THE MISSING SHOW CARS
The work was completed late that afternoon. The Sparling crowd
had got the best of their rivals in the window work as well.
Sparling show bills were everywhere.
But Phil was thoughtful. He did not like the methods he was
obliged to follow, yet he knew that it was a part of the
show business. He had the satisfaction, too, of knowing that
he had done nothing unfair. He had got the best of his rivals
by perfectly fair methods, and he would pursue no others, no
matter how badly he was beaten.
After making a round of the town, during which he had twice
passed the scowling manager of the canary car, Phil returned
to his own car, as there were frequently matters arising there
that needed his attention. He found a telegram awaiting him
from Mr. Sparling.
"The greatest work ever done by an advance car. I congratulate
you all. Keep it up," was what Phil read.
Phil rubbed his forehead in perplexity.
"Now, how in the world did he find out about this so soon, I
wonder?" questioned the boy. As a matter of fact, the manager of
the Robinson Show's car, who was a friend of Mr. Sparling, had
wired him of the day's doings. It was too good to keep, and then
again Mr. Sparling's friend was too delighted at the downfall of
Snowden, the man whom he thoroughly disliked, to be at all
jealous of Phil's triumph.
Phil went over to the yardmaster to find out what train he would
be able to go out on that night.
"We are going to send the whole bunch of you out on number 42,"
was the reply.
"What time does number 42 leave?"
"Half-past eleven."
"What do you mean by 'the bunch of us'?"
"All you advance car fellows. I have got to do that. That is
the only train through tonight. You will have to go on that or
wait until tomorrow morning."
"Very well; I do not know as I care whether my rivals go on the
same train or not. It would do me no good if I did object."
That night the unusual sight of four advance cars hooked together
was presented to those who chanced to be in the railroad yards
when number 42 pulled out of the station.
Car Three had been coupled up first, the others being hooked on
behind it, with the canary car at the rear.
"I am afraid we shall not cut a very big slice tomorrow, Teddy,"
said Phil after they had got under way.
"Why not?"
"What, with all those crews working against us? It will be a
case of three to one. Of course we shall do as much as any one
of them, and perhaps a little more, but we cannot expect any
great results."
"Maybe I can think of something," mused Teddy.
"I wish you might."
"What would you say to ditching the other fellows?" asked
Teddy innocently.
"Teddy Tucker, I am ashamed of you!" exclaimed Phil.
"Sometimes I am ashamed of myself, I am so easy. If it wasn't
for my tender heart, Phil, I would have been a great showman by
this time."
"Yes, it really is too bad about your tender heart. I--"
His words were cut short by a jolt that nearly threw the lads
from their chairs.
"Collision!" yelled Teddy. "Brace yourself!"
"Don't get excited," laughed Phil. "They have forgotten or
neglected to couple the airbrake pipes up. Someday one of
these crews will wreck us all. I have talked until I am tired.
You see there is air on the front end of this train, but these
show cars have not been coupled up with the air pipes of the
regular train. It is very bad business. I'll report it when
we get in tomorrow."
"Let me. I know how to do it up brown."
"No, I will attend to it myself."
"Say, Phil!"
"Yes?"
"If the air was coupled on and the train broke in two in the
middle what would happen?"
"Why it would bring everything up standing. Breaking the air
circuit would set the brakes the entire length of the train."
"And if the air was not coupled up, what then?"
"In that event nothing would happen."
"The train wouldn't stop?"
"No."
"H-m-m."
"Why do you ask?"
"For information. What do you suppose I am asking for unless I
want to know."
Teddy relapsed into a moody silence.
"Why don't you go to bed?" Teddy asked after awhile, looking
up suddenly.
"I guess it would be a good idea," replied Phil. "We shall
have to get up rather early in the morning. I will set my
alarm for three o'clock. I have an idea some of the rival
crews will be up and out about that time. They won't be so
easily beaten tomorrow."
"Oh, I don't know," answered Teddy. "Maybe so and maybe not.
You can't most always sometimes tell."
"Aren't you going to turn in?" demanded Phil, beginning
to undress.
"No, not yet. I am not very sleepy tonight."
"You will be, in the morning, and you will not want to get up,"
cautioned Phil.
"I will take the chance."
Teddy picked up a book and settled himself to read.
Little conversation passed between them after that, and Phil,
tumbling into his berth, was soon asleep.
Teddy eyed him narrowly. He waited until his companion was
sleeping soundly; then Teddy got up and strolled out to the
rear platform. It was deserted. The trainmen did not come
back that far, because the doors of the show cars were kept
locked so they could not. Show people do not like strangers
about them.
Teddy lay down on the platform, peering down between the cars.
"No, no air is coupled on. They ought to be ashamed of
themselves," he muttered. "I guess they must have fixed it up
for me on purpose."
Teddy opened the door of Car Three softly, listened, then closed
it again. Next he leaned out and looked along the tracks, which
he could see fairly well, for the moon was now shining brightly.
"I guess there is no grade here." Stepping across to the
platform of the car to the rear of him, the boy partially set
the brake until he could feel it grinding on the wheels.
"Now, I think we are all ready," he muttered, as, stepping back
to the platform of his own car, he grasped the coupling lever
firmly with both hands, giving it a mighty tug.
At first it would not budge. The drawheads of the couplers of
the two cars were straining because of the drag of the brake that
he had but just set.
Teddy loosened the brake a little, then tried the coupling
lever again.
This time it swung over with a bang. The lad lost his balance
for an instant, and nearly went overboard.
"My, that was a close shave," he exclaimed, hanging desperately
to the platform railing, the wind blowing about him in a
perfect gale.
"Hello, I wonder what has become of our friends?" laughed the
Circus Boy to himself.
Teddy had uncoupled Car Three from the others in their rear, and
the cars of his rivals were dropping behind rapidly. He could
see the dim lights in the car nearest to him, but even these were
rapidly disappearing. A few minutes later as the train swept
around a bend, the rival advertising cars disappeared from sight.
Teddy knew that they would stop in a few minutes, and lie
there stalled.
Teddy Tucker had done a very serious thing, but in his zeal he
thought he had accomplished a great feat. Well satisfied with
his efforts the lad entered his own car softly, undressed in the
corridor and crept quietly to bed. In a very short time he was
snoring, sleeping the sleep of peace and innocence.
Teddy hardly moved again that night, until he was roused out by
Phil at three o'clock the next morning.
The lad grumbled sleepily and finally tumbled out rubbing
his eyes.
Phil stepped out to the rear platform before dressing, for a
breath of the fresh morning air.
"Why, Teddy!" he called through the open door.
"What?"
"The opposition cars are not here. The other train must have
carried them on. I wonder if those fellows are stealing a march
on us?"
"Is that so?"
"Yes; come out and see for yourself."
Teddy stumbled out to the platform, gazed about sleepily and
looked solemn.
"No, not here," he said, turning back into the car.
Phil was worried. He could not imagine exactly what the plans of
his rivals might be.
"I will wire on to the next stand as soon as the telegraph office
opens, and find out if they are there," he decided.
In the meantime Teddy was taking his time about dressing, while
the men of the crew were hurrying into their clothes. Phil did
the same, then dropped from the car and walked about the yards,
rather expecting to find the cars of his rivals hidden behind
freight cars.
They were nowhere in sight.
"Well, it cannot be helped, even if we are beaten into the
next stand. This is a small place, but an important one.
I cannot afford to skip it, no matter if the other
fellows have."
Teddy went about his morning duties as usual, solemn faced
and silent, but there was a triumphant gleam in his eyes that
Phil Forrest as yet had failed to observe.
Phil was pacing up and down on the platform station, waiting
uneasily for the operator to appear. After making ready, the
men went off to breakfast, Teddy hanging about the car, busying
himself with trifling matters. The car seemed to hold an unusual
interest for him that morning.
At six o'clock the livery rigs drove up and the rural route men
were soon off for their day's work. Phil started the
lithographers and banner men out soon thereafter.
About that time the operator arrived; Phil wrote a message to
the liveryman at the next town, inquiring if his rivals had
reached there.
The answer came back that nothing had been seen of them.
They had not even passed through. The operator at the
other end said they were at Salina, where Phil's car was
at that moment.
This was a puzzler.
"I am afraid it will take a better railroad man than I am to
figure this problem out," mused Phil. "Hey, Teddy!"
"Yep?"
"What do you suppose could have become of those other cars?"
"How should I know?"
"They were on this train last night, when we started, and
they have not arrived at the next stand yet. They surely
are not here."
"Maybe they got a hot journal and had to stop," suggested Teddy.
"Nonsense! Something has happened to them. However, it is not
my business to worry about my rivals. As long as I know they are
not ahead of me I shall not disturb myself. It is up to me to
improve the opportunity and bill this town from one end to the
other," decided Phil, starting off over town.
The work went on at a lively pace, Phil urging his men to greater
efforts, momentarily expecting to see the canary and red cars
come rolling into town.
But no cars came. The next train from the direction Phil had
come was not due until nearly noon, the road being a branch road
with little traffic over it.
After a time Phil strolled down to the railroad station.
"Any news?" he asked.
"Yes," answered the operator. "They have found the cars."
"Where?"
"It seems they broke away from the train during the night and lay
on the main track until morning. One of the crew walked back ten
miles to the next station to ask for an engine to pull them out.
They will be here on the next train."
"Funny the train crew did not discover that when they put us on
the siding here. I do not quite understand it yet?" Phil walked
slowly back to his own car, thinking deeply.