time he glowered at Ralph, and made dreadful threats of what he
was going to do to the youth for "knocking him down." Fogg managed to
pull himself erect, but swayed about a good deal, and then observing
that Ralph had the free use of both hands now and was posed on guard
to meet any attack he might meditate, the irate fireman stooped and
seized a big lump of coal. Ralph could hardly hope to dodge the
missile, hemmed in as he was. It was poised for a vicious fling. Just
as Fogg's hand went backwards to aim the projectile, it was seized,
the missile was wrested from his grasp, and a strange voice drawled
out the words:

"I wouldn't waste the company's coal that way, if I were you."

Ralph with some surprise and considerable interest noted the intruder,
who had mounted the tender step just in time to thwart the quarrelsome
designs of Lemuel Fogg. As to the fireman, he wheeled about, looked
ugly, and then as the newcomer laughed squarely in his face, mumbled
some incoherent remark about "two against one," and "fixing both of
them." Then he climbed up on the tender to direct the water tank spout
into place.

"What's the row here, anyhow?" inquired the intruder, with a pleasant
glance at Ralph, and leaning bodily against the fireman's seat.

Ralph looked him over as a cool specimen, although there was nothing
"cheeky" about the intruder. He showed neither the sneakiness nor the
effrontery of the professional railroad beat or ride stealer,
nothwithstanding the easy, natural way in which he made himself at
home in the cab as though he belonged there.

"Glad you happened along," chirped the newcomer airily. "I'll keep you
company as far as Bridgeport, I guess."

"Will you, now?" questioned Ralph, with a dubious smile.

The lad he addressed was an open-faced, smart-looking boy. He was well
dressed and intelligent, and suggested to Ralph the average college or
home boy. Certainly there was nothing about him that indicated that he
had to work for a living.

"My name is Clark--Marvin Clark," continued the intruder.

Ralph nodded and awaited further disclosures.

"My father is President of the Middletown & Western Railroad,"
proceeded the stranger.

Ralph did not speak. He smiled slightly, and the keen-eyed intruder
noticed this and gave him a sharp look.

"Old racket, eh? Too flimsy?" he propounded with a quizzical but
perfectly good-natured grin. "I suppose they play all kinds of
official relationships and all that