peak, "they're not so far wrong, either, about you
sizing up pretty small for the train crews or the roundhouse, are they?"

"No-o," admitted Toddles reluctantly; "but----"

"Then why not something where there's no handicap hanging over you?"
suggested the despatcher--and his hand reached out and touched the
sender. "The key, for instance?"

"But I don't know anything about it," said Toddles, still helplessly.

"That's just it," returned Donkin smoothly. "You never tried to learn."

Toddles' eyes widened, and into Toddles' heart leaped a sudden joy. A
new world seemed to open out before him in which aspirations,
ambitions, longings all were a reality. A key! That was real
railroading, the top-notch of railroading, too. First an operator, and
then a despatcher, and--and--and then his face fell, and the vision
faded.

"How'd I get a chance to learn?" he said miserably. "Who'd teach me?"

The smile was back on Donkin's face as he pushed his chair from the
table, stood up, and held out his hand--man-to-man fashion.

"I will," he said. "I liked your grit last night, Hoogan. And if you
want to be a railroad man, I'll make you one--before I'm through. I've
some old instruments you can have to practise with, and I've nothing to
do in my spare time. What do you say?"

Toddles didn't say anything. For the first time since Toddles' advent
to the Hill Division, there were tears in Toddles' eyes for some one
else to see.

Donkin laughed.

"All right, old man, you're on. See that you don't throw me down. And
keep your mouth shut; you'll need all your wind. It's work that
counts, and nothing else. Now chase yourself! I'll dig up the things
you'll need, and you can drop in here and get them when you come off
your run to-night."

Spare time! Bob Donkin didn't have any spare time those days! But
that was Donkin's way. Spence sick, and two men handling the
despatching where three had handled it before, didn't leave Bob Donkin
much spare time--not much. But a boost for the kid was worth a
sacrifice. Donkin went at it as earnestly as Toddles did--and Toddles
was in deadly earnest.

When Toddles left the despatcher's office that morning with Donkin's
promise to teach him the key, Toddles had a hazy idea that Donkin had
wings concealed somewhere under his coat and was an angel in disguise;
and at the end of two weeks he was sure of it. But at the end of a
month Bob Donkin was a god! Throw Bob Donkin dow