THE YOUNG RAILROADERS
Tales of Adventure and Ingenuity
by
F. LOVELL COOMBS
With Illustrations by F. B. Masters
[Illustration: THE NEXT MOMENT THE MIDWAY JUNCTION GHOST STEPPED GRIMLY FROM HIS BOX.]
New York The Century Co. 1910
Copyright, 1909, 1910, by The Century Co.
Published September, 1910
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co., Boston
To B. R. C. AND K. L. C. A REMEMBRANCE
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. One Kind Of Wireless 3 II. An Original Emergency Battery 24 III. A Tinker Who Made Good 38 IV. The Other Tinker Also Makes Good 54 V. An Electrical Detective 68 VI. Jack Has His Adventure 86 VII. A Race Through The Flames 102 VIII. The Secret Telegram 117 IX. Jack Plays Reporter, With Unexpected Results 132 X. A Runaway Train 146 XI. The Haunted Station 163 XII. In A Bad Fix, And Out 180 XIII. Professor Click, Mind Reader 198 XIV. The Last Of The Freight Thieves 225 XV. The Dude Operator 246 XVI. A Dramatic Flagging 262 XVII. Wilson Again Distinguishes Himself 279 XVIII. With The Construction Train 295 XIX. The Enemy's Hand Again, And A Capture 310 XX. A Prisoner 325 XXI. Turning The Tables 337 XXII. The Defense Of The Viaduct 357
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
The next moment the Midway Junction ghost stepped grimly from his box. Frontispiece
"Now I am going to cut your cords," Alex went on softly. 8
Held it over the bull's-eye, alternately covering and uncovering the stream of light. 13
Threw himself at the front door, pounding upon it with his fists. 26
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: The Young Railroaders by Francis Lovell Coombs
- 2: And began working his way forward from tie to tie
- 3: The Bixton station agent for the Middle Western
- 4: Cautiously Alex rose to his knees
- 5: While Alex lay holding his breath
- 6: Determinedly Alex gathered himself together
- 7: An' you da one whata help Hennessy get away
- 8: Said Alex as he replaced the lantern on the semaphore arm
- 9: Then one of them addressed Alex
- 10: Again Alex sought to interrupt him
- 11: Alex darted about to the woodshed
- 12: And stir the bluestone in the kettle
- 13: In confusion Alex drew back in his chair
- 14: Office was located at Haddowville
- 15: Peeling the hose out behind it
- 16: And Jack hastened to join them
- 17: Orr had halted in consternation
- 18: Orr took the blankets and threw them over Jack's head
- 19: I want it for the armature spring
- 20: Would pick up another at Zeisler
- 21: And in his turn Alex gave his OK
- 22: Suddenly Alex uttered a gasp of hope
- 23: And have made a connection through the rails HC
- 24: And Alex sank forward over the table with a convulsive sob
- 25: The cash box is not in the safe this morning
- 26: How could the manager have been mistaken
- 27: Its cobwebs had been torn and swept aside
- 28: Illustration THE CLERK WAS COLORLESS
- 29: The rat ran toward the old furnace
- 30: Before him on the floor the missing cash box
- 31: He noticed Simpson and Raub apart
- 32: Dragging the telegraph wire to the fence
- 33: Stoop and pick up a handful of gravel
- 34: And hastened with them to the barn
- 35: Come to Bixton and spend some of it with me
- 36: Without slackening pace Alex headed for the old semaphore
- 37: Jack hastily clambered up beside him
- 38: Alex sprang out and took his place
- 39: The rails may hold like a bridge
- 40: The train came to a standstill at Bixton
- 41: I was going to ask Zeisler just as you came in
- 42: Alex could not forbear a smile
- 43: Alex proceeded to carry out his plan
- 44: BACK Sheriff HERE Quigg QUICK County
- 45: The robbers turned upon Alex with furiously flashing eyes
- 46: For the first time Jack recalled the camera
- 47: Carefully then he wrapped the camera
- 48: But tiptoeing back about the corner
- 49: The negro repeated the question
- 50: As the severed handkerchief fell from his ankles
- 51: Alex and Saunders looked at one another with a start
- 52: But the runaways won't pass Terryville
- 53: Abruptly Alex cut him off and called Imken
- 54: Shouted Alex above the roar of the car
- 55: Alex sprang back from the flying handles
- 56: At midnight Alex called Midway Junction
- 57: Alex sought to reassure the MJ man
- 58: Then sharply clicked Look behind
- 59: He had almost reached the partition
- 60: Said Alex Silverware and silk
- 61: Clean shaven face bending over a dark lantern
- 62: For several hours the unsuspecting freight robber worked
- 63: After your causing the capture of Corry
- 64: I came to Midway by the Eastfield freight
- 65: And of his early trial at Eastfield
- 66: Call Eastfield right away on the long distance
- 67: The three Exeter operators came forward
- 68: For the disconcerted prosecutor
- 69: And to spend one week at Haddowville
- 70: Promptly then he raised his thumb
- 71: Let us put the old man onto him
- 72: And the cordial reception extended Alex
- 73: And therewith Alex briefly sketched his plan
- 74: And struck Alex enthusiastically on the back
- 75: Now Tom ze Terrible will answer ze question
- 76: The spool being held out of sight
- 77: I have made ze great discovery
- 78: Will someone kindly bring ze glass water
- 79: A teacher chalked a proposition in algebra
- 80: Burke strode toward the platform
- 81: In the country between Claxton and Eastfield
- 82: And early that evening he alighted from the train at Claxton
- 83: Detective Boyle glanced at his watch
- 84: As Jack was wondering what the trainman was waiting for
- 85: It was the voice of the man Watts
- 86: And a triumphant shout from Watts
- 87: Took out the parcel containing the telegraph instruments
- 88: I'm in the woods about four miles from Claxton
- 89: Declared the operator on whose wire Bonepile was located
- 90: There all proper millinaried dee la Bonepile
- 91: Half an hour later Muskoka Jones appeared
- 92: Muskoka's snoring abruptly ceased
- 93: The solution came as Iowa ventured a short step nearer
- 94: You would learn telegraphy quickly
- 95: The despatcher grasped his key
- 96: He requested Alex to call up Jack
- 97: Alex felt the blood draw back from his own face
- 98: And pedalled ahead determinedly
- 99: I lost the oil can on the bridge
- 100: Alex himself sank back in his chair
- 101: Declared Alex with immediate interest
- 102: Observed Muskoka with surprise as he threw over the reins
- 103: Some minutes Wilson stood studying it
- 104: Muskoka was clattering down the path
- 105: It was secured to one of the windlass supports
- 106: Desperately Wilson decided to venture the water
- 107: What happened to Hoover and Young at the pipe
- 108: When at length Muskoka Jones reappeared on the scene
- 109: Observed Alex to himself gravely
- 110: Alex and the superintendent followed
- 111: The same knife whittled them all
- 112: Admitted Ryan with marked humility
- 113: Blindly Elder turned to escape
- 114: He recognized Superintendent Finnan
- 115: Alex decided on the latter course
- 116: Was the oiler considering the bribe
- 117: The cowman turned the oiler on his face
- 118: And Alex and the oiler scrambled into the velocipede seats
- 119: Wider the circle of the lassoo extended
- 120: Superintendent Finnan smiled sardonically
- 121: Superintendent Finnan appeared
- 122: And Alex uttered an involuntary ejaculation
- 123: They were planning to blow up the viaduct
- 124: With no apprehension of danger Alex waited
- 125: Studied Alex intently a moment
- 126: Murmured Alex as the lassoo tightened
- 127: When presently the cowman blew out the light
- 128: At sight of Alex he halted in surprise
- 129: Dispiritedly Alex relinquished the search
- 130: Alex strode full tilt into a barb wire fence
- 131: Hopefully Alex hastened to the next post
- 132: The cowman was again up with him
- 133: The newcomer glowered at Alex threateningly
- 134: Then casually remarking to the cowman
- 135: Superintendent Finnan laughed heartily
- 136: Some mischief was surely afoot
- 137: This Saturday night Alex and Jack
- 138: In a flash Alex had slapped a handkerchief between his teeth
- 139: Alex interrupted as they reached the crest of the slope
- 140: Alex once more brought up his rifle
- 141: Alex scrambled about beside him
- 142: Then quickly the superintendent spoke
- 143: Who had been picked up at the viaduct station