ed from
the wagon, dealt young Evans one blow and sent him half-stunned to
the ground. Regaining the wagon he drove quickly into the street
before his astonished enemies could act any further.

"Poor fellow," said Ralph, looking at the lad in the wagon. "Now, what
am I ever going to do with him?"

Ralph reflected for a moment or two. Then he started in the direction
of home. He was sleepy and tired out, and he realized that the present
episode might interfere with some of his plans for the day, but he was
a whole-hearted, sympathetic boy and could not resist the promptings
of his generous nature.

The young fireman soon reached the pretty little cottage that was his
home, so recently rescued from the sordid clutches of old Gasper
Farrington. He halted the team in front of the place and entered the
house at once.

"Here I am, mother," he said cheerily.

Mrs. Fairbanks greeted him with a smile of glad welcome.

"I was quite anxious about you when I heard of the wreck, Ralph," she
said with solicitude. He had not been home since that happening.

"It was not a wreck, mother," corrected Ralph. Then he briefly recited
the incidents of the hold-up.

"It seems as though you were destined to meet with all kinds of
danger in your railroad life," said the widow. "You were delayed
considerably."

"Yes," answered Ralph, "we had to remove the landslide debris. That
took us six hours and threw us off our schedule, so we had to lay over
at Dover all day yesterday. One pleasant thing, though."

"What is that, Ralph?"

"The master mechanic congratulated me this morning on what he called,
'saving the train.'"

"Which you certainly did, Ralph. Why, whose wagon is that in front of
the house?" inquired Mrs. Fairbanks, observing the vehicle outside for
the first time.

Ralph explained the circumstances of his rescue of the vehicle to his
mother.

"What are you going to do with the farmer's boy?" she inquired.

"I want to bring him in the house until he recovers."

"Very well, I will make up a bed on the lounge for him," said the
woman. "It is too bad, poor fellow! and shameful--the mischief of
those men at the hotel."

Ralph carried the farmer's boy into the house. Then he ate his
breakfast. After the meal was finished, he glanced at his watch.

"I shall have to lose a little sleep, mother," he said. "I am anxious
to help the poor fellow out, and I think I see a way to do it."

The young fireman had noticed a small b