"What is the object of
all this?"

"Object?" grinned the man. "You'll know later. Important, for it took
four men on the route, lots of inquiring before you came to Stanley
Junction, two of us here now, others waiting for us somewhere else, to
get you dead right."

"Me!" exclaimed Trevor in amazement. "You mean me?"

"Nobody else."

"Why, how are you interested in me?"

"You'll know soon."

"But----"

"Stand back, do as we say, or we'll use force," declared the speaker
gruffly.

His companion guarded Ralph and Trevor while he took the engineer's
seat. He reversed the engine, ran back to the main tracks, from there,
first setting a switch, onto a spur, and, after following this for
nearly a mile, shut off steam and the locomotive came to a stop.

Then the fellow applied a whistle to his lips. Several men approached
the engine. He consulted with them, and came back to Ralph carrying a
piece of rope.

"Fairbanks," he said, "we'll have to tie you for safe keeping for a
while."

"Won't you explain this?" inquired Trevor, in a troubled way. "See
here, men, I am due in the city. I will pay you handsomely to let us
proceed on our trip."

"How much?" inquired the man who had acted as engineer.

"I have several hundred dollars with me."

"Not enough," retorted the man. "We want several thousand, seeing you
are worth it."

"I haven't a thousand dollars in the world," declared Trevor.

"You are worth twenty thousand," insisted the man confidently. "We'll
prove it to you a little later. Here," to his companion, "tie
Fairbanks, leave the letter with him, and let us get out of this
before anybody is missed."

"One word," said Ralph. "Are you people responsible for the
disappearance of Mr. Griscom?"

"Perhaps," said the man. "He's all safe and sound--only out of the way
of mischief for a spell. One other word, Fairbanks, we didn't fire
the bridge."

Trevor looked the picture of distress and uncertainty as he was forced
from the locomotive cab.

"You people will regret this high-handed outrage," he cried. "My uncle
is president of the Great Northern."

"That is just exactly why you are worth twenty thousand dollars,"
coolly announced the man who had acted as engineer. "Plain and square,
gentlemen, kindly call this a bit of kidnapping scientifically worked
at some care and expense. You come with us. Fairbanks will do the
rest. Got him tied up?" to his companion. "All right, now put the
letter in his pocke