ing
to reach the doorway to leap out, was tripped up, and he fell quite
heavily.

"Toss him out!" growled his first assailant, but Ralph recovered
himself, managed to gain his feet, and leaped to the ground outside.

The three men followed. Ralph ran behind a pile of railroad ties. His
pursuers gained upon him. He stumbled, fell flat, and they pounced
upon him.

"Hold on there," suddenly spoke a new voice. "Get back and stay back,
or I'll know the reason why."

Something whizzed through the air. It was a heavy cudgel. Whack!
whack! whack! the three fellows retreated as their shoulders were
assailed good and hard.

Ralph in some surprise regarded his new friend. He was a queer-looking
old man, carrying a formidable cudgel, and this he now brandished
recklessly in the faces of his adversaries, beating them back step by
step.

"Now, you mind your own business," he warned the men. "Pitching onto a
boy--three big loafers that you are!"

The men were cowards and sneaked sullenly away. Ralph's rescuer went
back to the pile of ties and took up a little open memorandum book
lying there.

Ralph noticed that its pages bore a list of numbers, as of cars.

"I am very grateful to you," said the young fireman.

"That's all right," responded the stranger, and ran his eye over the
cars as they passed by as if looking at their numbers. Ralph concluded
that he had some business on the spot.

"Are you in the service of the railroad?" he asked.

"Yes," nodded the man--"of many railroads. I am a professional car
finder."

CHAPTER XV

THE RUNAWAY TRAINS

Ralph and his companion followed the train till it left the siding,
when the young fireman set the switch and they stood by the side of
the track until the locomotive backed down to where they were.

"Going into Dover?" inquired the man who had rendered Ralph such
signal service.

"Yes," nodded Griscom, looking the questioner over suspiciously, as
was his custom with all strangers recently since the strike began.

"Give me a lift, will you? I am through with my work here," observed
the man. "My name is Drury. I am a car finder."

"Indeed?" said the old engineer with some interest of manner. "I've
heard of you fellows. Often thought I'd like the job."

"You wouldn't, if you knew its troubles and difficulties," asserted
Drury with a laugh, as he climbed into the tender. "You think it's
just riding around and asking a few questions. Why, say, I have spent
a w