ss the roof of the car. There destruction
seemed to face him.

His pursuer had fallen flat on the running board. Ralph dropped flat
also, clutching vainly at space. His fingers tore along the thin
sheeting of ice. He reached the edge of the car roof.

For one moment the young fireman clung there. Then quick as a flash he
slipped one hand down. It was to hook his fingers into the top slide
bar of the car's side door. The action drew back the door about an
inch. It was unlocked. Ralph dropped his other hold lightning-quick,
thrust his hand into the interstice, pushed the door still further
back, and precipitated himself forward across the floor of an empty
box car.

There he lay, done up, almost terrified at the crowding perils of the
instant, marveling at his wonderful escape from death.

"They must think I went clear to the ground," theorized Ralph. "I am
safe for the present, at least. What an adventure! And Woods is in
league with the freight thieves! That solves the problem for the
railroad company.

"An empty car," he said, as he finally struggled to his feet. "I'll
wait till the train stops again and then run ahead to Barton. Hello!"
he exclaimed sharply, as moving about the car, his foot came in
contact with some object.

Ralph stood perfectly still. He could hear deep, regular breathing, as
of some one asleep. His curiosity impelled him to investigate farther.
He took a match from his pocket, flared it, and peered down.

Directly in one corner of the car lay a big, powerful man. He was
dressed in rags. His coat was open, and under it showed a striped
shirt.

"Why!" exclaimed Ralph, "a convict--an escaped convict!"

The man grasped in one hand, as if on guard with a weapon of defense,
a pair of handcuffs connected with a long, heavy steel chain.
Apparently he had in some way freed himself from these.

Ralph flared a second match to make a still closer inspection of the
man. This aroused the sleeper. He moved, opened his eyes suddenly, saw
Ralph, and with a frightful yell sprang up.

"I've got you!" he said, seizing Ralph. "After me, are you? Hold
still, or I'll throttle you. How near are the people who sent you on
my trail?"

"I won't risk that," shouted the man wildly.

In a twinkling he had slipped the handcuffs over Ralph's wrists. The
latter was a prisoner so strangely that he was more curious than
alarmed.

"Going to stop, are they?" pursued the man, as there was some
whistling ahead. "Min