CHAPTER XXVII--SLAVIN GETS A JOB
"Good-morning, Mr. Fairbanks."
"Why, good-morning, Mr. Slavin, but--quite formal, aren't you?" saidRalph with a smile.
It was the second day after the factory fire. Ralph and Knight, bothbusy at their duties, had been visited by Slavin.
He came up the ladder and into the switch tower with a certain slowdignity of manner that made Ralph stare.
"Hello, Slav," nodded old Jack Knight carelessly.
"How do you do--sir?" answered Slavin with rigid courtesy as he sank tothe armchair--always a welcome visitor, nowadays.
"Bust me!" whispered Knight with a keen glance at Slavin, andsuppressing a quick snicker--"what's in his crop now, Fairbanks?"
Ralph wondered, too. He stole a second furtive look at Slavin. Then hehad to turn his head aside to hide a smile.
Slavin sat like a statue. The one impelling motive of his life atpresent, it seemed, was to suggest the idea that he had weighty matterson his mind.
He looked like a being struggling with the most momentousresponsibilities. His eye ran over the long array of levers as if hehad been officially delegated to inspect them. His bearingwas--profound.
Ralph noticed a change in his general dress. So did Knight, and in ahoarse, undertoned guffaw he observed to his young assistant:
"The spell is on, and he's got himself up regardless!"
Knight could hardly hold himself in. The old veteran had seen everyphase of railroad regime and railroad vanity in his long career. At aglance he had guessed what was up with Young Slavin.
Ralph noticed that Slavin wore a new head gear. It was a direct copy ofthe touring cap affected by the depot master.
The top button of Slavin's coat was a brass one. It was either aconductor's or a Pullman porter's official insignia--at a distance Ralphcould not tell which.
Sticking out from one of Slavin's coat pockets was an assortment offolders. Ralph recognized them as including all the official timeschedules of the Great Northern.
Besides that, in his hand Slavin carried a somber-looking,flexible-covered book. This suggested some technical engineering orscientific work.
Slavin consulted its pages as he sat in the armchair. Ralph and Knightscented fun in the air. They went on silently with their duties.
This grew irksome to Slavin. He finally arose to his feet, and beganrestively pacing about the switch tower.
"H'm," he observed at length. "Saw a great article on the combustion ofcoal gases in locomotives, last night."
"That so?" nodded Knight, and proceeded to whistle industriously.
Slavin looked hurt at the repulse. In a minute or two he blurted outagain:
"I see there's a new invention for economizing steam in short-runengines. Sort of studying up things, see? This here book----"
"What book is it, Slavin?" inquired Ralph pleasantly.
"Yes, what's this high jinks in railroad education you're firing at us?"demanded Knight, suddenly seizing the volume from Slavin's hand. "Oh,my! hold me! ha! ha!" roared the veteran towerman. "Listen, Fairbanks:'Technical Topography of High Grade Elevations in Asiatic Railways.'Oh, me! Oh, my! Slavin, you take the cake!"
"Mr. Knight, I didn't come here to have my feelings trampled on," spokeSlavin in tones of offended dignity.
"Right, old son. You came here to show how hard you'd got the railroadfever--hey, you spoony? Why, it's sticking out all over you. I had itonce. They all get it at first. Why, you ambitious young lunkhead,"cried Knight, slapping Slavin's shoulder with a hearty whack that nearlyknocked him over, "you're simply tickled to death about something, and Ican tell it in three words."
"What is it, Mr. Knight?" asked Ralph innocently.
"'Got a job!'"
"Good!" cried Ralph, grasping Slavin's hand in congratulation. "Is ittrue?"
"Why, yes, it is," answered Slavin proudly. "So, what's the harm intrying to post up, hey?"
"My son," observed Knight in a patriarchal fashion, "posting up andlooking railroady is all right, but there's many a long, tough reach inplain buttons, and a long distance away from combustion and high grades,before you even begin to guess what you know about practicalrailroading. Who did you see--the master mechanic?"
"No--depot master."
"What--not put on duty here with us?" exclaimed Ralph in a reallypleased tone.
"That's it," announced Slavin grandly.
"Well, I am truly glad," said Ralph.
"So am I," put in Knight--"I'll catch your mistakes like a true friend,and help you along like a brother."
"I am not going to make any mistakes," declared Slavin confidently.
"Oho! aint?" said Knight softly.
"No, sir. I've watched you two closely. It's simple. You get 7. Pull7. Muscle does it."
"That so?" continued old Jack, in a slow, pitying drawl. "Well, well!Now, just to demonstrate, suppose you take a test?"
"I'm your man!" cried Slavin, pulling off his coat and striking anattitude.
"Double switch," called out Knight--"18 and 19."
Slavin wavered, Knight had called out two levers way down the line,rarely used. Slavin's eyes ran the long array. Then he got hisbearings, and swung his arms down into the battery with a ponderousswoop.
His great strong fists clasped the lever handles in a really admirablemanner, and he looked the prodigy of muscle he claimed to be.
"Open 'em up!" shouted Knight
Slavin bent to his task.
"Pull--you lubber, pull!" yelled old Jack Knight.
Ralph in the Switch Tower; Or, Clearing the Track Page 27