gton has transferred all his property to Bartlett so we
could not collect the money he owes us."

"Then we shall lose our twenty thousand dollars after all," said Mrs.
Fairbanks anxiously.

"Wait and see," replied Ralph, with a mysterious smile. "I am not yet
through with Gasper Farrington."

CHAPTER XXII

THE LIMITED MAIL

"All aboard!"

The conductor of the Limited Mail gave the signal cheerily. Ralph
swung in from his side of the cab on the crack locomotive of the road.
Old John Griscom gave a chuckle of delight and the trip to the city
began.

It was ten days after the adventure in the scow--ten days full of
activity and progress in the railroad interests of the Great Northern.
This was the morning when old-time schedules were resumed and every
part of the machinery of the line went back to routine.

"I tell you, lad, it feels good to start out with clear tracks and the
regular system again. I'm proud of you, Fairbanks. You did up those
strikers in fine style, and it will be a long time before we shall
have any more trouble in that line."

"I hope so, Mr. Griscom," said Ralph. "The company seems determined to
teach the strikers a lesson."

This was true. Immediately after the visit of Ralph to the city, the
railroad people had set at work to make the most of the evidence in
their hands. A statement of the facts they had discovered was given to
the public, a series of indictments found against Gasper Farrington,
Bartlett, Jim Evans and others, and a vigorous prosecution for
conspiracy was begun. Among the most important witnesses against them
was Zeph Dallas. Farrington and Bartlett disappeared. Evans and the
others were sent to jail.

A great revulsion in popular sentiment occurred when the true details
of the strike movement were made known. The respectable element of the
old union had scored a great victory, and work was resumed with many
undesirable employes on the blacklist.

It seemed to Ralph now as though all unfavorable obstacles in the way
of his success had been removed. He believed that Slump and Bemis were
powerless to trouble him farther. As to Farrington, Ralph expected at
some time to see that wily old schemer again, for the railroad was in
possession of papers of value to the discredited railroad magnate.

Ralph had now become quite an expert at his work as a fireman. There
was no grumbling at any time from the veteran engineer, for Ralph had
a system in his work which showe