e contempt in which he held all
"local freights." Then he sauntered back to his work with his pipe
under full blast.

But his day has yet surprises in store. In half an hour's time he
received his second start. A distant rumble and grinding warned him
that the freight was approaching through the hills. He smiled at the
sound, and his smile was largely satirical. He glanced up once, but
promptly continued his work. But it was only for a few moments. The
sound which had been growing had almost died out and was being
replaced by the hammering of the cars as they closed up against each
other. The train was stopping.

He was looking up now full of interest, and one hand went up to his
head, and its fingers raked among the roots of his hair. Suddenly the
engine bell began to clang violently. There was distinctly a note of
protest in the sound. Something was wrong. He swung round and looked
at his signal. Say--was he dreaming? What on earth----? Half an hour
ago he had lowered the semaphore, at least he had set the lever over,
and now--now it was set against the train!

For a second he stared at the offending arm, then, as the bell clanged
still more violently, he dashed across the intervening space to remedy
his mistake.

But now incident crowded upon him. He was quite right. The lever was
set as it should be set. His practiced eye glanced rapidly down the
connecting rod to discover the source of the trouble, and further
amazement waited upon him. The explanation of the mystery lay before
his eyes. There at the triangular junction, where the connecting rod
linked with the down-haul of the semaphore, the bolt had fallen out,
and the whole thing was disconnected. The bolt with its screw nut and
washer were lying on the ground, where, apparently, they had fallen.

The furious clanging of the engine bell, where the head of the train
stood just in view round the bend of the track where it entered the
hills, left him no time for consideration of the mishap. The
protesting train must be passed on without further delay. Therefore,
with deft hands, he quickly readjusted the bolt, and once again set
the lever. This time the arm of the signal dropped.

It was not until these things were accomplished that he had time to
study the cause of the disconnection. Then, at once, a curious feeling
of incredulity swept over him. It was an impossibility for the thing
to have happened. The bolt fitted horizontally, and the washered nut
had