"Yes, yes, I see," responded his companion, and the voice thrilled Ralph, for he recognized the accents as those of a tried and true boy friend of old--Zeph Dallas.

CHAPTER XVII

A STRANGE MESSAGE

Ralph had known the time when a good many of the boys and railroad men at the Junction had considered Zeph Dallas a joke. He himself, however, had tried to take Zeph as seriously as he could, and now his erratic young friend rose still higher in his estimation.

In every live town there are generally one or more lads with the detective fever. Zeph had wandered to Stanley Junction all on fire with it. He had liked railroading, but he disdained its humdrum phases. Step by step he had kept on the trail of "detecting something," until he had unraveled a real mystery, had been of signal aid to the road detective of the Great Northern, and had practically become a hired and loyal helper to that experienced officer.

Ralph recalled the flying visit of Zeph to his mother at Stanley Junction less than ten days previous. On that occasion Zeph had dropped some mysterious and significant hints to Mrs. Fairbanks that he was "working on a big case." He had even asked her to warn Ralph "to look out for dispatching trouble."

There was no doubt in the mind of Ralph that Zeph was on the present spot on duty pure and simple. Inside of a very few minutes he was aware of the real situation of affairs. The crippled man in whose company he had found Zeph was the man who had operated the runaway engine. As Ralph peered closer he believed him to be one of the men with whom he had seen the grandfather of Glen Palmer, and whom he had later encountered in the railroad tunnel the night of the burglary of the paymaster's house.

Ralph listened attentively as the man seated on the ground began to dolefully recite a lying story of how he had got hurt. How much of this Zeph took in Ralph could not guess, for Zeph was playing a part. The man pretended to be a member of a construction gang, with friends at a little settlement a few miles distant. Acting to perfection a simple country b.u.mpkin, Zeph pulled the wool completely over the eyes of the fellow.

"You've helped me this far," the man said, "and that makeshift crutch is a big help, but I don't think I can navigate ahead alone."

"That's all right," declared Zeph ingenuously. "If it isn't too far, I'll stay with you till you reach your friends, mister."

"Say, you're mighty obliging. I'll make it worth your while, too. I'll pay you well."

"Oh, I don't care so much for that," said Zeph. "What I'd like to do is to get settled down to some steady job."

"H'm," murmured the man reflectively, looking Zeph over in a speculative way, "I don't know but I might steer you right up against a good thing."

"I'm willing, I tell you," declared Zeph, with a rural drawl that caused Ralph to smile. "What doing, mister?"

"Just hanging around with a pleasant crowd and running some errands once in a while. There's jumps in the business pretty lively, but no real work."

"Why, I thought you was with a construction gang?"

"Um," observed the man in an embarra.s.sed way--"yes, yes, just so.

Changing my job, that's it. On my way to join certain friends on a new deal when that confounded locomotive went too fast for me, and--"

"Eh," projected Zeph. "You didn't say anything about a locomotive before, mister."

"Say, you're pretty keen, you are," chuckled the man. "And I guess you'll do. I was going to say till a locomotive loosened a log across a culvert and I stumbled over it."

"Oh, that explains it," said Zeph with a frank relief that was most fetching. "All right. You get me a job with your friends and you'll find me a good worker."

"Don't doubt it. Let's make a start."

The man winced and groaned as Zeph helped him to his feet. The latter had rigged up a forked stick so that it answered for a crutch on one side. Zeph got on the other side of the man who, leaning on his shoulder with his hand, was able to hobble along.

Ralph could foresee no particular purpose gained in keeping on the trail. He felt certain that Zeph knew his business. He had probably been watching or waiting for the conspirators right in this locality.

"It looks that way," murmured Ralph. "Anyhow, Zeph must be keeping Bob Adair advised; is perhaps acting under his direct orders. Now he is figuring for a chance to get right in with the gang. I'll follow a little further, though, as it doesn't take me much out of my course to Preston."

After a bit of progress the train wrecker and Zeph halted again. The former was getting pretty tired. Zeph cleared away some snow from a heap of old ties. The man removed his overcoat and made a pillow of it. He rested for nearly half an hour. Then he resumed his coat and they trudged along.

"h.e.l.lo," exclaimed Ralph--"and good!"

He spoke the words with animation, as following up the pursuit he came to the heap of ties where the train wrecker had rested. A memorandum book lay on the snow where it had fallen from the pocket of the man's overcoat. The night light was not sufficiently strong to enable Ralph to inspect its contents. He observed, however, that it contained letters and other doc.u.ments.

"I fancy it will tell something interesting when I have time to look it over," decided the young railroader.

The train wrecker and his escort finally arrived at a stretch of single rails and here they paused. This was a cut off from the main track with which Ralph was not familiar. He had an idea, however, that it connected with some coal pit or quarry in the neighborhood of Preston. In less than ten minutes after their arrival at this spot Ralph heard a rattle on the rails. A handcar propelled by two men came into view. There was quite a lengthy talk. They seemed discussing about Zeph, for Ralph saw the latter retire to a little distance. Then he was beckoned back to the three men. The crippled one was helped aboard of the handcar, Zeph joined them, and the handcar sped away.

Ralph realized that it was futile to think of following and keeping close track of them. Zeph was in their midst, accepted as a new recruit, and the young railroader felt sanguine that he would accomplish some practical results. Ralph proceeded on his way to Preston. It must have been three o'clock in the morning when he found himself not on the north branch of the road, but on a spur considerably to the east.

The light of a little station showed, and Ralph was glad to think of rest and warmth. He reached a short platform and noticed the station agent seated between the two signal windows on duty.

The man greeted the intruder with chary suspiciousness as Ralph entered the waiting room, kicking the snow off his feet. When Ralph had introduced himself, however, he stirred himself amiably, roused up the fire in the old stove, and placed a chair for him.

"I've had a bad two hours," explained the man, "and was ready for train wreckers, smash ups, or what not. A tramp routed me out of bed at home telling me the old instrument here was raising mischief. Knew something about telegraphing himself, he said, and scented trouble. I've been lively up to a few minutes ago, getting all kinds of mixed instructions about wild locomotives and trouble generally on the north cut off."

"I can tell you something about that," said Ralph, and explained a good deal that interested his companion. "Can you get me Preston?"

"Sure--want to wire?"

"It will save me a long pull through the snow."

The operator led Ralph into his little office. As he did so Ralph noticed that a piece of bagging was tacked over one of the upper sashes and the floor covered with splintered gla.s.s. He had already observed that the operator wore a bandage over one eye, but he did not just then connect affairs in his urgency to get in communication with Preston.

This he soon did. He found the operator there aware of conditions. The crude message Ralph had sent astride the telegraph pole formed the basis for advising headquarters of what was going on. The Limited was safely on her way, and a special from the Junction was now starting to take No.

93 in tow and investigate the wreck.

Ralph sent a message to Glidden, more explicitly explaining affairs. He announced that he would return to the Junction on the first train he could catch.

He was pretty well satisfied with his work of the night, for he had done his level best and he felt sure there would be some further outcome when Bob Adair's a.s.sistant reported.

"You seem to have had some trouble here," observed Ralph, with a glance at the shattered window as he left the instrument.

"Yes, and this too," said the operator, indicating his bandaged eye.

"Nearly blinded."

"How is that?" inquired Ralph.

"The west freight, about an hour ago. She pa.s.ses on her usual whiz.

About the middle of the train some one let fly a board--a box cover. It slashed through the window, took me in the face and keeled me clear over."

"That is strange," commented Ralph. "Are you sure it was thrown?"

"What could it blow off from?"