he fellow is up to," he admitted, "unless
one of the gangs is up to a new trick and has hired a stranger to work
it on us."

There was a long wait at Riverton after arrival that day. Then they
were sided, and Fogg strolled off to a restaurant. Ralph sat down on a
pile of ties at the side of the track and enjoyed the lunch that he
had brought with him from home. He had just finished it and was about
to go to the cab and get a book on railroading to read, when a tall,
farmer-appearing fellow came upon the scene.

"Say," he drawled, "is this 999--yes, I see it is."

"All right," nodded Ralph; "what about it?"

"I want to see the engineer."

"I am the engineer."

"Name Fairbanks?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm sent to you."

"By whom?"

"Don't know--never saw the boy before. He's a stranger in Riverton.
Came up to me and gave me a half-a-dollar to come here and deliver a
message to you."

"Let me know it," directed Ralph.

"Come out here on the tracks, and I'll show you where he said you was
to come to see him. See that old shed over beyond those freights?
Well, the boy said you was to come there."

"Oh, he did?" commented Ralph musingly.

"Yes, he said to come alone, as it was particular. He said you'd know
when I said Martin--Martin, oh, yes, Clark, that's it."

"Marvin Clark," decided the young railroader at once, and as the
messenger went his way Ralph ran to the engine cab, threw off his
jacket and then walked down the tracks. He of course thought of Fred
Porter at once. It looked as though that individual had turned up
again and had sent for him, and Ralph was glad to hear from him at
last.

The building that had been pointed out to him by the boy messenger was
a storage shed for repair tools and supplies. Ralph passed a line of
damaged freights, and reaching the shed, found its door open. He
stepped across the threshold and peered around among the heaps of iron
and steel.

"Is anybody here?" he inquired.

"Yes, two of us," promptly responded a harsh, familiar voice, that
gave Ralph a start, for the next instant his arms were seized, drawn
behind him, and the young engineer of No. 999 found himself a
prisoner.

CHAPTER XXII

IKE SLUMP AGAIN

Ralph knew at once that he had fallen into a trap of some kind. He
struggled violently, but it was of no avail. Two persons had slipped
up behind him, two pairs of hands were holding him captive.

"Who are you?" demanded the young engineer sharply, o