treets inside of twenty-four hours."

"I'm better at filling in time schedules than composing show bills,"
said Ralph, "but I'll have a try at this one for my friend's sake."

Ralph went inside and was soon busy with blank paper and pencil, which
the showman provided. His composition was a very creditable piece of
literary work, and the showman chuckled immensely, and told Ralph that
he could consider himself on the free list--"with all his family."

Ralph made a start for home again, but his fixed plans were scheduled
for frequent changes, it seemed. An engineer friend, on his way to the
roundhouse, met him, and Ralph turned and walked that way with him.
He broached the subject nearest to his heart, and soon had his
companion interested in the subscription for Lemuel Fogg. When he
parted with the man at the end of the depot platform the latter had
promised to be responsible for great results among his
fellow-workmen.

The young engineer now proceeded in the direction of home. The whistle
of the western accommodation, however, just arriving, held him
stationary for a few moments, and he stood watching the train roll
into the depot with the interest ever present with a railroader.

The last coach was a chair car. As the coaches jolted to a halt, there
crawled or rather rolled from under the chair car a forlorn figure,
weakened, tattered, a stowaway delivered from a perilous stolen ride
on the trucks.

It was a boy; Ralph saw that at a glance. As the depot watchman ran
forward to nab this juvenile offender against the law, the boy sat up
on the board plankway where he had landed, and Ralph caught a sight of
his face.

In an instant the young railroader recognized this new arrival. It was
"Wheels," otherwise Archie Graham, the boy inventor.

CHAPTER XII

A GOOD FRIEND

RALPH could not repress a smile at a sight of the erratic youth. The
young inventor, it seemed, was always coming to light in some original
way. His last sensational appearance fitted in naturally to his usual
eccentric methods.

"Hey, there! trying to beat the railroad, eh?" shouted the depot
official officer, rushing forward to nab the culprit.

"Don't arrest him, Mr. Brooks," spoke Ralph quickly. "I know him; I'm
interested in him. He is no professional ride-stealer, and I am
perfectly satisfied that he never went to all that risk and discomfort
because he didn't have the money to pay his fare."

The watchman was an old-time frien