Page:Top-Notch Magazine, May 1 1915 (IA tn 1915 05 01).pdf/21

 knob of the combination rattled as it whirled. Then bang went the door of the cage. "Come on, Ruthven!" By then Summerfield was out from behind the counter and on his way to the sidewalk.

"How long will you be gone, Joe?" inquired Reeves.

"Don't know—don't know anything! You just sit on the lid." The agent ran into the street with Ruthven close behind him.

The two laid a bee line for the railroad station. "Haven't you any idea what we're wanted for, Summerfield?" queried Ruthven.

"What is an idea?" returned the other, as he hurried along. "I couldn't apprehend one with a search warrant. My mind is a blank. Harrington has cracked the whip, and that's my signal to jump. I suppose we'll know something about this some time, but just now we've got to surge ahead in the dark. Harrington, I take it, went straight to the division superintendent of the railroad. Between them they've cooked up some scheme or other in mighty short order. What it is is a conundrum, and we haven't any time for a guessing contest."

Burt City was the headquarters of the railroad division. The station was a big building, with ticket office and waiting rooms below, and all upstairs given over to Durfee, the division boss, dispatchers, and rooms for other officials on Durfee's staff. When Ruthven and Summerfield reached the station platform, they encountered a headquarters "slave" coming from the direction of the roundhouse. The man's name was Perkins. He was in his shirt sleeves and wore an eye shade.

"Hello, Summerfield!" said Perkins. "You're in on this hurry-up business, too, eh? I heard Harrington telephoning you as I left the office."

"What's up, Perk?" queried the agent.

"A small-sized tornado just blew out of the old man's private sanctum. The dispatcher was ordered to hold Seventeen at Bluffton, first station west. I was told to go over to the yards and pick up the first engine I could find. Near as I can make out, the super, Harrington, and the rest of you are going after Seventeen. The regular west-bound has been Laid out, and particular Cain raised with the dispatcher's train sheet. The light engine is to have the right of way, and Ah, here's Long! Guess he must be in the party, too."

The senior member of the firm of Long & McKenzie came puffing down the platform at that moment. He was red and perspiring and tremendously excited. "Where's Durfee?" he asked. "What am I here for? Mac hadn't got back to the store, so I couldn't bring him along. What in thunder has the division superintendent been stirring up?"

"We're in the dark, Long, same as you," returned Summerfield.

"Was you told to come here?"

"Yes."

"Ruthven the same?"

"Yes. From what I can learn, we're all to ride with Durfee and Harrington on a light engine to Bluffton Seventeen is to be held there until we can overhaul her."

Long mopped his dripping, astounded face with a red bandanna handkerchief. "Well, I'll be ding-busted!" he exclaimed. "This comes mighty near bein' the limit. Huh!" he added, "here's a locomotive backin' up with a caboose. Wonder if that's our special?"

"Must be," said Perkins. "It's the old switch bumper, Sixty-seven. The way car will help to balance her, and keep her from running her nose into the roadbed."

Perkins said no more, but plowed along dutifully toward the stairs that led to the second-story offices. Durfee and Harrington had just appeared, red-