Page:Ralph on the Railroad.djvu/771

Rh "Hey," he hailed, advancing upon them. "What you trespassing for?"

"Are we?" inquired Ralph, with a pleasant smile. "We mean no harm."

"Dunno about that," said the farmer suspiciously. "Was you here last night?"

"Oh, no," answered Ralph.

"Well, what do you want?"

"I was sort of interested in this old car," announced Ralph.

"Why so?" demanded Kane.

"Well, we are looking for a car that floated down the creek here about five years ago."

"For the railroad?" asked the farmer.

"In a way, yes, in a way, no."

"Does the railroad want to take it away from me?"

"Certainly not. They would like to know, though, if it is a car of the Southern Air Line and numbered 9176."

"You've got it, lad. This was just that car. What's the amazing interest in it all of a sudden? Look here," and he took them around to the other side of the car. "Last night two boys came here; my son saw them hanging around here. Then they disappeared. This morning I found the car that way."

Ralph and Zeph stared in astonishment. A