Fogg."

"My!" was all that Ralph could gasp out.

A great hearty hand, that of the old railroad veteran, John Griscom,
landed on Ralph's shoulder with a resounding slap.

"Fairbanks!" he roared in the ear of the bewildered young engineer,
"the top rung of the ladder at last!"

CHAPTER XXV

THE MOUNTAIN DIVISION

"Well, lad, you've passed muster and got to the head of the class!"
proclaimed old John Griscom.

"Oh, no," dissented Ralph Fairbanks; "I'm just started in to learn
what real railroading means."

"I'd call you a pretty apt student, then," put in Tim Forgan, foreman
of the Stanley Junction roundhouse.

"If there's any man, boy or child in this doghouse who says that young
Fairbanks isn't a crackerjack, let him step right up here and take his
medicine!" vaunted Lemuel Fogg, playfully, but with a proud look of
admiration at the expert young engineer.

"It's the best part of it to know that you fellows mean every word you
say and believe in me," observed Ralph. "Your encouragement and
influence have boosted me up to the Overland Express all right--I'll
try and never make you ashamed of having backed me."

Ralph Fairbanks felt good and showed it. His friends shared in his
emotions and sentiments, and that made the present occasion doubly
glad and welcome. It was one of those rare moments, coming only once
in a while, when Ralph and his comrades had an idle half hour to chat
and compliment each other in the doghouse.

The Overland Express had become an established feature of the Great
Northern--as little Torchy had phrased it, "a howling success." A week
had gone by, and now, seated in the midst of his loyal friends, Ralph
felt that he had made good on a promotion that placed him at the top
notch of engineering service.

It was a big thing for a youth to gain that high distinction--engineer
of the Overland Express. Looking back over the active, energetic
career that had led up to this, however, Ralph realized that the
climax had been reached a step at a time through patience,
perseverance and genuine hard work. It was a proof to him that any
person following discipline and having as a motto precision and
finality, was bound to succeed. It was a most enjoyable breathing
spell to realize that all the anxiety, dash and novelty of the
experimental trips over the Mountain Division were past, and he now
felt that he knew the route and all its details perfectly.

Ralph had found time to do some th