysms of laughter, clasping their knees, or beating each other on
the back, and their mouths were opened wide enough to have swallowed
the aforesaid Bat (Brick). Jim felt like a fool and a strong inclination
welled up within him to punch one of these bord