"In what capacity?"
"Wiper."
"At the roundhouse?"
"Yes."
"And you took it on yourself to----"
"To choose the best horn of a dilemma, and saved the company a big lump of money," put in the imperturbable freight engineer. "And bully for you, kid! and if we had more sharp young eyes and ready wits like yours, there would not be so many smash-ups. That's right, Bardon?"
The inspector scowled dreadfully. If the engineer had called him Mr. Bardon he might have coincided in the view of the case presented. Turning his back on the free and fearless knight of the lever as if he was dirt under his feet, he took out a pencil and memorandum book.
"I'll look into this matter myself," he said severely. "You say you are a wiper, young man?"
"Yes, sir," assented Ralph.
"Name?"