Ralph on the Overland Express Part 6

"Yes."

"What about him?"

"Say," replied Clark, edging close to Ralph, "just take a careless backward look, will you? About half the square down on the opposite side of the street you'll see Fogg."

"Why such caution and mystery?" propounded Ralph.

"I'll tell you later. See him?" inquired Clark, as Ralph followed out the suggestion he had made.

Ralph nodded a.s.sentingly. He had made out Fogg as Clark had described.

The fireman was walking along in the direction they were proceeding.

There was something stealthy and sinister in the way in which he kept close to the buildings lining the sidewalk.

"That's four times I've noticed Fogg in this vicinity this morning,"

reported Clark. "I discovered him opposite the lodging house when I first came out this morning. When I came back he was skulking in an open entry, next door. When we left the house together I saw him a block away, standing behind a tree. Now he bobs up again."

"I can't understand his motive," said Ralph thoughtfully.

"I can," declared Clark with emphasis.

"What's your theory?"

"It's no theory at all, it's a dead certainty," insisted Clark. "Your fireman and that gang of hoodlums. .h.i.tch together in some way, you mark my words. Well, let it slide for a bit. I'm hungry as a bear, and here's the restaurant."

It was a neat and inviting place, and with appetizing zeal the two boys entered and seated themselves at a table and gave their order for wheat cakes with honey and prime country sausages. Just as the waiter brought in the steaming meal, Clark, whose face was toward the street, said:

"Fogg just pa.s.sed by, and there goes the crowd of boys. I'm thinking they'll give us a chance to settle our meal, Engineer Fairbanks!"

"All right," responded Ralph quietly, "if that's the first task of the day, we'll be in trim to tackle it with this fine meal as a foundation."

Their youthful, healthy appet.i.tes made a feast of the repast. Clark doubled his order, and Ralph did full credit to all the things set before him.

"I was thinking," he remarked, as they paid their checks at the cashier's counter, "that we might put in the day looking around the town."

"Why, yes," a.s.sented his companion approvingly, "that is, if you're going to let me keep with you."

"Why not?" smiled Ralph. "You seem to think I may need a guardian."

"I've got nothing to do but put in the time, and get a signed voucher from you that I did so in actual railroad service and in good company," explained Clark. "I think I will go back to Stanley Junction on your return run, if it can be arranged."

"It is arranged already, if you say so," said Ralph. "We seem to get on together pretty well, and I'm glad to have you with me."

"Now, that's handsome, Engineer Fairbanks!" replied Clark. "There's some moving picture shows in town here, open after ten o'clock, and there's a mechanics' library with quite a museum of railroad contrivances. We've got time to take it all in. Come on. Unless that crowd stops us, we'll start the merry program rolling. No one in sight," the youth continued, as they stepped into the street and he glanced its length in both directions. "Have the enemy deserted the field, or are they lying in ambush for us?"

They linked arms and sauntered down the pavement. They had proceeded nearly two squares, when, pa.s.sing an alley, both halted summarily.

"h.e.l.lo! here's business, I guess," said Clark, and he and Ralph scanned closely the group they had pa.s.sed just before the breakfast meal.

The hoodlum gang had suddenly appeared from the alleyway, and forming a circle, surrounded them. There was an addition to their ranks. Ralph noted this instantly. He was a rowdy-looking chunk of a fellow, and the swing of his body, the look on his face and the expression in his eyes showed that he delighted in thinking himself a "tough customer."

Backed by his comrades, who looked vicious and expectant, he marched straight up to Ralph, who did not flinch a particle.

"You look like Fairbanks to me--Fairbanks, the engineer," he observed, fixing a glance upon Ralph meant to dismay.

"Yes, that is my name," said Ralph quietly.

"Well," a.s.serted the big fellow, "I've been looking for you, and I'm going to whip the life out of you."

CHAPTER VI

FOUR MEDALS

Marvin Clark stepped promptly forward at the announcement of the overgrown lout, who had signified his intention of whipping the young engineer of No. 999. Clark had told Ralph that athletics was his strong forte. He looked it as he squared firmly before the bully.

"Going to wallop somebody, are you?" spoke Clark cooly. "Watch the system-cylinder"--and the speaker gave to his arms a rotary motion so rapid that it was fairly dizzying, "or piston rods," and one fist met the bulging breast of the fellow with a force that sent him reeling backwards several feet.

"Hey, there! you keep out of this, if you don't want to be ma.s.sacreed!" spoke a voice at Clark's elbow, and he was seized by several of the rowdy crowd and forced back from the side of Ralph.

"Hands off!" shouted Clark, and he cleared a circle about him with a vigorous sweep of his arms.

"Don't you mix in a fair fight, then," warned a big fellow in the crowd, threateningly.

"Ah, it's going to be a fair fight, is it?" demanded Clark.

"Yes, it is."

"I'll see to it that it is," remarked Clark briefly.

The fellow he had dazed with his rapid-fire display of muscle had regained his poise, and was now again facing the young engineer.

"Understand?" he demanded, hunching up his shoulders and staring viciously at Ralph. "I'm Billy Bouncer."

"Are you?" said Ralph simply.

"I am, and don't you forget it. I happen to have got a tip from my uncle, John Evans, of Stanley Junction. I guess you know him."

"I do," announced Ralph bluntly, "and if you are as mean a specimen of a boy as he is of a man, I'm sorry for you."

"What?" roared the young ruffian, raising his fists. "Do you see that?" and he put one out, doubled up.

"I do, and it's mighty dirty, I can tell you."

"Insult me, do you? I guess you don't know who I am. Champion, see?--light-weight champion of this burg, and I wear four medals, and here they are," and Bouncer threw back his coat and vauntingly displayed four gleaming silver discs pinned to his vest.

"If you had four more, big as cartwheels, I don't see how I would be interested," observed Ralph.