ver his
shoulder.

There was no response, but he was forced forward clear back into the
shed. The front door was kicked shut. Ralph was thrown roughly among a
heap of junk. He recovered himself quickly and faced his assailants.

The light in the place was dim and uncertain. The only glazed aperture
in the shed was a small window at the rear. With considerable interest
Ralph strained his gaze in an endeavor to make out his captors. Then
in immense surprise he recognized both.

"Ike Slump and Jim Evans," he spoke aloud involuntarily.

"You call the roll," observed Evans with a sneer.

Ralph reflected rapidly. The last he had heard of this precious brace
of comrades, they had been sentenced to prison for a series of bold
thefts from the railroad company. How they had gotten free he could
not decide. He fancied that they had in some way escaped. At all
events, they were here, and the mind of the young engineer instantly
ran to one of two theories as to their plans: Either the gang at
Stanley Junction had hired them to annoy or imperil him, or Slump and
Evans were inspired by motives of personal revenge.

Ike Slump had been a trouble to Ralph when he first began his
ambitious railroad career. It was Slump who had hated him from the
start when Ralph began his apprenticeship with the Great Northern, as
related in "Ralph of the Roundhouse." Ralph had detected Slump and
others in a plot to rob the railroad company of a lot of brass journal
fittings. From that time on through nearly every stage of Ralph's
upward career, Slump had gone steadily down the easy slope of crime.

When he linked up with Evans, his superior in years and cunning, he
had several times sought revenge against Ralph, and but for the
vigilance and courage of the young engineer his life might have paid
the forfeit.

Evans acted promptly, wasting no words. He had drawn a weapon from his
pocket, and this he handed to Slump. Then he turned a fierce, lowering
visage upon Ralph.

"Fairbanks," he began, "you're to go with us--where, don't matter, nor
why. We owe you one, as you've known for a long time, and if it wasn't
that we're here for the money there is in it, and not revenge, I'd
take pleasure in balancing the months you got us in jail by crippling
you so you'd never pull another lever. This is business, though, pure
and simple. If you get hurt, you can blame yourself. You've got to go
with us."

"Why have I?" demanded Ralph.

"Because we say so.