mped us, we jumped."

"All right. We'll do the same."

As the foreman spoke, the rain, which had decreased to a drizzle,
entirely ceased, and a moment after the moon appeared. He and Alex at
once turned toward the station.

Just beyond was a long, black, snake-like object, shooting along the
rails toward them.

The runaway!

On it swept over the glistening irons, the rumble quickly increasing to a
roar. With an echoing crash it flashed by the station, and on.

Nearer it came, the cars leaping and writhing; roaring, pounding,
screeching.

"Ready!" warned the foreman, springing to the ground behind the hand-car.
Alex joined him, and gazing over their shoulder, watching, they braced
themselves for the shove.

The runaways reached the incline, and swept on upward. Anxiously the two
watched as they waited. Would the incline check them?

"I don't see that they're slowing," Alex said somewhat nervously.

"It won't tell until they are half way up the grade," declared the
section-man. "But, get ready. We can't wait to see.

"Go!" he cried. Running the car forward, they leaped aboard, and again
were pumping with all their might.

[Illustration: THE ENGINEER STEPPED DOWN FROM HIS CAB TO GRASP ALEX'S
HAND.]

For a few moments the roar behind them seemed to decrease. Then suddenly
it broke on them afresh, and the head of the train swept over the rise.

"Now pull yourself together for an extra spurt when I give the word,"
shouted the foreman, who manned the forward handles, and faced the rear,
"then turn about and get ready to jump."

Roaring, screaming, clanking, the runaways thundered down upon them.

"Hit it up!" cried the section-man. With every muscle tense they whirled
the handles up and down like human engines.

"Let go! Turn about!"

Alex sprang back from the flying handles, and faced about. The foreman
edged by them, and joined him.

Nearer, towering over them, rushed the leading ore car.

"Be sure and jump high and grab hard," shouted the foreman.

"Ready! _Jump_!"

With a bound they went into the air, and the great car flung itself at
them. Both reached the top of the end-board with their outstretched
hands, and gripped tenaciously. As they swung against it, it seemed the
car would shake them off. But clinging desperately, they got their feet
on the brake-beam, and in another moment had tumbled headlong within.

Alex sank down on the rough ore in a heap, gasping. The seasoned
section-man, howe