ork and Western railroad.

The superintendent read the two notes, and looked at the two young
fellows. In general appearance one was very nearly as bad as the other;
for, though Rod did not realize the fact, his clothing and person were so
torn and dirty from the fight of the preceding night and his subsequent
rough experience, that he looked very nearly as much of a tramp as Bill
himself.

"I wonder which of you I am to believe, or if either is telling me the
truth?" said the superintendent dubiously, half aloud and half to
himself.

CHAPTER XV.

SMILER TO THE RESCUE.

At that moment a small dog walked into the room, wagging his tail with an
air of being perfectly at home there. Rod was the first to notice him, and
his eye lighted with a gleam of genuine pleasure.

"Smiler? Smiler, old dog!" he said.

The next instant Smiler was licking his face and testifying to his joy at
again meeting this friend, in the most extravagant manner. Suddenly he
caught sight of Bill, and drawing back his upper lip with an ominous
growl, would have flown at the young tramp had not Rodman restrained him.

"That settles it, so far as I am concerned," exclaimed the superintendent,
with a relieved air. "Any one that Smiler recognizes as a friend must be
an honest fellow; while the person whom Smiler calls an enemy, must have
given him good cause for his enmity, and is to be regarded with distrust
by all railroad men. Now, I am going to carry you two chaps to the
Junction where Conductor Tobin and his crew are lying off to-day. There,
I have no doubt, this whole matter will be explained satisfactorily to me
and to one of you, as well as with perfect justice to you both."

Smiler, who had reached this station on a passenger locomotive, now
attached himself resolutely to Rod, and followed him into the
superintendent's private car, here he was made as cordially welcome as
he would have been in the humblest caboose on the road. Some of his
enthusiastic admirers declared that Smiler owned the road; while all
admitted that there was but one other individual connected with it, whose
appearance was so uniformly welcome as his, and that was the paymaster.

Now, there was a marked difference shown between the treatment of Smiler's
friend, and that of his enemy. The former was invited to sit down with the
superintendent and eat dinner, which was announced as ready soon after
they left the station; but Bill was consigned to the care of