"Well, I guess not!"

"Yes, you shall!" cried Ralph.

In a second the situation changed. The man was much stronger than his
opponent. He managed to throw Ralph off, and got to his knees. The
young fireman decided, as the fellow reached for a weapon, to strike
out with the iron rod. It landed heavily on the man's temple, and he
fell back senseless on the coal of the tender with a groan.

Ralph securely tied his captive. Then he reversed the lever and opened
the throttle. In a minute he was speeding back over the spur the way
the locomotive had come four hours previous.

"We have one of the kidnappers, at least," he said with satisfaction.
"Ah, there is some one at the bridge," he added, as he ran down the
main tracks.

Signals of danger were set on both sides of the creek, and Ralph could
make out men in the distance moving about. He was soon on the scene.

A track-walker had discovered the burning bridge and had summoned
assistance.

There was only one thing to do with the locomotive, to run on to
Dover, and this Ralph did at once. He reported the occurrences of the
evening to the assistant superintendent, whom he found getting a
wrecking crew together.

"Well, this is a serious and amazing piece of business," commented
that official. "Here, men," he called to his assistants on the
wrecking car, "fetch this fellow into the shanty yonder."

The man Ralph had knocked down in the locomotive cab had recovered
consciousness. He was brought into the shanty and questioned, but was
sullen and silent.

"Won't tell anything, eh?" said the assistant superintendent.

"The letter says all there is to say," remarked the captive coolly,
"but that twenty thousand dollars will never find young Trevor if you
keep me a prisoner."

"A prisoner safe and tight you shall be," declared the railroad
official with determination. "Take him to the town jail, men," he
added. "I must wire for the president of the road at once, and to
Adair at Stanley Junction. What's your plan, Fairbanks?" he asked of
Ralph.

"I hardly know," responded the young fireman. "I don't see that I can
be of any assistance here."

The letter the kidnappers had left with Ralph was terse and clear as
to its directions. The writer demanded twenty thousand dollars for the
return of young Trevor, and indicated how his friends might get in
correspondence with his captors through an advertisement in the city
newspapers.

"The wrecking car is going to the b