Ralph on the Engine/Chapter 30
CHAPTER XXX
THE LOST DIAMONDS
"Great news, eh?" said Ralph.
"You will say so when you hear what I have got to tell you," declared Zeph Dallas. "Say, I am going straight to headquarters. Come with me. The news will keep till we get there."
"All right," assented Ralph. "There is enough going on around here to keep a fellow interested."
"The new railroad?" spoke Zeph brightly. "I should say so. Isn't it just famous? I tell you, some hustling work has been done here in the past few weeks."
Ralph was amazed and delighted at the progress made by the Short Line Railway. As said, a new locomotive was on the rails at the terminus, and a little depot had been built. Workmen were busy as far down the line as he could see. In fact, everything indicated that the road would soon be in full operation.
"The tracks are laid both ways from headquarters, except for a little distance on the Springfield side," said Zeph. "We expect passenger and freight cars for the road to-day, and on Monday we open the line."
"And in what capacity will you appear on that grand occasion, Zeph?" inquired the young fireman pleasantly.
"Conductor!" exploded the farmer boy, drawing himself up proudly. "See here;" he drew back his coat and revealed the biggest and most elaborate "Conductor" badge manufactured. "We expect that Earl Danvers will become our brakeman."
"Who?" cried Ralph with a start.
"Earl Danvers."
"Is he here?"
"He is at headquarters," said Zeph. "Don't bother asking me about him now. You will soon see him, and he will tell you his own story. Then, too, Mr. Gibson wishes to see you particularly. Here's our hand-car, jump aboard. We'll spin along at a fine rate, I tell you, for the roadbed is splendid."
Ralph found it so. It was a most interesting journey to headquarters. There was only one track, and on this the men had spent their energies to great advantage, and commendable results followed.
He was warmly welcomed by his friends, particularly so by Earl Danvers. Just as soon as mutual greetings were over Ralph took Earl to a pile of ties a little distance away.
"Now then, young man," he said, "seeing we are alone, suppose you give an account of yourself."
Earl Danvers was thin and pale. He looked as if he had gone through some recent severe hardships, but he smiled serenely as he said:
"It's easy to tell my story, now I am out of my troubles, but I tell you, Ralph, I have had a hard time of it."
"With Slump and Bemis?"
"Yes. The afternoon I left Stanley Junction, they were the fellows who forced me to go away with them. They broke into your house, and I found them ransacking it. They pitched on to me. and tied me up. Then they recognized me."
"What, had you known them before?" exclaimed Ralph, in some surprise.
"I found out that I had. You remember the first day that you saw me?"
"Yes," nodded Ralph.
"Well, I had run away from my uncles that morning. I had made up a package hurriedly, containing shoes, coat and cap, and got away through a window in the attic. I went about five miles, when I ran right into two fellows in the woods. They were Slump and Bemis. They got mad at my stumbling over them, took away my parcel and began to belabor me. I had to run to keep from being terribly beaten. Then I sneaked around, hoping to recover my parcel. They had gone in swimming. My parcel had disappeared. I had to have a coat. I grabbed one and ran away with it. They yelled after me, but I outdistanced them. Then later I ran across my uncles looking for me. The rest you know."
"And what about the coat?"
"Well," related Earl, "when those fellows broke into your house, they inquired about that coat. I at once saw that they had a great interest in it. I told them I didn't know where it was. They insisted that I did. They ransacked the house from top to bottom. They took me away from town to a miserable hut where they were staying. Until yesterday I was a prisoner there, tied up, half-starved, and every day Slump would come and demand to know if I was going to tell him what had become of that coat. From the first I knew that coat was what they were after when they burglarized your house, and wrote what words I could on the wall of your sitting room."
"Yes," said Ralph, "we found your message there. Did you learn what their especial interest was in the coat?"
"Yes, I overheard some of their conversation a few days ago," replied Earl. "That coat contained some diamonds they found in an old box car."
"What!" cried Ralph. "Is it possible?"
"It seems so. I escaped yesterday. You had told me about this place, and so I came here. Zeph Dallas was my friend at once, when I told him my story. Here he is now."
Zeph approached with a beaming face.
"Fairbanks," he said, "I suppose Danvers has told you how he came here, and his troubles with Slump and Bemis."
"Yes," nodded Ralph.
"Well, I went to Dover yesterday and saw the old rag man. He ransacked his stock and we found the coat."
"You did?" spoke Ralph, expectantly.
"Yes, and in an inside pocket were the diamonds. Here they are."
Zeph handed Ralph a moldy chamois skin bag.
With interest the young fireman inspected the contents.
"This is a rich find, Zeph," he said. "You must report to the car finder at once."
"I am going to the city to-day to see him," explained the former farmer boy.
Zeph left headquarters about noon. The next morning he reappeared. He was fairly gorgeous, attired in the uniform of a conductor.
"One thousand dollars I get as a special reward for the recovery of the diamonds," he said, "and more when the car finder has seen their original owner. I am to divide with you, Fairbanks."
"Not at all," dissented Ralph.
"Oh, yes, I shall," insisted Zeph. "And, by the way, I have some news of importance for you."
"Indeed?" said Ralph.
"Yes. You know where Trafton is?"
"On the Midland Central."
"Exactly. Well, this morning on the platform there, I saw a man in whom you are considerably interested."
"Who was that?" inquired the young fireman.
"Bartlett, the fellow who was a partner of Gasper Farrington in that wire-tapping scheme."