Ralph in the Switch Tower; Or, Clearing the Track

by Frank V. Webster

  CHAPTER XXIII--IKE SLUMP & CO.

  "That fellow has got his nerve with him all right!" spoke old JackKnight.

  "I can't make out his idea," observed Ralph Fairbanks.

  It was two days after the arrest of Ike Slump and Mort Bemis. Knightand his junior leverman were engrossed in watching a little interestingby-play going on in the vicinity of the in freight tracks.

  A boy about Ralph's age and height had jumped into an open box car. Hecame out with a head of cabbage.

  He did not run away, but stood stock-still on the near tracks, as ifdallying with detection and arrest.

  Some teamsters near by saw the act, but they only laughed carelessly.

  The boy dropped the cabbage, climbed into another car, and came out thistime with a small sack of potatoes. This he swung across his shoulders,and started towards the depot.

  "The chump!" commented Knight. "Does he want to get caught purposely?Look at that, now: coast clear to the street, and walking deliberatelyinto the jaws of justice!"

  "He's caught, yes," said Ralph.

  A day watchman had come rushing up to the boy. The latter neitherstopped nor ran. He kept on his way steadily. He halted only when thewatchman banged his cane down on the bag on his back. Then he droppedit.

  The watchman grabbed the culprit's arm. The watchers in the switchtower could observe him excitedly waving his cane. He seemed to betrying to make his prisoner realize the enormity of his offense.

  The latter, however, was unconcerned. He walked quietly along with thewatchman towards the depot, making no effort to escape.

  "A mighty queer sort of a thief, that," remarked Knight.

  "Yes," said Ralph--"oh, my!"

  Ralph gave a quick start. He leaned far through the open sash, andstared fixedly at prisoner and watchman as they passed the switch towerin his direct range of vision.

  The young leverman was greatly perturbed. A call to the 'phone haddistracted Knight's attention. As the watchman and his prisonerdisappeared in the direction of the depot, Ralph's face grew to a voidof wonder, doubt, and anxiety.

  "It was Van Sherwin!" he breathed excitedly--"Van Sherwin, surely. Vana thief? Oh, there is some mistake!"

  Ralph was greatly worked up. There was nothing in the rough attire andsmirched face of the prisoner to recall the neatly-dressed Van whomRalph had last seen. Yet as the prisoner had passed the tower, agesture, the bearing of the latter, a familiar feature had enlightenedRalph unmistakably.

  "Mr. Knight," he said quickly, "can I have ten minutes off?"

  "Sure thing. What's up, Fairbanks?--you look disturbed," spoke Knightcuriously.

  "I--I want to run up to the depot to ask about a friend," explainedRalph, rather lamely.

  He slipped on a coat and was down the ladder in a jiffy. Once out ofthe tower, he ran across the tracks in the direction of the depot.

  Passing a switch shanty, a figure stepped from its side directly in hispath. A challenging voice said quickly:

  "Hold on, there, Ralph Fairbanks."

  "Oh, you, Slavin?" said Ralph. "Don't delay me. I am in a hurry."

  "I see you are. No need," proclaimed Slavin coolly, seizing anddetaining Ralph's arm. "You're trying to overtake a friend, aren'tyou?"

  "Why, how do you know that?" exclaimed Ralph in surprise.

  "Name, Van--Van Sherman. No, Sherwin--that's it. Am I right?"

  "Why, yes," admitted Ralph in a tone of wonderment, "but how you come toknow----"

  "I do know, don't I?" projected Slavin, with a shrewd smile. "This wayfor a minute, please."

  He led Ralph out of range of the switch shanty. Then, buttonholing himpersuasively, he said:

  "Fairbanks, I know a good deal more about your affairs to-day than I didyesterday. Mightily glad I am of it. You'd ought to be, too. It's thisway: I ran across that friend of yours last night."

  "You mean Van Sherwin?"

  "That's just what I do mean," responded Slavin. "It was queer, but Iwas nosing around the jail for some point on those fellows Slump andBemis. I was very anxious to find out how they would act regarding oldFarrington. It appears they sent messages to him. I know that much.But he didn't show up. I noticed a stranger hanging around, just as Iwas doing. His actions aroused my suspicions. Well, it led to ourgetting acquainted, cautiously. You know how such things go. Soon weunderstood each other, perfectly. I was on the trail of Slump and Bemisto head off any funny work on the part of their friend, Farrington.Sherwin was trying to get a line on the whole case."

  "He told you----" began Ralph.

  "All I'd ought to know. Enough to show me that those fellows andFarrington are up to a very deep game. It all affects your interests.That was enough for me. There's a woman missing, isn't there? And somebonds? Those prisoners know where the woman is. The woman probablyknows where the bonds are. All that is straight and simple. We tooksome time, this famous friend of yours, Van Sherwin, and I, decidingwhich thought the most of you----"

  "Thank you, Slavin," said Ralph warmly.

  "Then we concluded that you had enough real work to bother with, anddecided to help you out on this case. The question was: how could weget in touch with Ike Slump & Co.? Your sharp-witted friend decidedthat. He's chain lightning, I tell you, and no mistake. He saw onlyone way. He acted on it. I reckon you saw how: he got arrested."

  "As a thief!" exclaimed Ralph anxiously.

  "Oh, don't let that worry you," and Slavin smiled coolly. "It was allarranged and understood by Bob Adair. Sherwin will go to jail allright. But Adair has fixed it so the minute he finds out what he isafter and gives the word, Van Sherwin will have his liberty."

  Ralph reflected seriously. He could find no fault with the unselfishardor of his friends, that was sure. Their plan was a drastic one, butVan was smart, and probably knew what he was about.

  "So," remarked Slavin, "you just get back to your work. Don't spoil ourplans by interfering or trying to see Sherwin. Until I get thatrailroad job I'm promised I have nothing special to do. I'll put in thetime in your service, see?"

  "But," said Ralph, "Ike Slump knows Van."

  "Does he? Very slightly, Sherwin says. And by the way, you didn't seeSherwin--close at hand?"

  Ralph shook his head negatively.

  "Only a special friend like you would be likely to recognize him,Sherwin says. He's fairly well disguised himself. Besides, he simplywants to get where he can watch and overhear Slump & Co. He won't tryto chum with them."

  Ralph went back to the switch tower more easy in his mind. He feltpretty tender towards his two loyal boy friends. Knowing Ike Slump'scrude, blurting ways, he believed that if Farrington got balky, Ikewould make some break that would be of advantage to Van.

  He decided to tell his mother of this new phase in the case. Somethingstartling, however, interrupted.

  He had got ready for supper, and was entering the cozy little diningroom, when Mrs. Fairbanks, at the window, called out suddenly:

  "Come here, quick, Ralph."

  "What is it, mother?" he asked.

  "I fancied I heard some sounds like an explosion--and shouts," said Mrs.Fairbanks. "There is a great glare over to the south. Look, Ralph."

  She held aside the curtain so he could see.

  "Why," cried Ralph, "it is a fire--a big fire, somewhere!"

  "Farrington's old factory," said Mrs. Fairbanks.