CHAPTER XXI--A FREE RIDE
The hogshead in which Ralph had ensconced himself was made of loose,defective staves. He found himself facing an aperture, through which hecould look quite readily.
Two persons entered the room. One was Ike Slump. The other Ralphrecognized as the second-hand dealer, Cohen. The latter carried a lamp,which he placed on a shelf. He closed the door after him, and sat downon a box. Ralph's range of vision was immediately impeded. Ike hadlifted himself to the edge of the hogshead and perched there, his feetdangling and beating a tattoo on the staves with his heels.
"Now then, Slump," were Cohen's first words, "you're bound to leave?"
"Haven't I got to?" demanded Ike testily. "I'm in a nice box, Iam--lost my job, don't dare to go home, and no money."
"I gave you some."
"A measly ten dollars in a week, not a fiftieth part of what I broughtin. See here, Cohen, you haven't given me a fair deal. I've taken allthe risk, and what have I got?"
"The risk? the risk?" repeated Cohen. "My young friend, it's me whotakes all the risk. Suppose the railroad men should drop in here andfind the stuff? Where would I be? As to money, will anybody else youknow touch the stuff?"
"Well, I've got to get some funds, I'm going to slope the town forgood," announced Ike. "Now, there'll be no slip up if I carry out yourplans?"
"Not a bit of it," answered Cohen. "I have no facilities here forhandling railroad junk. Jacobs, at Dover, has. I don't dare to ship itby rail. He has his own melters. I furnish the horse and wagon. We'llload you up, and cover the boxes with vegetables. All you've got to dois to drive out of town and deliver the goods at Dover. You say yourfriend, the tramp, will go with you?"
"Yes, but what about the team? I won't come back, you know. I'm goingWest for a spell."
"Jacobs will attend to the team. See, here is a letter--give it to him.He'll give you the twenty-five dollars I promised you, and that's theend of it."
"All right. What time shall we start?"
"When the town is asleep, and nobody nosing around. Say one o'clock,sharp."
"I'll be ready."
The conference seemed ended. Ralph comprehended that his double missionwould be ineffective unless he got word to Ike Slump's father and theroundhouse foreman within the next four hours.
He lay snug and still, formulating an escape from the place as soon asthe two plotters should withdraw.
Ike slipped to the floor, took out a cigarette, lit it, threw the matchaway, and stretched his arms and yawned.
"Give me a little loose change to play with the crowd, Cohen, will you?"he asked.
Cohen reached in his pocket, but very quickly drew out his hand againempty, to point it excitedly at the hogshead with the sharp cry.
"Fire! look there! You stupid, see what you've done!"
"What have I done? Ginger--the cigarette!"
Ralph quivered as he listened and looked. A swishing sound accompanieda brilliant flare. Ike had carelessly thrown the match with which hehad lighted his cigarette into the midst of the dry, tindery excelsior.
"Put it out! Stamp it out!" yelled Cohen.
Ike grabbed a handful or two of the flaming mass, burned his fingers,and retreated, while Cohen made a frightened rush for a stand in onecorner of the room holding a big pitcher.
He ran at the hogshead with it. It was half-full of water. Cohendoused it into the hogshead just as Ralph, unable to stand the pressureany longer, arose upright.
Ike gave a stare and a shout. Cohen jumped back with alarm in his face.The water had extinguished the blaze, but the episode had betrayedRalph's presence to his enemy.
"Who are you?" ejaculated Cohen darkly, grasping, the pitcher and againadvancing.
"Needn't ask him--I know!" snapped out Ike. "Grab him, Cohen! It'sRalph Fairbanks, from the roundhouse, and he's a spy!"
Ralph leaned a hand on the hogshead rim to get purchase for a leap outof his difficulties. Ike made a spring for him and grabbed one arm,preventing the movement.
"If he's a railroader and a spy," cried Cohen, "we're in for it!"
"Don't let him go, then--oh!"
Ike went spinning, for Ralph had given him a quick blow, knocking himaside. Cohen swung the pitcher aloft. Down it came with terrificforce. Ralph experienced a blow on the side of the head that instantlyshut out sense and sight. He fell over the edge of the hogshead, andhung there limp and lifeless.
It was the first blank in his life. Its duration Ralph could onlysurmise as he opened his eyes. At first he fancied he was blind, foreverything was pitchy black about him. He sat up with difficulty,putting a hand to his head where it felt sore and smarted.
Ralph found a bad cut there, which had bled profusely. The blow withthe pitcher had been cruelly heavy. He sat up, swaying to and fro, andsoon traced out his environment.
He was in a freight car, its doors and windows were closed, and it wasrolling along at a good fast rate of speed.
Ralph reasoned out his situation. His enemies had fancied he wasseriously hurt, or wanted him out of the way until they could safelyremove the stolen plunder. His hopes and plans were effectually balkedif he had been long insensible, or was far on the free trip, for whichthey had booked him. They had carried him from Cohen's rooms by way ofthe back stairs, had thrown him into the empty car, and had left him tohis fate.
Ralph tried the side door of the car. To his satisfaction it shovedopen freely. Getting his eyes used to the darkness and his mindclearer, as the moments sped by, he endeavored to guess his location andestimate the time.
He was partly familiar with the road, and knew considerable as to thevarious passenger and freight trains and their schedule and route. Ralphconcluded that he was on the regular nine o'clock freight, which usuallyhauled empties, going south. Judging from distant lights in housesscattered on the landscape, he estimated that it was about ten o'clock.
He soon surmised from landmarks he passed that the train was not on themain line. As he neared a cattle pen he knew exactly where he was--twomiles from Acton and about twenty-two from Stanley Junction.
"They don't stop for ten miles," quickly reckoned Ralph. "There's thecreek. I've got to get to Acton and back to the Junction beforemidnight, if I hope to accomplish anything."
The train slowed somewhat on the up grade. Ralph clung to the door andlooked ahead. It was a long train, and he was at about its middle. Hehad an idea of trying to get to the roof, run back to the caboose, andtry and interest the conductor. On second thought, however, he realizedthat he could not expect them to stop for him. He would only lose time.A daring idea presented itself to his mind, and his breath came quick.An opportunity hovered, and he had too much reliance in himself to letit pass by.
"I've got to get back and stop the removal of that stolen plunder," hekept telling himself over and over, fixing his eyes on the signals thatindicated the bridge over the creek.
Ralph posed for a spring as the locomotive struck the bridge and thegleaming waters came nearer and nearer. The bridge had no railing, andthey were on the outer side; Ralph posed himself steady and true, let gothe door, and leaped into the darkness as the car he was in reached themiddle of the bridge.
Then he dropped down like a shot, struck the cold, deep water, and wentunder.