"Forever is a long word, Koku," said Tom, more seriously. "I'll tell
you when to open the door. I'll be at the end of the journey to meet
you."

"It all right if Master say so. But Koku no like to travel in box,"
grumbled the giant.

Tom turned from the electric locomotive to see Ned staring across the
tracks at a man who was talking to several of the train crew of the
side-swiped accommodation train. That train was about to be moved on
under its own power. None of the wreckage of the freight interfered
with the progress of the accommodation.

Tom stepped to Ned's side and touched his arm. "Who is he?" the
inventor asked.

The man who had attracted Ned's attention and now held Tom's interest
as well was a solid looking man with gray hair and a dyed mustache. He
was chewing on a long and black cigar, and he spoke to the train hands
with authority.

"Well, why can't you find him?" he wanted to know in a hoarse and
arrogant voice.

"Who is he?" asked Tom again in Ned's ear.

"I've seen him somewhere. Or else I've seen somebody that looks like
him. Maybe I've seen his picture. He's somebody of importance."

"He thinks he is," rejoined the young inventor, with some disdain.

In answer to something one of the railroad men said the important
looking individual uttered an oath and added:

"There's nobody been killed then? He's just missing? He was sitting in
the coach ahead of me. I saw him just before the wreck. You know
O'Malley yourself. Do you mean to say you haven't seen him, Conductor?"

"I assure you he disappeared like smoke, sir," said the passenger
conductor. "I haven't an idea what became of him."

"Humph! If you see him, send him to me," and the solid man stepped
heavily aboard the nearest coach and disappeared inside.

Tom and Ned stared at each other with wondering gaze. O'Malley! The
spy who had represented Montagne Lewis and the Hendrickton & Western
Railroad in the East.

"What do you know about that?" demanded Ned, wonderingly.

"Hold on!" exclaimed Tom. He sprang across the rails after the
conductor of the accommodation train that was just starting on. "Let
me ask you a question."

"Yes, sir?" replied the conductor

"Who was that man who just spoke to you?" "That man? Why, I thought
everybody out this way knew Montagne Lewis. That is his name, sir--and
a big man he is. Yes, sir," and the conductor, giving the watching
engineer of his train the "highball," caught the hand-rail of the c