ailing encircling the chief's desk.

He was not over sixteen years of age, of medium size, poorly clad, and
evidently used to hard work. But his features, though browned with a
deep coat of tan and bountifully sprinkled with freckles, made up an
honest, manly-looking countenance, while the blue eyes met the railroad
superintendent's sterner gaze with an unflinching light.

Everything had seemed to work that day at cross-purposes with
Superintendent Lyons, and he was in no humor to parley with the poor
boy, who had thrust himself into his presence with more boldness than
discretion.

But the very attitude of the youthful applicant, as he stood there with
uncovered head, respectfully waiting for his answer, showed he was not
to be put off with the ordinary excuse.

General Lyons was so favorably impressed with his appearance of quiet
determination that he was fain to ask:

"You say you have come from Woodsville, a hundred miles, for a situation
on the road?"

"Yes, sir."

"And that you have recently been discharged from our employ? I must say,
your audacity is only equaled by your frankness."

"But, sir, it was no fault of mine. I was trying to do my duty."

"Give me the particulars in as few words as possible."

"Thank you, sir. I have worked on Section 66 nearly two years--"

"Let me see," interrupted the superintendent, "that extends from Trestle
Summit to Wood's Hollow."

"Yes, sir."

"The most troublesome section on the entire line of the road. But go on
with your story."

"It's a bad section, sir, and it usually takes five regular hands to
keep it in repair. But for two weeks a couple of the men have been off
on account of illness, while our foreman, Mr. Gammon, has not been on
duty half of the time. This left one man, with myself, to look after the
road. That, with the rains we have been having, has given us more than
we could do as it ought to be done. But Mr. Gammon refused to put on any
more help, so Mr. Baxter and I have done the best we could.

"Day before yesterday it was after dark when we had finished a repair
which had taken us all the afternoon, at Trestle Summit, the extreme
upper end of our section.

"The northern mail train was then due, and we were waiting for that to
pass, so we could have a clear track to go home, when a man, coming from
the direction of Woodsville, told us the bridge, two miles beyond the
station, had been washed away. The stranger didn't look like an honest
ma