Directing his own forward, it went on its diverging course at routine slow speed.
This cleared the view from doghouse and office. At that moment the foreman's strident tones belched out:
"Stop her! Where's the wiper?"
All eyes saw that the second locomotive was not manned. Some had witnessed Ralph's sensational disappearance.
Three or four made a run for the unguided locomotive. The foremost of the group sprang into the cab just as the tender struck the circular outer wall of the roundhouse.
He halted the engine, but not until the tender had smashed a hole out to daylight, taking one big window upon its back, and buried the rails under half a ton of brick and mortar.
Ike Slump descended from his locomotive serene as summer skies, as Forgan rushed up to the scene.
"Where's the smart-Aleck that did that!" roared the foreman.
He was fairly distracted with the accumulating disturbances of the hour.
"Dunno. Got scared at hearing the steam hiss, I guess, and run for it," said Ike.