hile his companion chipped in a word now and then. Suddenly
something appeared to be said that roused up the fireman. His hand
went up in the air with an angry menacing motion. He shouted out some
words that Ralph could not hear at the distance he was from the
scene.

The two men seemed to remonstrate. One of them raised his own fist
menacingly. The other crowded towards Fogg in a stealthy, suspicious
way.

In a flash the climax came. Swinging out his giant hand, the fireman
of No. 999 seized his nearest opponent and gave him a fling into the
ditch. He then sprang at the other, and sent him whirling head over
heels to join his companion.

CHAPTER XIII

THE "BLACK HAND"

Lemuel Fogg's opponents scrambled to their feet and sneaked off
immediately. The fireman turned his back upon them, and strode down
the sidewalk in the direction of the Fairbanks' home with a stormy and
disturbed expression on his face.

"Trouble, Mr. Fogg?" intimated the young railroader, as the fireman
approached him.

"No," dissented Fogg vigorously, "the end of trouble. I'm sorry to
lose my temper, lad, but those ruffians were the limit. They know my
sentiments now."

"They were Hall and Wilson, I noticed," suggested Ralph.

"Yes," returned the fireman, "and two worse unhung rascals never
walked. They came about you. Say, Mr. Fairbanks," continued Fogg
excitedly, "It wasn't so bad tackling me as a sort of comrade,
considering that I had been foolish enough to train with them once,
but when they mentioned you--I went wild. You--after what you've done
for me and mine! Say----"

"Hold on--close the brakes," ordered Ralph, as his companion seemed
inclined to run after his recent adversaries and seek them out for a
further castigation. "You've made the brake with them--forget them."

"They had a new plot to get a black mark against you," went on the
fireman. "I heard them half through their plans. Then I sailed into
them."

"Well, breakfast is ready," said Ralph, "and after that, work, so we'd
better get down to schedule."

The run to which No. 999 had been apportioned covered the Muddy Creek
branch of the Great Northern to Riverton. The train was an
accommodation and ran sixty miles. It was to leave Stanley Junction at
9:15 A. M., arrive at terminus at about noon, and start back for the
Junction at two o'clock.

Ralph left the house about eight o'clock, after arranging to meet his
fireman at the roundhouse. He went to the hot