to kill me if I ever came to his door again with that 'fog-horn
holler' of mine, as he called it. The night watch-man said he'd arrest
me for disturbing the peace. I didn't mind that. Then I ran across
four strikers. They wanted me to join them. I refused, and--that's
all, except that I'll bet they are worse off than I am, if it was four
to one."

"Going to keep right on at your job?" inquired Ralph.

"Am I?" cried the undaunted Zeph. "Well, if anything would make me it
would be this attack on me. Tell you, Fairbanks, hot times are coming.
Forgan was on duty all night, and he told me this morning to advise
you to be extra cautious in coming to work. The strikers are in an
ugly mood, and they are going to make a bold break to smash up things
to-day, they threaten."

"Yes," sighed Ralph, "affairs must come to a crisis sooner or later, I
fear. Duty is plain, though. I shall stick to Griscom, and Griscom
insists that he will stick to the road."

Mrs. Fairbanks looked anxious and frightened. Turning to enter the
house, the young fireman started violently and his mother and Zeph
uttered exclamations of excitement.

A terrific explosion had rent the air. Its echoes rang out far and
wide, and its source seemed to be the railroad depot.

"Oh, Ralph! what does that mean?" cried Mrs. Fairbanks.

"I fear," said Ralph seriously, "the strikers are rioting and the
trouble has begun."

CHAPTER XVII

UNDER SEALED ORDERS

The young fireman was soon headed for the railroad yards. A good many
people were bound hurriedly in the same direction, for the explosion
had aroused the town.

As he neared the place, he could hear considerable shouting. He came
to the tracks at a point where there was a switch shanty. The man on
duty looked worried and scared.

"What is the trouble?" inquired Ralph.

"The strikers have blown up a freight car with dynamite," replied the
flagman. "They have threatened me, old and feeble as I am. I'm afraid
I'll have to lay off till this trouble is over."

In the distance Ralph saw the mere skeleton of a freight car. It was
in flames, and a number of men were pushing other cars from its
vicinity to prevent them from catching on fire. A man tapped him on
the shoulder. Turning, Ralph recognized one of the strikers.

"See here, Fairbanks," he said, "I'm of the decent sort, as you know,
but I think our position is right."

"Does that look like it?" demanded the young fireman, pointing to the
b