station man about this."

The conductor mounted to the cab step, and No. 999 backed slowly. As
they neared the end of the siding the train was again halted. All down
its length heads were thrust from coach windows. There was some
excitement and alarm, but the discipline of the train hands and the
young engineer's provision had prevented any semblance of panic.

The conductor, lantern in hand, ran across the tracks to the station.
Ralph saw him engaged in vigorous conversation with the man on duty
there. The conductor had taken out a memorandum book and was jotting
down something. The station man with excited gestures ran inside the
depot, and the signal turned to clear tracks. Ralph switched to the
main. Then the conductor gave the go ahead signal.

"That's cool," observed young Clark. "I should think the conductor
would give us an inkling of how all this came about."

"Oh, we'll learn soon enough," said Ralph. "There will have to be an
official report on this."

"I'm curious. Guess I'll go back and worm out an explanation," spoke
Clark. "I'll see you with news later."

As Clark left the cab on one side Fogg came up on the other. He had
been looking over the front of the locomotive. Ralph noticed that he
did not seem to have suffered any damage from his wild jump beyond a
slight shaking up. He was wet and spattered to the waist, however, and
had lost his cap.

Lemuel Fogg's eyes wore a frightened, shifty expression as he stepped
to the tender. His face was wretchedly pale, his hands trembled as he
proceeded to pile in the coal. Every vestige of unsteadiness and
maudlin bravado was gone. He resembled a man who had gazed upon some
unexpected danger, and there was a half guiltiness in his manner as if
he was responsible for the impending mishap.

The fireman did not speak a word, and Ralph considered that it was no
time for discussion or explanations. The injury to the locomotive was
comparatively slight, and with a somewhat worried glance at the clock
and schedule card the young railroader focussed all his ability and
attention upon making up for lost time.

Soon Ralph was so engrossed in his work that he forgot the fireman,
young Clark, the accident, everything except that he was driving a
mighty steel steed in a race against time, with either the winning
post or defeat in view. There was a rare pride in the thought that
upon him depended a new railway record. There was a fascinating
exhilaration in observing