This was his first public appearance since the fire at the yards. He still looked singed and shaken from his rough experience, but as he saw Ralph he extended his hand, and gave his young favorite a twist that almost made Ralph wince.
"On deck, eh?" he called cheerily. "Well, I call first choice when you get ready to fire coal."
"That's a long ways ahead, Mr. Griscom!" laughed Ralph.
"Forgan don't say so. Hi! what you giving me? A brand-new runner?"
The veteran engineer gave a start of prodigious animation and real pleased surprise as his glance fell on No. 6.
The headlight shone like a great dazzling brilliant, the brass work looked like gold. In the engineer's window stood the little bouquet, and the cab was as neat and clean as a housewife's kitchen.
Griscom swung onto his cushion with a kind of jolly cheer, and the foreman, catching the echo, waved his welcome and approbation in an unusually pleasant way from the door of his little office.
Big Denny had been a periodical visitor to the roundhouse since the rescue of little Nora Forgan.
He had taken a strong fancy to Ralph, it seemed, and whenever he had a few minutes to spare would seek out the young wiper, and seemed to take a rare pleasure in posting him on many a bit of technical experience in the railroading line.
He chatted with Ralph on this last occasion while the latter sat filling the firemen's cans with oil, and drew him out as to his home life, his mother and his reason for going to work.