Read Ralph in the Switch Tower; Or, Clearing the Track Page 28

  CHAPTER XXVIII--WHAT THE "EXTRA" TOLD

  "They won't move!" cried Young Slavin disgustedly. "They don't budge.Oh, rot on you! guying a fellow," and he slunk back to the armchair inchagrin.

  Old Jack laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. He had tricked hisnew apprentice into a "grand-stand" display at two levers that had beenwedged tight shut and out of use for a month.

  He rallied the would-be railroader for a few minutes. Then in hiskind-spirited way he took up the matter seriously.

  He told Slavin just what his initial duties would be: sweeping out thetower, keeping the fuel supply handy, oiling the lever and rod sockets,cleaning the windows.

  Slavin was somewhat disappointed at this dreary routine. When, however,Knight recited his own early experience and what it led to inproficiency and promotion, Slavin became more resigned.

  "It looks good," he said longingly. "The day I draw more than board andlodging wages and pull a lever, I'll give you two a banquet. Say, I canhardly wait to begin!"

  "When do you begin, Slavin?" asked old Jack.

  "Next Monday."

  Slavin hung around the switch tower till Knight went away in answer to a'phone call from the limits tower. Then he sidled up to Ralph.

  "Been waiting to tell you," he said in a low tone.

  "Something about Van?"

  "Yes."

  "Did you get any word from him?"

  "This morning. Came to the rear jail window, where I wait for him. Saidjust one word."

  "What was it?"

  "To-night."

  "That was all?"

  "Someone inside interrupted him, I think, so that was all."

  "'To-night,'" repeated Ralph musingly. "I wonder what he means?"

  "Action to-night, of course. Something is going to happen. Lastnight--you remember what he told me?"

  "Yes, Van said he felt sure that Slump and Bemis had the documentsstolen from Mrs. Davis."

  "That's it," nodded Slavin. "You know Slump wrote a sassy letter to oldFarrington."

  "So you told me."

  "Farrington paid no attention to it. Then Van overheard these twoprecious schemers concocting a new note. It told old Farrington thatthey had something better than merely knowing where a certain womanwas."

  "They meant Mrs. Davis."

  "Of course. In this last note they said that they had some veryvaluable papers belonging to Mrs. Davis. They threatened that ifFarrington didn't get them out of that jail inside of forty-eight hours,they would send for Ralph Fairbanks and turn the papers over to him."

  "This is getting interesting," remarked Ralph.

  "And exciting. Oh, something is sure to drop, soon. That old miserwill never go any twenty thousand dollars' bonds on those twoscape-graces."

  "It is not likely," said Ralph. "Do you think Farrington paid anyattention to the second note?"

  "I think he did."

  "Why so?"

  "As I left the jail, I saw his coachman come out of the building. Hehad an empty basket on his arm. I think he had been taking some foodand such fixings to Ike Slump & Co."

  "And the latest is Van's 'To-night'," mused Ralph. "Slavin, you willkeep a close watch on things, won't you? I believe affairs are verynear a crisis."

  "I'll not miss anything," Slavin assured Ralph stanchly--"least of allyou, when there's any important word to report."

  Ralph was restless and expectant all that evening at home. He sat uptill ten o'clock, hoping that Slavin might bring him some word.

  None came, however. He went to bed, and as usual left the house for theswitch tower at 7.30 in the morning.

  Just as Ralph neared the depot yards, a small boy with a bundle ofpapers under his arm darted down the street.

  Ralph remembered that this was "paper day." He paused and listened asthe lad shouted out his wares.

  "Extry! extry!" he called.

  "Here, boy--what have you got extra?" asked a passer-by.

  "Full account of the great Stanley Junction jail escape!"

  "What's that?" cried Ralph irrepressibly.

  "Hey, never mind--I'll tell you," pronounced Slavin's voice suddenly athis elbow. "I'm out of breath. Just missed you at your house, and ranall the way here after you."

  "Slavin, what is this I hear--a jail escape?"

  "Yes--Slump and Bemis. It seems someone smuggled some tools in to themyesterday."

  "Farrington's man."

  "That's how I figure it out," assented Slavin. "Anyhow, they discoveredthat the prisoners were gone about midnight. I didn't hear of it untilabout an hour ago. I hurried to the road detective. He got a 'phonefrom Van Sherwin at the jail about two o'clock this morning. It was towire to the jailer to give him his liberty."

  "What--Van gone, too!" exclaimed Ralph.

  "That's the way it looks. I just came from the jail. They had letSherwin go. The jailer said he had left a note. For Ralph Fairbanks. Itook it to deliver. Here it is."

  Ralph eagerly tore open the letter Slavin handed him.

  It contained Van's signature in initials, and one line only. This read:

  "Got track of Mrs. Davis--I have the stolen papers."