im out, beat him into insensibility and stole all his
money. He woke up in a hospital a month later, after a siege of fever.
The first thing he thought of was the diamonds and the car. He had
taken particular pains to note the number of the car."

"What was it, may I ask?"

"Confidentially?"

"Of course."

"It belonged to the Southern Air Line Road, and its number was 9176."

"Why, you are telling a very interesting story," declared Ralph, now
really interested in the same. "He searched for the car, of course?"

"At once. He telegraphed everywhere; he advertised; he employed
detectives. It was no use. During the month of his illness, car No.
9176 had disappeared."

"That looks mysterious."

"The car finder says not at all. Such things happen frequently. But it
went somewhere, didn't it? It may be lying on some old siding, in some
creek after a wreck, stolen by gravel pit men, or in service still on
some line. One thing is sure, if in existence still, it must be on one
of four railroad lines, and the Great Northern is one of those
roads."

"What do you propose to do?" inquired Ralph.

"Go over every one of those lines carefully."

"But Mr. Drury has done that already, has he not?"

"What of it? A first search doesn't always bring results. He has given
me full details as to the car, and, according to the records, it was
lost on the Great Northern. In a day or two I am going to have a look
at the transfer records at Dover. Then I am going to look up the
trainmen who probably hauled the car. Oh, I have a theory and a plan.
If I find the car I shall be almost rich."

"Not a bad prospect, Zeph," said Ralph, "but if I were you I would
stick at regular work and make the search for that car a secondary
matter."

"You'll remember it and help me out if you can?" asked Zeph.

"Surely I will," and Ralph made a note of the number of the car in his
memorandum book.

When the young fireman arose the next morning, he found Zeph seated on
the front porch lounging back in an easy chair and his face all
bandaged up. Mrs. Fairbanks stood near by, regarding her guest
solicitously.

"Why, what is the matter, Zeph?" inquired Ralph in profound surprise.

"Whipped four men, that's all," answered Zeph with a smile that was
almost ghastly, for his lips were all cut and swollen up, one eye
disfigured and two teeth gone. "I went on my rounds this morning. I
made sure to wake up the fellows on call, and one of them threatened