CHAPTER XV
BOB EARNS HIS PASSAGE
All of a tremble at his narrow escape from falling under the car, Bobwas trying to recover his self-control before getting down from hisprecarious position, when he was startled to hear a voice exclaim:
"I'll get even with that 'con' for putting me off the blind baggage, seeif I don't!"
The tone in which the words were uttered was so venomous, that Bobrealized the speaker meant mischief, though he was ignorant of the factthat in the slang of tramps who beat their way on railroads, "con"betokened conductor, and "blind baggage" the platform of the coach in apassenger train nearest the engine.
Looking about to find out where the angry man was, Bob could see no one.
But the next instant another voice asking, "How you goin' to do it?"decided him that the speakers must be crouching against the end of theempty coal car to which he was holding.
How he had failed to discover them from the top of the other car, hecould not understand, but he soon ceased to wonder, in his eagerness tocatch every word uttered by the unseen tramps.
"That's easy," replied the voice the boy recognized as having made thethreat to "get even."
"Cut out that talk, and get down to business," growled a third voice.
"All right, 'Bo. We can put all sorts of crimps into this road by'holding up' the night express! The officials of this road, whose menare too stingy to let a fellow ride on the blind baggage, are boastingthey haven't had a 'hold-up' for years."
The various exclamations with which this wicked plan was greeted, toldBob not only that it met the approval of the tramps, but that there weremore than two of them.
The full danger of a "hold-up" the boy did not realize. He remembered,however, having read of such occurrences out West where passengers wereterrorized and robbed of money and jewelry.
But his speculation was again interrupted by the renewal of theconversation.
"That will sure set us even, but when can we do it?" inquired a voiceeagerly.
"And get away safely?" added another.
"There's only one place," responded the voice of the man who hadsuggested the plot.
"Where?" chorused the others.
"On this end of the long bridge across the river."
"Right you are, 'Bo. We can make our 'get-away' down the bank and findsome of the 'shanty men' to take us across."
"And into the arms of the police," sneered the ringleader. "We'll usethe bank to escape, but we won't ask any favors of a 'shanty man'."
"Will there be enough money aboard to make it worth while?" inquired oneof the schemers, with an evidently practical turn of mind.
"Sure; Number 4 always carries a bunch of gold for Western towns."
"But how'll we board her?" asked still another.
"Get a lantern and wave it."
"Will they stop?"
"Say, why do you suppose I chose the approach to the bridge?" snappedthe man who had proposed the scheme.
And then, without giving his companions a chance to speak, he answeredhis question himself:
"Because the engineer'll think there is something wrong on the bridgeand stop. It'll be dead easy."
Bob's eyes were almost popping out of his head, as, afraid to peep overthe top of the car, he stared at the boards as though striving to seethrough them.
Straining his ears to catch every word, he heard another of the plottersbegin to speak, when a train thundered past, effectually cutting off allconversation with its roar.
Though Bob did not know it, so absorbed was he in listening, less thanfive minutes had passed since he had started back for the caboose.
With the necessity of making a quick shift to the siding, the conductorof the freight train had momentarily forgotten the presence of hisyouthful charge, and when at last he did remember, it was with thesupposition that he had remained in the cab with the engineer.
Accordingly, upon receipt of orders to proceed, Hosmer decided to letBob ride longer in the cab, and shouted to his men to get aboard, wavinghis arm in the "go ahead" signal to the engineer.
But Bob had heard the shouts, and divining their meaning, jumped to thetrack, having no relish for riding farther in his dangerous positionbetween the cars.
Fortunately, both the engineer and conductor saw the boy, as he leapedto the ground, and the signal to start was not obeyed.
Recovering his balance, Bob ran toward Hosmer.
As he drew near enough for the conductor to see his white, excited face,he exclaimed:
"Where have you been? I thought you were in the cab with Barney."
"I--I tried to go back over the cars," stammered Bob.
"Barney shouldn't have let you. It's too dangerous for a greenhorn."
Wincing at the words, which slipped out unconsciously as the conductorthought of what might have happened to the boy, Bob hastened to defendthe engineer by saying:
"Mr. Barney didn't know I was going. I wanted to surprise you by showingyou I could go back without your help. And--and then the train started,and I had to hang on to a coal car."
"Well, so long as you didn't get hurt, it's all right. But don't try itagain. Now, run back and climb into the caboose. Let's see how quick youcan do it."
The last was a diplomatic means to make the boy hurry, for the conductorwas anxious to start the train, yet would not until he saw his chargesafe in the caboose.
And his ruse was successful, for Bob, eager to show his speed, raceddown the track and quickly swung aboard.
Smiling, Hosmer again signalled to Barney, the train started, and asthe last car reached him, the conductor climbed on.
"Have any trouble when we started?" one of the brakemen was asking Bobas Hosmer entered the car.
"Pretty near. I was just crossing from a high to a low car, when thejerk came. But I managed to hang on."
"Good boy," chorused the train crew, all of whom realized too well thedanger to which the boy had been subjected.
"But when we stopped on the siding, why didn't you get down?" asked theconductor.
"Because I was listening," announced Bob with a manner of mystery thatwould have been droll were his face not so serious.
"Listening?" exclaimed the others, instantly alert.
"Yes. I was just going to get down, when I heard some one speak, andthen I waited."
"Hoboes," growled a brakeman, jumping up and seizing a short club. "Whatcar were they on, kid?"
"The first coal car from the engine. But you mustn't go up there. Theyare bad men."
This warning was greeted with laughter by the brakemen, the others ofwhom had also picked up clubs.
The conductor, however, having a son of his own, realized from Bob'smanner that the lad had something he wanted to tell but did not know howto begin, and accordingly asked him:
"What did you hear, son?"
"I heard them plan to hold up Number 4 to get even!"
"What?" demanded all the trainmen, their faces instantly growingserious.
"Yes; the man said he was going to get even for being put off the 'blindbaggage'."
For a moment the members of the train crew looked at one another inamazement, then fell to plying Bob with questions, making him repeat theconversation over and over.
"Well, you've earned your passage to Fairfax, all right, Bob!"ejaculated the conductor. "It would break our record for being free fromholdups, to say nothing of the loss to passengers. The company ought todo something handsome by you, my boy."
"Then you can prevent it?" queried Bob anxiously.
"Sure thing. We'll capture them at the next station. Better get ready,boys," added Hosmer significantly to his brakemen. "They may prove hardto handle."
Turning their backs, so Bob could not see exactly what they were doing,the brakemen opened a cupboard and took out some things which theyslipped into the pockets of their jumpers.
But their preparations to capture the would-be train robbers went fornaught.
When, led by Bob to the coal
car, the brakemen surrounded and, at a wordfrom the conductor, mounted it, they found the car empty.
"They have given us the slip!" growled a brakeman.
"Examine every car and truck on the train," commanded Hosmer. "I'll goto the station and send in the alarm. Come, Bob."
And together the conductor and the boy hastened to the station, wherethe full story was quickly flashed to headquarters at Omaha.
When the officials first received it, they were incredulous, asking ifit could not have been a fancy of Bob's brain. But Hosmer quicklyvouched for the boy's honesty, and word came back to have Bob put off tomeet the road's officers at one of the stations.
During the run to that city, the brakemen speculated upon the chances ofcapturing the miscreants, lamenting the fact that the glory had beendenied them.
Arrived at the city, Bob was taken to a room and closely questioned bythe officers, who were soon convinced of the truth of his story.
"Could you identify them if caught?" he was asked.
"If I could hear them speak, I could recognize the voice of the man whoproposed the plan. I did not get a look at them," replied Bob.
Satisfied with this answer, the officers sent instructions to have thetracks patrolled from Hastings to the long bridge, to search all trains,and to arrest any tramps found.
This done, arrangements were made to have other detectives at the bridgein case the men eluded capture.
The waiting was tedious. But at last, about three in the afternoon, wordwas received that four tramps, heavily armed, had been captured aboutten miles from the Mississippi river.
Putting Bob into the cab of an engine, six officers climbed aboard, anda record run was made to the scene of the arrest.
"You sit where you can watch and hear them talk," whispered a detectivein Bob's ear.
At first the prisoners were silent, but under the taunts of theofficers, their reserve weakened, and they began to rail at the men whohad captured them.
Eagerly, Bob listened, then cried, pointing to the smallest of the four:
"That's the man who said he'd get even. I recognize his voice!"