erything against us!" he declared bitterly. "And the runaways will be
down here now in fifteen or twenty minutes. What can we do?"

"I can't think of anything but throwing the west switch," said Saunders.
"And loaded, and going at the speed they are, they'll make a mess of
everything on the siding. But that's the only way I can think of stopping
them."

"If there was any way a fellow could get aboard the runaways--"

Alex broke off sharply. Would it not be possible to board the runaway
train as he and Jack had boarded the engine on the day of the forest
fire? Say, from a hand-car?

He started to his feet. "Billy, get me a lantern, quick!

"I'm going for the section-boss, and see if we can't board the runaways
from the hand-car," he explained as he caught up and began struggling
into his coat. "I did that once at Bixton--boarded an engine."

"Board it! How?"

"Run ahead of it, and let it catch us."

Saunders sprang for the lantern, lit it, and catching it up, Alex was out
the door, and off across the tracks through the still pouring rain for
the lights of the section foreman's house. Darting through the gate, he
ran about to the kitchen door, and without ceremony flung it open. The
foreman was at the table, at his supper. He started to his feet.

"Joe, there is a wild ore train coming down from the Canyon," explained
Alex breathlessly, "and the wire has failed east so we can't clear the
line. Couldn't we get the jigger out and board the runaways by letting
them catch us?"

An instant the section-boss stared, then with the promptitude of the old
railroader seized his cap, exclaiming "Go ahead!" and together they
dashed out to the gate, and across the tracks in the direction of the
tool-house.

"Where did they start from? How many cars?" asked the foreman as they
ran.

"Indian Canyon. Ten, and all loaded."

The section-man whistled. "They'll be going twenty-five or thirty miles
an hour. We will be taking a big chance. But if we can catch them just
over the grade beyond the sand-pits I guess we can do it. That will have
slackened them.

"Here we are."

As they halted before the section-house door the boss uttered a cry. "I
haven't the key!"

Alex swung the lantern about, and discovered a pile of ties. "Smash it
in," he suggested, dropping the lantern. One on either side they caught
up a tie, swayed back, and hurled it forward. There was a crash, and the
door swung open.

Catching up the lantern, they