Ralph on the Engine: or, The Young Fireman of the Limited Mail

“I don’t understand it,” said Forgan. “The lad seemed to hate the strikers for attacking him the other night. I suppose, though, it’s with him like a good many others – there’s lots of ‘relief money’ being given out, and that’s the bait that catches them.”

“I must manage to see Zeph,” mused Ralph. “I declare, I can hardly believe he is really on their side. I wonder how near I dare venture to the headquarters of that mob.”

The young fireman went to the vicinity of the hall occupied by the strikers, but he did not meet Zeph. Then Ralph proceeded to the business portion of Stanley Junction. He visited the bank and several other leading local business institutions. He made a great many inquiries and he felt that he was on the edge of some important discoveries.

When he got home he found Zeph sitting on the porch, smiling as ever. Ralph nodded seriously to him. Zeph grinned outright.

“What’s that kind of a welcome for, eh?” he demanded.

“Sorry to see you in the ranks of the strikers to-day, Zeph,” observed Ralph.

“Ought to be glad.”

“What?”

“I suppose a fellow is free to follow out his convictions, isn’t he?”

“Certainly.”

“Well, I’m following out mine,” declared Zeph – “the conviction that of all the mean rascals in this burg, Jim Evans is the meanest. See here, Fairbanks, have you lost your wits? Do you really for one minute suppose I sympathize with those fellows?”

“You seemed pretty close to Evans.”

“Grand!” chuckled Zeph. “That’s just what I was working for. See here, I made up my mind that those fellows were up to more mischief than what they have already done. I concluded there was something under the surface of this pretended strike. I wanted to find out. I have.”

Ralph looked very much interested now. He began to see the light.

“Go on, Zeph,” he said.

“Well, I found out just what I suspected – some one is furnishing the strikers with money, and lots of it.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“I don’t, but I do know one thing: every day Evans goes to the office of a certain lawyer in town here. They have a long consultation. Evans always comes away very much satisfied and with more money.”

“What’s the lawyer’s name, Zeph?” inquired Ralph.

“Bartlett.”

Just then they were called in to supper by Mrs. Fairbanks. Ralph was silent and thoughtful during most of the meal.

The young fireman had learned that afternoon that a stranger named Bartlett had been buying up all the stock of the railroad he could secure. The man was not in good repute at Stanley Junction. He had come there only the week previous, Ralph was told, and occupied a mean little room in the main office building of the town.

After supper Ralph strolled down town. He entered the building in question and ascended its stairs. He knew the occupants of most of the offices, and finally located a room which contained a light but had no sign on the door.

Footsteps ascending the stairs caused the young fireman to draw back into the shadow. A man came into view and knocked noisily at the closed door.

“Here I am, Bartlett,” said the fellow, lurching about in an unsteady way.

“I see you are,” responded the man inside the room, “primed for work, too, it seems to me.”

Ralph could not repress some excitement. The man Bartlett he instantly recognized as the person who had delivered to him in the city the papers from Gasper Farrington. His visitor he knew to be a discharged telegraph operator of the Great Northern.

“Yes,” said the latter, as the door closed on him, “I’m ready for work, so bring on your wire-tapping scheme soon as you like.”

CHAPTER XIX

THE WIRE TAPPERS

When the door of the office that Ralph was watching closed again and was locked, the young fireman approached the room. He was very sure that some important move against the railroad was meditated by the two men he had just seen, and he was anxious to overhear their conversation if possible.

To his intense satisfaction Ralph found that a coal box rested under the clouded-glass window of the office looking into the hallway. This window was down from the top some inches. Ralph clambered up on the coal box, got to the side of the window, fixed his eye at a small space where the glass was broken, and prepared to listen to the words of the two men he had in view.

Both sat in chairs now. Bartlett looked brisk and pleased; the ex-telegraph operator was unkempt, rather sullen, and acted like a man under orders on some unpleasant duty.

“Well, Morris,” said the former, “all ready, are you? Tools and wire in that bag?”

“Batteries and all, complete outfit,” responded the other. “What’s the programme?”

“You haven’t mentioned about my employing you to any one?”

“Certainly not.”

“And have arranged to stay away from town for several days?”

“A week, if you like, at ten dollars a day you promised me,” answered Morris.

“Very good. Let me see. There’s a train about 10 o’clock.”

“There is, if the strikers will let it run out,” said Morris.

“Oh, they will. I have arranged all that,” chuckled Bartlett. “They’ll even help it on, knowing I’m aboard.”

“That so?” muttered Morris. “You must have a pull somewhere.”

“I have, or at least money has, and I control the money,” grinned Bartlett. “You are to come with me down the line about twenty miles. You’ll be told then about this special job.”

Bartlett got up and bustled about. He packed a great many papers in a satchel, and finally announced that they had better be starting for the depot.

“Any little by-play you see on the train,” said Bartlett, “help along, mind you.”

“Why, what do you mean?” inquired Morris.

“You’ll see when we get there,” replied Bartlett enigmatically.

When they reached the depot the two men got aboard the one passenger coach of the night accommodation. There was a combination express car ahead. Ralph went to the messenger in charge and arranged to have free access to do as he desired.

When the train started up, he opened the rear door of the car and commanded a clear view into the passenger coach. The men he was watching sat side by side, engaged in conversation. There were only a few passengers aboard.