led along over the ground where, months
before, not even a man could have strolled with safety.

"Do you see any sagging of the track, Mr. Rivers?" Harry called.

"No, sir. Not as much as a sixteenth of an inch at any point," responded
the foreman. "The job has been a big success."

"We can tell that better after the track has held loads of from five to
eight hundred tons," Harry rejoined. "I believe, however, that we have
the tricks of the savage old Man-killer nailed."

Exultation throbbed in Harry's heart. Outwardly, he did not trust
himself to reveal his great delight. He still followed, watching
anxiously, until the train had passed safely over the Man-killer.

Then a great cheer went up from more than a thousand throats, for many
people had come out from Paloma to watch the test.

The train had gone a quarter of a mile past the western edge of the
huge and once treacherous quicksand. Now the engine was on a temporary
turn-table, waiting to be turned and switched back to bring the train
back over the Man-killer at a swift gait.

"Where's Mr. Reade?" called the president of the road, gazing backward.
"Someone go for him. I wish him to be here to see the test made with the
train under fast speed."

"I'll get Reade, sir," answered Harry, motioning to have his pony
brought to him.

Hazelton vanished in a cloud of desert dust.

When he next appeared there was another pony, and Reade astride it.

"You sent for me, sir," said Tom, riding close to the president, then
dismounting.

"Yes," Mr. Reade. "I believed that you should be here to see the test
train return."

"Very good, sir," was Tom's quiet reply. He signaled for a workman to
come and take charge of his pony.

In a few minutes the short but heavy train started, gaining headway
rapidly. By the time it struck the edge of the possibly conquered
quicksand it was moving at the rate of forty miles an hour.

Across the Man-killer the train continued for a mile in the direction of
Paloma.

"Now, let us all inspect the track," suggested the president of the
railroad company. "Call up the autos."

"Will you let me make a suggestion, sir!" queried Tom.

"Go ahead, Mr. Reade."

"Then, sir, let Mr. Hazelton and myself ride out along the track first,
that we may see if the whole course is safe."

"That heavy train just went over at fast speed and nothing disastrous
happened," protested the president.

"Probably the entire course is still safe, sir?" To