e halted, low voices reached Alex's ears. Peering cautiously
out, and seeing no one, he crept forth, and made his way along the side
of the embankment toward the train. A few feet from the rear car Alex
came upon a three-wheeled track velocipede, used by Elder, the
superintendent's clerk in running backwards and forwards between the
rail-head and the junction. Pausing, he debated whether he should not put
it on the rails, and make a run for the junction immediately. Finally
Alex concluded first to learn something further of what was going on, and
to count on the velocipede as a means of making his escape in case of
emergency. To this end he proceeded cautiously to place the little jigger
in a position from which he could quickly swing it onto the irons. Then
continuing forward under the edge of the train, he reached the pilot-car.

"Yes; it's a first class machine--the best on the market."

The voice was that of the oiler. Apparently he had been showing the
strangers over the track-machine. For a brief space Alex wondered whether
after all his suspicions were justified. But at once came the thought,
"Why had the strangers hidden their horses in the creek-bottom if they
were genuine visitors?" and he remained quiet.

"Where is the boiler?" inquired a new voice, evidently one of the owners
of the horses.

"There is none. The steam comes from the engine, behind," the oiler
responded. "Here--it comes in here."

"So! And does the machine get out of order very easily?" asked a second
voice.

There was something in the tone that caused Alex to prick up his ears.

"Almost never. It's all simple. Nothing intricate," the man in charge
replied.

"I suppose it could be put out of order, though--say, you fellows were to
go on strike, and wanted to disable things? Eh?"

"Huh! That's rather a funny question. But I suppose it could. Anything
could, for that matter."

"What do they pay you, as oiler?"

"Say, what are you two fellows driving at?" the oiler demanded sharply.

There was a momentary silence, during which Alex imagined the two
strangers looking questioningly at one another. Then one of them spoke.

"Look here, whatever you get, we will give you a hundred dollars a month
extra to put this machine out of order two or three times a week. Nothing
very bad, but just enough to lose two or three hours' work each time. We
are--well, never mind who we are. The thing stands this way: We have a
big bet on that the K. & Z