s moods, like all of us, I suppose," explained
Ralph, with affected indifference.

"I wouldn't take him for a very pleasant comrade at any time,"
observed Clark. "It's a wonder he don't take a tumble. There he is,
hitching around to the pilot. What for, I wonder?"

Ralph was not paying much attention to what the cab passenger was
saying. He had made up five minutes, and his quick mind was now
planning how he would gain five more, and then double that, to
Plympton and beyond it.

He gave the whistle for Plympton, as, shooting a curve, No. 999 drove
a clattering pace down the grade with the lights of the station not a
quarter-of-a-mile away. They were set for clear tracks, as they should
be. Ralph gave the lever a hitch for a rattling dash on ten miles of
clear running. Then fairly up to the first station semaphore, he broke
out with a cry so sharp and dismayed that young Clark echoed it in
questioning excitement.

"The siding!" cried Ralph, with a jerk of the lever--"what's the
meaning of this?"

"Say!" echoed Clark, in a startled tone, "that's quick and queer!"

What had happened was this: No. 999 going at full speed on clear
signals had been sent to a siding and the signals cancelled without a
moment's warning. Under ordinary circumstances, a train thus
sidetracked would be under notified control and run down the siding
only a short distance. Going at high speed, however, and with a full
head of steam on, Ralph realized that, long as the siding was, he
would have to work quick and hard to check down the big locomotive
before she slid the limit, and stuck her nose deep into the sand hill
that blocked the terminus of the rails.

It was quite dark now. The lights of the station flashed by. Both
hands in use to check the locomotive and set the air brakes, Ralph
leaned slightly from the cab window and peered ahead.

"Shoot the sand!" he cried, almost mechanically.

It was a good thing that the cab passenger was aboard and knew
something about the cab equipment. Young Clark reached the side of the
engineer's seat in a nimble spring. His hand located the sand valve
without hesitancy.

Ralph uttered a short, sharp gasp. That look ahead had scared him. He
was doing all he could to slow down, and was doing magnificently, for
the reverse action moved to a charm. Still, he saw that after dashing
fully two hundred yards down the siding, the natural momentum would
carry the train fully one-third that distance further.