Page:Ralph on the Railroad.djvu/1042

218 "That's who," nodded Torchy. "Big as life on a single car run—and, say, such a car!"

"Do you know where it came from, or where it was bound for?" inquired Ralph.

"No, but I heard one of the fellows here say it must have come over the north branch."

"I thought so, too," said Ralph, and after a stroll about the place he went down to the dispatcher's office. Ralph knew the railroad routine well, and he soon had a good friend working in his interest. He was one of the assistants in the office of the chief dispatcher. Ralph had loaned him a little sum of money once when he was off on the sick list. It had been paid back promptly, but the man was a grateful fellow, and, under the influence of a sense of obligation, was glad to return the favor in any way he could.

"I'll fix you out, Fairbanks," he promised, and he kept his word, for as Ralph sat in the doghouse two mornings later the man came to its doorway, peered in, and beckoned to his friend to come outside.

"All right, Fairbanks," he reported, holding a card in his hand bearing some memoranda; "I've got the tracer."

"Good!" applauded Ralph.

"Here's the dope—that engine and old tourist car was a kind of a special—the craziest