"They won't move!" cried Young Slavin disgustedly. "They don't budge.
Oh, rot on you! guying a fellow," and he slunk back to the armchair in
chagrin.
Old Jack laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. He had tricked his
new apprentice into a "grand-stand" display at two levers that had been
wedged tight shut and out of use for a month.
He rallied the would-be railroader for a few minutes. Then in his
kind-spirited way he took up the matter seriously.
He told Slavin just what his initial duties would be: sweeping out the
tower, keeping the fuel supply handy, oiling the lever and rod sockets,
cleaning the windows.
Slavin was somewhat disappointed at this dreary routine. When, however,
Knight recited his own early experience and what it led to in
proficiency and promotion, Slavin became more resigned.
"It looks good," he said longingly. "The day I draw more than board and
lodging wages and pull a lever, I'll give you two a banquet. Say, I can
hardly wait to begin!"
"When do you begin, Slavin?" asked old Jack.
"Next Monday."
Slavin hung around the switch tower till Knight went away in answer to a
'phone call from the limits tower. Then he sidled up to Ralph.
"Been waiting to tell you," he said in a low tone.
"Something about Van?"
"Yes."
"Did you get any word from him?"
"This morning. Came to the rear jail window, where I wait for him. Said
just one word."
"What was it?"
"To-night."
"That was all?"
"Someone inside interrupted him, I think, so that was all."
"'To-night,'" repeated Ralph musingly. "I wonder what he means?"
"Action to-night, of course. Something is going to happen. Last
night--you remember what he told me?"
"Yes, Van said he felt sure that Slump and Bemis had the documents
stolen from Mrs. Davis."
"That's it," nodded Slavin. "You know Slump wrote a sassy letter to old
Farrington."
"So you told me."
"Farrington paid no attention to it. Then Van overheard these two
precious schemers concocting a new note. It told old Farrington that
they had something better than merely knowing where a certain woman
was."
"They meant Mrs. Davis."
"Of course. In this last note they said that they had some very
valuable papers belonging to Mrs. Davis. They threatened that if
Farrington didn't get them out of that jail inside of forty-eight hours,
they would send for Ralph Fairbanks and turn the papers over to him."
"This is getting interesting," remarked Ralph.
"And exciting. Oh, something is sure to drop, soon. That old miser
will never go any twenty thousand dollars' bonds on those two
scape-graces."
"It is not likely," said Ralph. "Do you think Farrington paid any
attention to the second note?"
"I think he did."
"Why so?"
"As I left the jail, I saw his coachman come out of the building. He
had an empty basket on his arm. I think he had been taking some food
and such fixings to Ike Slump & Co."
"And the latest is Van's 'To-night'," mused Ralph. "Slavin, you will
keep a close watch on things, won't you? I believe affairs are very
near a crisis."
"I'll not miss anything," Slavin assured Ralph stanchly--"least of all
you, when there's any important word to report."
Ralph was restless and expectant all that evening at home. He sat up
till ten o'clock, hoping that Slavin might bring him some word.
None came, however. He went to bed, and as usual left the house for the
switch tower at 7.30 in the morning.
Just as Ralph neared the depot yards, a small boy with a bundle of
papers under his arm darted down the street.
Ralph remembered that this was "paper day." He paused and listened as
the lad shouted out his wares.
"Extry! extry!" he called.
"Here, boy--what have you got extra?" asked a passer-by.
"Full account of the great Stanley Junction jail escape!"
"What's that?" cried Ralph irrepressibly.
"Hey, never mind--I'll tell you," pronounced Slavin's voice suddenly at
his elbow. "I'm out of breath. Just missed you at your house, and ran
all the way here after you."
"Slavin, what is this I hear--a jail escape?"
"Yes--Slump and Bemis. It seems someone smuggled some tools in to them
yesterday."
"Farrington's man."
"That's how I figure it out," assented Slavin. "Anyhow, they discovered
that the prisoners were gone about midnight. I didn't hear of it until
about an hour ago. I hurried to the road detective. He got a 'phone
from Van Sherwin at the jail about two o'clock this morning. It was to
wire to the jailer to give him his liberty."
"What--Van gone, too!" exclaimed Ralph.
"That's the way it looks. I just came from the jail. They had let
Sherwin go. The jailer said he had left a note. For Ralph Fairbanks. I
took it to deliver. Here it is."
Ralph eagerly tore open the letter Slavin handed him.
It contained Van's signature in initials, and one line only. This read:
"Got track of Mrs. Davis--I have the stolen papers."