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 this time, and was officious and blatant in his manner.

"I'd like to stay with you, boys," he announced. "Join you later. Got a big responsibility on my shoulders just now."

"That so?" smirked one of the hangers on.

"You bet. See that paper?" and Sherry produced a document.

"We see it."

"I can tie up the whole railroad system here if I want to," he bragged.

Markham hurried off in the direction of the freight tracks. There was a wide crossing where the sidings began. A flagman guarded this. Markham ran up to him. This man, as he knew, was a brother of the railroader he had saved from being run over by the freight train.

"Mr. Boyce," said Markham," will you do me a favor?"

"Sure, will I," cried the flagman. "We're a whole family of friends to you, boy."

"All right. Have you got a piece of chalk—the kind they use for marking on the cars?"

"Dozens of it. Here's a handful, my hearty," and the flagman darted into the little shanty and out again with a fistful of great chunks of chalk.