ow very well. True, he had asked the master-mechanic
to put Guerin on the run, but only because he disliked the Reading man
who was next in line. Mrs. Moran came from the car now, and asked to be
taken to the engine where she and her daughter might say good-bye to
Bennie who was now the regular fireman on Blackwings. "Bennie," said his
stepfather, "see that your sand-pipes are open."

While Bennie talked with his mother and sister, Moran chatted with the
engineer. "I want to thank you," said Guerin, "for helping me to this
run during your absence, and I shall try to take good care of both
Bennie and Blackwings."

"It isn't worth mentioning," said Moran with a wave of his hand, "they
do these things to suit themselves."

"Now, if she's got any tricks," said Guerin, "I'd be glad to know them,
for I don't want to disgrace the engine by losing time. I've been trying
to pump the boy, but he's as close as a clam."

"Well, that's not a common fault with firemen," said Moran, with his
quiet smile. "The only thing I can say about Blackwings," he went on,
for he had been aching to say it, "is that she's smart, and on a rail
like this you'll have to humor her a little--drop her down a notch and
ease up on the throttle, especially when you have a heavy train. She's
mighty slippery."

Guerin thanked him for the tip, and the old engineer, feeling greatly
relieved, went back to where Patsy and the Philosopher were
"railroading." They had been discussing the vestibule. The Philosopher
had remarked that recently published statistics established the fact
that when a solid vestibuled train came into collision with an
old-fashioned open train of the same weight, the latter would go to
splinters while the vestibuled train would remain intact, on the
principle that a sleeping car is harder to wreck when the berths are
down, because they brace the structure. "The vestibule," continued the
Philosopher, "is a life-saver, and a great comfort to people who travel
first class, but this same inventor, who has perfected so many railway
appliances, has managed in one way or another to help all mankind. He
has done as much for the tramp as for the millionaire. Take the high
wheel, for instance. Why, I remember when I was 'on the road' that you
had to get down and crawl to get under a sleeper, and sit doubled up
like a crawfish all the while. I remember when the Pennsylvania put on a
lot of big, twelve-wheeled cars. A party of us got together unde