e what tried to hold up Massa Tom dat time.
O'Malley is de man what's been spyin' on Massa Tom--"

"Great grief!" exclaimed Ned, breaking in with excitement. "I'll drive
as fast as I can, Rad. There is something wrong at the works, I do
believe!"

"What's wrong, Mr. Ned?" demanded Rad. "We just come from dere, and
everyt'ing was all right."

"I just heard something that O'Malley said. I want to get back in a
hurry. I believe that scoundrel is attempting to blow up Tom's
locomotive. We've got to get to the works just as quick as we can."

Chapter XI

Touch and Go

The mechanical equipment of the new locomotive was now complete and Tom
was establishing the electrical equipment as rapidly as possible. He
not only acted as overseer of this work, but in overalls and jumper he
was doing a good share of the work himself.

The weight of the electrical equipment when it was finally set up was
not far from two hundred thousand pounds. Altogether, when the oil,
sand, and water tanks were filled, the great machine would weigh two
hundred and eighty-five tons--a monster indeed!

"She is going to take a lot of current to run her," said Tom to his
father, who was standing by. "When I come to arrange with the Shopton
Electric Company for power, it's a question if they can give me all I
need. And I must have plenty of current to make sure that my motors
till the bill."

"As your tests will be made in the daytime, the company should be able
to furnish the power you need," rejoined Mr. Swift. "At night, of
course, when they must furnish so much light as well as power, it might
be difficult for them to give you the proper current."

"Forty-four hundred horsepower is a big demand," went on Tom. "I've
got to have at least a three-thousand-volt direct-current to feed my
motors. I will soon have to take up the matter with the Electric
Company."

The heavy work of setting the electrical parts of the locomotive had
been finished the day previous, and the track-derrick was removed. Tom
was engaged in adjusting the more delicate parts of the equipment and
had merely stepped down from the cab to speak to Mr. Swift.

Now he climbed back into the interior of the great machine which, in a
general way, looked like a box car. An electric locomotive has not much
of the appearance of a steam engine. The machinery is all boxed in and
the entire floor of the locomotive is above even the drivers.

These six pairs of driving wheels