discussing things till this job is over and done with. Then I may have
something to tell you on my own personal account, see?" and Ike tried
to look very fierce and dangerous. "I'll give you something to think
of, though. You're going to tell a certain man all you know about a
certain fellow, and you're going to fix it so that the certain man
can find the certain fellow, or you don't run 999 for a time to come,
I'll bet you."

"Who is this certain man?" inquired Ralph.

"I don't know his name. He's a stranger to me."

"And who is the certain fellow?"

"I know that one--I don't mind telling you. Then shut up. You've a way
of worming things out of people, and I'm not going to help you
any--it's Marvin Clark."

"I thought it was," nodded the young engineer reflectively; and then
there was a spell of silence.

Ralph could only conjecture as to the significance of Ike's statement.
There certainly was some vivid interest that centered about the
missing son of the railroad president. That name, Marvin Clark, had
been used to lure Ralph to the old shed. Now it was again employed. It
took a far flight of fancy to discern what connection young Clark
might have with these two outcasts--worse, criminals. Ralph decided
that their only mission in any plot surrounding Clark was that of
hired intermediaries. He did not know why, but somehow he came to the
conclusion that Evans and Slump were acting in behalf of the pretended
Lord Montague. Why and wherefore he could not imagine, but he believed
that through circumstances now developing he would soon find out.

Slump shifted around on the pile of rails a good deal. They afforded
anything but a comfortable resting place. Finally he seemed to decide
that he would change his seat. He edged along with the apparent
intention of reaching a heap of spike kegs. He never, however, took
his eye away from Ralph. Ike, too, held his weapon at a continual
menace, and gave his captive no chance to act against him or run for
the door.

Near the end of the pile of rails, Ike prepared to descend backwards
to the spike kegs. He planned to do this without for an instant
relaxing his vigilance. As he reached out one foot to touch the rails,
there was an ominous grinding sound. He had thrown his weight on one
rail. The contact pushed this out of place.

Once started, the whole heap began to shift. Ralph, quite awed, saw
the pile twist out of shape, and, tumbling in their midst, was his
watcher.