Ralph began to quietly tell the story of his own dealings with the village magnate of Stanley Junction. It had a great effect upon his auditor. From dark distrust and suspicion his emotions gradually subsided to interest, and finally to confidence.
It was only by gradations that Ralph led the man to believe that he was his friend and could help him in his difficulties.
The convict told a pitiful story. Ralph believed it to be a true one.
To further his own avaricious ends, Farrington had devised a villainous plot to send the man to the penitentiary. He had escaped.
He had doc.u.ments that would cause Farrington not only to disgorge his ill-gotten gains, but would send him to jail.
"I want to get to where those doc.u.ments are hidden," said the convict.
"Then to find Farrington, and I shall right your wrongs as well as my own."
Ralph reflected deeply over the matter in hand. He resolved on a course of proceedings and submitted it to his companion.
He offered to take the convict to the isolated home of Amos Greenleaf, where he could remain safely in retirement. Ralph promised to get him comfortable garments and provide for his board and lodging. In a few days he would see him again and help him to find Farrington.
The young fireman was now released from the handcuffs. He calculated the location of the place where Greenleaf lived.
"It is about fifteen miles to the spot I told you of," he explained to the convict.
"Can we reach it without being seen by any one?" anxiously inquired his companion.
"Yes, I can take a route where we need not pa.s.s a single habitation."
It was afternoon when they reached the home of old Amos Greenleaf.
Ralph experienced no difficulty in arranging that the convict remain there for a few days. He gave Greenleaf some money, and, promising to see the convict very soon, proceeded to Wilmer.
The young fireman took the first train for Afton, and reported what had occurred to the a.s.sistant superintendent.
Two days later Woods and his companions were in jail, and a great part of the stolen freight plunder was recovered.
Woods confessed that he had duplicated keys and seals for the doors and ventilators of the freight cars, and the bold thieveries along the Great Northern now ceased.
Ralph obtained leave of absence for a week. He decided that it was worth while to try and find Gasper Farrington. He went to the city, got certain papers belonging to the magnate from Mr. Grant, and went to Wilmer.
He was soon at the junction of the Springfield & Dover Short Cut Railroad and the Great Northern. That terminus was completed. A neat depot had been erected, and on the tracks of the new railroad there stood a handsome locomotive.
"Oh, Ralph!" cried Zeph Dallas, rushing forward to greet his friend, as the young fireman appeared. "Great news!"
CHAPTER x.x.x
THE LOST DIAMONDS
"Great news, eh?" said Ralph.
"You will say so when you hear what I have got to tell you," declared Zeph Dallas. "Say, I am going straight to headquarters. Come with me.
The news will keep till we get there."
"All right," a.s.sented Ralph. "There is enough going on around here to keep a fellow interested."
"The new railroad?" spoke Zeph brightly. "I should say so. Isn"t it just famous? I tell you, some hustling work has been done here in the past few weeks."
Ralph was amazed and delighted at the progress made by the Short Line Railway. As said, a new locomotive was on the rails at the terminus, and a little depot had been built. Workmen were busy as far down the line as he could see. In fact, everything indicated that the road would soon be in full operation.
"The tracks are laid both ways from headquarters, except for a little distance on the Springfield side," said Zeph. "We expect pa.s.senger and freight cars for the road to-day, and on Monday we open the line."
"And in what capacity will you appear on that grand occasion, Zeph?"
inquired the young fireman pleasantly.
"Conductor!" exploded the farmer boy, drawing himself up proudly. "See here;" he drew back his coat and revealed the biggest and most elaborate "Conductor" badge manufactured. "We expect that Earl Danvers will become our brakeman."
"Who?" cried Ralph with a start.
"Earl Danvers."
"Is he here?"
"He is at headquarters," said Zeph. "Don"t bother asking me about him now. You will soon see him, and he will tell you his own story. Then, too, Mr. Gibson wishes to see you particularly. Here"s our hand-car, jump aboard. We"ll spin along at a fine rate, I tell you, for the roadbed is splendid."
Ralph found it so. It was a most interesting journey to headquarters.
There was only one track, and on this the men had spent their energies to great advantage, and commendable results followed.
He was warmly welcomed by his friends, particularly so by Earl Danvers. Just as soon as mutual greetings were over Ralph took Earl to a pile of ties a little distance away.
"Now then, young man," he said, "seeing we are alone, suppose you give an account of yourself."
Earl Danvers was thin and pale. He looked as if he had gone through some recent severe hardships, but he smiled serenely as he said:
"It"s easy to tell my story, now I am out of my troubles, but I tell you, Ralph, I have had a hard time of it."
"With Slump and Bemis?"
"Yes. The afternoon I left Stanley Junction, they were the fellows who forced me to go away with them. They broke into your house, and I found them ransacking it. They pitched on to me, and tied me up. Then they recognized me."
"What, had you known them before?" exclaimed Ralph, in some surprise.
"I found out that I had. You remember the first day that you saw me?"
"Yes," nodded Ralph.
"Well, I had run away from my uncles that morning. I had made up a package hurriedly, containing shoes, coat and cap, and got away through a window in the attic. I went about five miles, when I ran right into two fellows in the woods. They were Slump and Bemis. They got mad at my stumbling over them, took away my parcel and began to belabor me. I had to run to keep from being terribly beaten. Then I sneaked around, hoping to recover my parcel. They had gone in swimming. My parcel had disappeared. I had to have a coat. I grabbed one and ran away with it. They yelled after me, but I outdistanced them. Then later I ran across my uncles looking for me. The rest you know."
"And what about the coat?"
"Well," related Earl, "when those fellows broke into your house, they inquired about that coat. I at once saw that they had a great interest in it. I told them I didn"t know where it was. They insisted that I did. They ransacked the house from top to bottom. They took me away from town to a miserable hut where they were staying. Until yesterday I was a prisoner there, tied up, half-starved, and every day Slump would come and demand to know if I was going to tell him what had become of that coat. From the first I knew that coat was what they were after when they burglarized your house, and wrote what words I could on the wall of your sitting room."