in running a special. Besides that, extra orders meant pay
and a half, sometimes double pay, with twenty-four hours' rest after
it, if the special run came after midnight.

Ralph arose from his seat in the summer-house, telling Ned Davis that
Fogg and himself would report at the roundhouse at once.

"You'll have to excuse me, Porter," he said to his guest. "We'll have
to postpone our talk until to-morrow."

"Duty call, I see," returned Fred. "Well, there's no urgency, now that
I've found out you don't consider me some hideous impostor of the old
story book kind. I'll go as far with you as a hotel, and tell you what
I have to say after this trip."

"You'll camp right here at the Fairbanks cottage until I return,"
peremptorily declared Ralph. "My mother would be lonesome if there
wasn't a boy somewhere about the house. Zeph is gone and my other
friends, and you will be good company."

"I'm only too willing, if it's entirely agreeable," said Fred, and so
it was settled.

Fogg grumbled a good deal when Ralph told him of the extra call. He
declared that he had just succeeded in teaching the baby to say "All
aboard!" looked at the sky and predicted the biggest storm of the
season, and was cross generally until he climbed aboard No. 999. Then
Ralph heard him talking to the well-groomed steel steed as if it was
some pet racer, and he anxious and glad to put it through its paces.

"What's the run, Fairbanks?" asked the fireman, as Ralph returned from
the roundhouse office.

"Nothing very interesting. Special sleeper, some convention crowd for
Bridgeport, came in on the north branch. We've got to pick our way on
our own schedule."

"Huh! thought it must be a treasure train, or the pay car at the
least!" snorted Fogg contemptuously, but thoroughly good-natured under
the surface.

When they backed down to the depot, Ralph was handed his flimsy
orders. No. 999 was given standard special lights, with the usual
markers at the rear of the sleeping car, but no one on platform
charge. The coach had a conductor, but he barely showed himself, and
went inside, where all the curtains were drawn and passengers
evidently gone to sleep.

"I told you it was going to rain," spoke Fogg, as they cleared the
limits and got ready for a spurt. "All schedule cancelled where we can
get clear tracks, I suppose? All right, let's see what 999 can do on
slippery rails."

No. 999 did famously, as she always did under the guidance of the
vigi