st do more harm to Tom Swift's
invention than they could have hoped to do with the sledges and bars
they had brought with them to the spot.

Mr. Wakefield Damon had shown his courage already. He would have been
glad to do more to save Tom's locomotive from further injury, but he
did not realize what was threatening. He did not hear the shriek of the
freight engine's whistle.

Chapter XXIV

Putting the Enemy to Flight

The pilot and headlight of the freight locomotive came around the turn
and the freight thundered on toward the switch. Seeing the group of men
standing by the stalled electric locomotive, and the locomotive itself
in the clear of the siding, the driver of the freight did not suppose
the switch was open. Nobody who was not a criminal would have stood by
idly in such an emergency and let the freight run into an open switch.

Therefore, for the first minute, the coming engineer did not observe
his danger. Lewis and his gang stared at the head of the freight and
did nothing. They had moved hastily back from the siding so as to be
clear of the wreckage. Mr. Damon was in the front of the cab of
Hercules 0001 and had no idea of the approaching menace.

But of a sudden a loud shout echoed through the wood. Tom Swift came
over the ridge and started toward his invention at top speed. From that
height he saw the freight train coming, he observed the men standing at
the siding, and he recognized Montagne Lewis, roughly as the railroad
magnate was dressed.

Instantly Tom realized what was about to happen--what would surely
occur--and he saw what must be done if the utter wreck of his
locomotive was to be averted. Yelling at the top of his voice, he
leaped down the slope.

"That's Swift!" shouted Lewis. "Stop him!" But the men he had hired to
do his wicked work fell back instead of trying to halt the young
inventor. It was not Tom's appearance that made them quail. Over the
ridge there appeared a second figure--and a more fearful or threatening
apparition none of them had ever before seen!

Koku came running with the limp body of Andy O'Malley slung over his
shoulder like a bag of meal. The fellows knew it was Andy from his
dress.

The giant came down the slope after Tom as though he wore the
seven-league boots. The fellows Lewis had hired to wreck the electric
locomotive shrank back from before both Tom and the giant.

"Get him!" yelled the half blinded Lewis again.

"Get your grandmother!" bawl