Bartlett had been buying up all the stock of the railroad he could
secure. The man was not in good repute at Stanley Junction. He had
come there only the week previous, Ralph was told, and occupied a
mean little room in the main office building of the town.

After supper Ralph strolled down town. He entered the building in
question and ascended its stairs. He knew the occupants of most of the
offices, and finally located a room which contained a light but had no
sign on the door.

Footsteps ascending the stairs caused the young fireman to draw back
into the shadow. A man came into view and knocked noisily at the
closed door.

"Here I am, Bartlett," said the fellow, lurching about in an unsteady
way.

"I see you are," responded the man inside the room, "primed for work,
too, it seems to me."

Ralph could not repress some excitement. The man Bartlett he instantly
recognized as the person who had delivered to him in the city the
papers from Gasper Farrington. His visitor he knew to be a discharged
telegraph operator of the Great Northern.

"Yes," said the latter, as the door closed on him, "I'm ready for
work, so bring on your wire-tapping scheme soon as you like."

CHAPTER XIX

THE WIRE TAPPERS

When the door of the office that Ralph was watching closed again and
was locked, the young fireman approached the room. He was very sure
that some important move against the railroad was meditated by the two
men he had just seen, and he was anxious to overhear their
conversation if possible.

To his intense satisfaction Ralph found that a coal box rested under
the clouded-glass window of the office looking into the hallway. This
window was down from the top some inches. Ralph clambered up on the
coal box, got to the side of the window, fixed his eye at a small
space where the glass was broken, and prepared to listen to the words
of the two men he had in view.

Both sat in chairs now. Bartlett looked brisk and pleased; the
ex-telegraph operator was unkempt, rather sullen, and acted like a man
under orders on some unpleasant duty.

"Well, Morris," said the former, "all ready, are you? Tools and wire
in that bag?"

"Batteries and all, complete outfit," responded the other. "What's the
programme?"

"You haven't mentioned about my employing you to any one?"

"Certainly not."

"And have arranged to stay away from town for several days?"

"A week, if you like, at ten dollars a day you promised me," answere