Page:Ralph on the Railroad.djvu/1081

Rh provided No. 11 put out from Stanley Junction to-night."

"Which I doubt," said Fogg.

"If we could back to Vernon we'd be in better touch with something civilized," went on the conductor. "The wires are all down here."

"I can try it," replied Ralph, "but without a pilot the rear car will soon come to a bump."

"Give her a show, anyway," suggested the conductor.

Two minutes' effort resulted in a dead stop. The young engineer knew his business well enough to understand that they were in danger of running the train off the track.

"I'll send a signal back, if a man can get back," decided the conductor.

The backing-up had left a clear brief space before the train. Ralph took a lantern and left his fireman in charge of the locomotive. He was gone about ten minutes, and came back panting and loaded down with the heavy, clinging snow.

"May as well bunk in right here," ventured Fogg.

"That's it," answered Ralph definitely. "It's drift after drift ahead. No use disabling the locomotive, and we simply can't hope to dig our way out."

The conductor came forward again looking