Ralph, the Train Dispatcher; Or, The Mystery of the Pay Car

by Mrs. Molesworth

  CHAPTER XXX

  THE PAY CAR ROBBER

  Ralph Fairbanks sat at work on the task apportioned him by the generalsuperintendent six hours after he had delivered the California fruitspecial "on time."

  The young railroader went at the missing pay car case just as he startedat anything he undertook--with ardor and intelligence. He lined up allthe facts in order, he met Adair down the line at Maddox, and ZephDallas was with him.

  By three o'clock in the afternoon Ralph knew all there was to gather upas to the details of the missing pay car. It was not much to know. Notrace of it had been found. There were a dozen theories as to what hadbecome of it. Two of Adair's helpers favored one looking to the boldrunning off of the car after being detached by a "borrowed" engine ofthe Midland Central, and were working along that line.

  Adair told Ralph that he was anxious to get after the five men with whomZeph Dallas had been making friends for a week or more. Their leader wasRivers, and there was no doubt that this crowd had worked on the pay carrobbery.

  As Zeph had tearfully narrated to Ralph when he had implored his aid,the crowd had fooled him completely. From the start they must have hadan inkling as to his identity. Working on that knowledge, as Zephexpressed it, they had simply "had fun with him."

  The deceptive Rivers had left false telegrams purposely in Zeph's way.He had got up fictitious interviews with his confederates to which Zephhad listened, believing himself a shrewd eavesdropper.

  They put up a plausible plan which diverted his investigations entirelyfrom their real intentions, and this was how he never dreamed for amoment that they had the slightest hint as to the starting of thesubstitute pay car out of Rockton.

  The day of that event they had sent Zeph on a fool errand to pretendedaccomplices at a desolate spot thirty miles from any railroad. Returningto the old camp of the conspirators the next morning foot sore andwearied, Zeph had found it utterly abandoned. The crowd had deserted himfor good, and he was left "to hold the bag," as he ruefully expressedit.

  There was "one great big thing" that Zeph had done, however, and Ralphencouragingly told him so. He had managed to get possession of papersand lists that gave the names and plans of the conspirators who wereacting for the rival road, and also the cypher telegraphic code theyused.

  So valuable did Adair consider this information, that he declared itwould not only result in proving where the real responsibility restedfor the various loss and damage of late to the Great Northern, but hebelieved that when confronted with the proofs the Midland Centralofficials, rather than court legal proceedings would foot every dollarof the expensive bill run up by their spies, even to the pay car loss.

  So, after telling Ralph that he should spend a day in consultation withthe superintendent and others at Stanley Junction, and to advise him atonce of any new discoveries of importance, the road officer left Ralphand Zeph hopefully to their own devices.

  At exactly ten o'clock the next morning as the general superintendentand Adair sat in earnest consultation at headquarters. Glidden arrivedin great haste with a telegram.

  "A pink, sir," he reported to the head officer. "Was in cypher. FromFairbanks."

  "Hello!" commented Adair, rising from his chair interested. "That'sgood. He never wastes electricity unless he has something to tell."

  "Why," almost shouted the superintendent, roused up to tremendousexcitement, "he has found the missing pay car!"

  "He beats me, and that's fine, quick work!" declared Adair. "I told youhe was a genius, and I knew what I was about when I sent for him."

  "Listen to this," continued the superintendent hastily: "Pay carfound--north Eagle Pass. Smashed. Empty. Adair must come at once.'"

  "I guess so," nodded the road detective with animation. "What a record:Roundhouse wiper, towerman, fireman, engineer, train dispatcher, and nowbeating the special road service right on its own grounds! Chief, whereare you going to put Fairbanks next?"

  "Something better and something soon," said the gratifiedsuperintendent. "He deserves the best."

  "There's nothing better than chief dispatcher," declared old JohnGlidden, loyal to the core to the proud traditions of his calling. "Youjust keep Fairbanks right at my side--we're both happy and useful righthere."

  Adair waited for no regular train. A special locomotive took him down toMaddox, to find Ralph and Zeph awaiting him in a private room off theoperator's office.

  "Found the pay car, eh, Fairbanks?" challenged the road detectivebriskly.

  "Yes, Mr. Adair--what was left of it."

  "Knew you would, if anyone did. So I bungled? Well, I'm glad to learnwhat I don't know. Give us the details."

  Ralph was brief and explicit. The first investigating party underAdair's direction had traversed all the southern cut offs. They hadforgotten or neglected the one over which Ralph had made his sensationalrun with the California fruit special. It was no wonder that thedivision superintendent had considered it impossible, for at places thefruit special had ploughed up dirt and dead leaves matted down over therails two feet thick.

  At all events, recalling the obstruction of the chained ties, Ralph andZeph had gone to the spot.

  "That obstruction," explained Ralph, "had certainly been placed beforethe theft of the pay car, anticipatory of what was planned to happen."

  "Yes, it looks that way," nodded Adair thoughtfully.

  "The car must have run on strong gravity to the bumper, and went overthe edge of the roadway at that point. She struck down over one hundredfeet, breaking through the tops of trees. The snow later covered alltraces of the descent. You will find the car lying near an old abandonedquarry house, a mere heap of kindling."

  "And the safes and the money parrels?"

  "Not a trace. However, Mr. Adair, it is no easy way to get out of theravine with those stout heavy bank safes, and I advise that a guard beleft in the vicinity."

  "You have solved the mystery of the pay car, Fairbanks," said the roadofficer in a gratified tone--"now to find out what has become of theplunder."

  "You will remain here, Mr. Adair?" inquired Ralph.

  "Until I have made a thorough investigation and placed my men,certainly," responded the detective.

  "I wish to put in a few hours at a side line investigation, if youplease, and may not see you again until tomorrow, and I wish to takeDallas with me."

  "All right," said Adair. He looked as if he would like to know more ofRalph's plans, but he had too much confidence in his young helper toquestion him.

  As to Ralph, he had a decided reason for not explaining to the roadofficer. Glen Palmer was on his mind strongly, and a good many strangethings that Glen had told him had impressed him with the conviction thatthe grandfather of the unfortunate Glen had been a pretty importantelement in the plots of the conspirators all along the line.

  Zeph, while at the camp of the plotters, had heard considerable they didnot intend him to hear. They had spoken of the Palmers--grandfather andgrandson, many times.

  "From what they said," declared Zeph, "I could easily decide that theydiscovered old Palmer, knowing him to be just the man they could use.Without Glen knowing it, they got him away from home several times. Theyplayed on his simple vanity, making him believe they would later get hima great job with a big railroad. Glen was heart-broken when hediscovered this. The crowd finally got his grandfather in captivity.Glen tried to rescue him, and they caged him up, too."

  "I begin to understand the circumstances under which the poor fellowsent those two warning messages," murmured Ralph. "Thief or no thief, hewas loyal to me."

  "I think it, too, and I think he could tell you lots," said Zeph. "Iknow his grandfather could. Both escaped finally, but where they went Idon't know."

  Ralph knew at least where Glen was. He remembered the town at which hisarrest had been reported. It was less than twenty miles distant, andthey caught a fast freight. Ralph went at once to the workhouse of thethriving little town. He inquired for Glen Palmer, but was informed thatthe follow
ing day was visitor's day, and that the rules were neverbroken except on special orders from the superintendent, who was absentat present.

  "I will call tomorrow, then," said Ralph. "I wish, though, you would seeGlen Palmer and tell him so. He may have some important message for me."

  "You guessed it, sure enough," reported the prison guard, returning witha folded fragment of a note. "Young Palmer was frantic to know you washere, and says please don't forget and come tomorrow."

  "I will certainly be here, or some one representing me," promised Ralph,and then he read the note, which ran:

  "I am terribly anxious to know if my grandfather arrived safely at thehome of my friend, Gregory Drum, at Ironton, where I sent him a few daysago."

  Ralph and his companion went on to Ironton at once. They located theDrum residence, but did not find its proprietor at home. His wife, athin, nervous lady, told how a few days before an old man named Palmerhad come there, saying that his son was well known to her husband, whichthe lady believed to be true.

  "He acted so strange I was nearly frightened to death," narrated thelady. "The second day here I found him astride of the roof ordering someimaginary men to string it with wires. The next day a neighbor camerunning in to tell me that he was up on a telegraph pole with a littlepocket clicker. My husband was away, I was frightened for the man's goodas well as my own, and I had him taken in charge by the town marshal.He'll treat him kindly till my husband returns, and Mr. Palmer will bein safe hands."

  Ralph followed up this explanation by going at once to the marshal'sheadquarters. There was a low, one-story building with an office, and abarred room comfortably furnished beyond. The marshal listened toRalph's story with interest.

  "I'll be glad if you can make head or tail out of the old fellow," hesaid, and led the way into the barred room.

  "Hello!" exclaimed Ralph, with a violent start as he entered theapartment.

  "Thunder! I say, where did you get him?" ejaculated Zeph Dallas, with anamazed stare.

  Across a cot lay a man asleep. He wore a stained bandage across his headand was haggard and wretched looking.

  "Oh, that?" replied the marshal. "That's mystery No. 2. That's a biggerpuzzle than the old telegrapher. He's the man we picked up mad as aMarch hare, with twenty thousand dollars in banknotes in his pockets."

  "Zeph," spoke Ralph in a quick whisper, "you know who it is?"

  "Sure, I know who it is," responded Zeph with alacrity. "It's Rivers,the king bee of the pay car robbers."