ut. And they say that on the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul, at least, their freight locomotives handle twice
the load of a steam locomotive at a greatly reduced cost."

"Sounds fine. Don't wonder Mr. Bartholomew is eager to electrify his
entire tine."

"On the side of passenger traffic," continued Tom Swift, "the electric
locomotive is smokeless, noiseless, dirtless, and doesn't jerk the
coaches in either stopping or starting. And in addition, the electric
locomotive is much easier on track and roadbed than the old 'iron
horse' driven by steam generated either from coal or oil."

"It is a great field for your talents, Tom!" cried Ned, warmly.

"It is a big job," admitted Tom, and he said this with modesty. "I
don't know what I may be able to do--if anything. I would not feel
right in taking Mr. Bartholomew's twenty-five thousand dollars for
nothing."

"Quite right, my boy," said Mr. Swift, approvingly.

"Never mind that," said the financial manager, rather grimly. "It was
his own offer and his risk. That twenty-five thousand comes to our
account."

Tom laughed. "All business, Ned, aren't you? But there is more than
business for the Swift Construction Company in this. Our reputation for
fair dealing as well as for inventive powers is linked up with this
contract.

"I want to show the Jandel people--to say nothing of the bigger
firms--that the Swifts are to be reckoned with when it comes to
electric invention. Other roads will be electrifying their lines as
fast as it is proved that the electric-driven locomotive has the bulge
on the steam-driven.

"In the case of the Hendrickton & Pas Alos there are very steep grades
to overcome. Supposedly an electric motor-drive should achieve the same
speed on a hill as on the level. But there is the weight of the train
to be counted on.

"The H. & P. A. has a two per cent. grade in more than one place. Mr.
Bartholomew confessed as much to me last night. The electric-driven
locomotive of the powerful freight type, which the Jandel people built
for Mr. Bartholomew, can make about sixteen miles an hour on those
grades, although they can hit it up to thirty miles an hour on level
track.

"His passenger locomotives turn off a mile a minute and more, on the
level road; but they can not climb those steep grades at a much
livelier pace than the freight engines. That is why he is talking about
two-mile-a-minute locomotives. He must get a mighty speedy locomotive,
for both fr