said Jack, after a moment"s pause. "I can run an engine, you know."
"You have only to apply for it," replied the other. "But say, Jack, if you should be fool enough to go up to get killed on that old engine, you had better take a fireman along with you, for you will not be able to find a helper up that way."
Another silence fell upon the twain, during which Jack"s hands were not as busy as his brains, until finally he laid aside his work, saying in his blunt way:
"I shall start within a week for St. Resa, unless in the meantime I get some sort of word from John Fowler & Company, or from my folks."
After that the days flew by on the wings of the wind. Eagerly Jack waited for some kind of word from his home, but not a letter reached him, for the reason that his folks were very poor and had many troubles of their own, and because the manufacturing company that had sent him to South America were in financial difficulties.
Sunday pa.s.sed and then Monday, and the week came to an end. Jack had another talk with the Peruvian about the railroad position and then slapped his hands together.
"I"m going to have a try at it, come what may," he said, determinedly.
Chapter IX
Jack Becomes an Engineer
Jack as usual, was as good as his word.
He stopped long enough to lay down his tools and seek the foreman for a leave of absence.
"Going to St. Resa? You will make the journey but one way. You will never come back."
But Jack was determined, and nothing that the other could tell him of the perils he was sure to encounter could deter him from his purpose.
An hour later he turned his back on Tocopilla.
He was pa.s.sing one of the outer gates, near the edge of the city, when he was stopped by one of the many beggars which invest the town.
"Only a miserable pittance," implored the ragged wretch, holding out a dirty hand for the gift.
Something in the beggar"s tone and manner arrested Jack"s attention. He had been addressed in English, which was unusual, but there was more than the language to attract him to the poor alms seeker.
Then, as he bent a closer gaze on the person, he exclaimed:
"Fret Offut! can this be you?"
"Jack North!" exclaimed the other. "I did not think of seeing you here."
"Nor I you, most of all in this condition."
"It was all I could do, Jack," whined the other. "I have had such bad luck since you left me! But ain"t you looking like a peac.o.c.k!"
"I have managed to get a living by working hard."
"I"ll warrant you have; but I wouldn"t work at the starvation wages they offered me. Say, where are you going?"
"To St. Resa."
"In South Peru?"
"Yes."
"What do you expect to do there?"
"Going to apply for a situation as engineer on a railroad."
"Whew! I heard a man say this morning they were offering big pay. Let me go with you, Jack? You will do this for old time"s sake? I will be fireman."
Jack"s first thought was to refuse the other"s company. He felt that Fret had already done him harm enough, and that his presence would be a positive injury to him. But upon second thought he became more generous.
In spite of all Fret had done against him he could not help pitying the young fellow now in his forlorn condition, and thus he said:
"If you will promise that you will not try to make trouble for me and that you will do the very best you can for yourself. You mustn"t forget, too, that you are going where you may not come back alive."
Fret Offut promised very solemnly to all that Jack asked, and the couple started on their hazardous journey into the interior of the country which was about to become the battleground of three nations.
They received a warm welcome at the railroad company"s office as soon as the object of their call was known. It had been a week since the last train had gone over the route, and a big acc.u.mulation of freight wanted to be moved. They were offered big wages and accepted.
"Well, Fret, we"re in for it now," said Jack, as they went to the station to make their first trip.
The young fireman made no reply. He was already beginning to regret the step he had taken, though Jack"s fearlessness was not without its effect on him.
A big crowd was at the station to see the train start, which made Fret feel the importance of his position.
The train had a fifty-mile run and Jack found that he was expected to make it and return the same day. This did not seem a difficult task, providing the bush-raiders let them alone.
The road was in a terrible condition, yet the first trip was made without adventure and Fret"s spirits rose.
"Probably the bush-raiders did not know we were going yesterday," said Jack, as his helper was boasting of their easy job.
Jack could not say as much when he got back from his second trip, for no less than three shots had been fired into the caboose.
Fret Offut was in genuine alarm. The situation was worse than had been described to Jack. Reports showed that the bush-raiders were gaining in numbers every day, and growing more bold as they increased in strength.
The country, spa.r.s.ely settled, through which the railroad ran seemed especially fitted for their guerrilla warfare, to say nothing of the poor state of the road-bed, which at places actually made the pa.s.sage dangerous. Then, too, the cars and engine were cheap and simple affairs, offering no protection from the bullets of the enemies.
But Jack had no intention of giving up at this stage of the situation, and Fret concluded to risk a third trip.
The company were anxious for the train to be kept running, but offered no protection, if it could supply any.
The round trip on this day was made without any shots being fired by the enemies, though at least twenty bush-raiders were seen drawn up in sight of the train, as it wound its way through one of the gloomiest spots of the entire route.
One of the disreputable looking party waved a red cloth on the muzzle of his short-barreled carbine as they whisked past.
"Look out for to-morrow," said Jack. "That looks to me like a sort of warning."