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122 when he at last took it and began to ease down the speed, Bob sighed wistfully.

As the big machine finally came to a stop with a grunt, Barney exclaimed:

"You ought to be an engineer, boy. You've got the nerve to drive hard. We did ten miles in twenty minutes—which is going some with this load."

Just then, however, the conductor came up.

"Like it, Bob?" he asked.

"Indeed, I did! Mr. Barney let me drive, and I made ten miles in twenty minutes."

"Good boy! We'll make a railroad man out of you yet. Think you could follow me back to the caboose over the cars?"

"I can try," returned Bob.

But before the attempt could be made, the conductor was called to the station office to receive orders.

Swelled with pride at his success in driving the engine, Bob determined to surprise the conductor by going back to the caboose alone.

And with a hearty good-bye to the engineer, he clambered over the coal-stacked tender and up on to the top of a car.

The orders were to take a siding to allow a passenger train to pass, and, as the time was short, the conductor was too busy sending his brakemen to turn the switches and communicating