“Drop your signaling,” spoke one of the three, advancing menacingly towards Ralph.
“Hardly,” responded Ralph calmly, “seeing we want these cars.”
“You don’t take them,” retorted the man, placing himself between the halted train and the cars beyond.
Ralph calmly gave the signal to the engine. The train backed. The man had to jump quickly out of the way. Ralph set the coupling pin, gave a quick signal and sprang into the first empty car. The man who had spoken to him followed him through the opposite open doorway.
“Fetch him out!” cried his two companions, running along the side of the car. “Maul him, and send him back to Stanley Junction as a lesson to the others.”
The man attempted to seize Ralph and the latter resisted. The fellow called to his 114 companions, and they sprang into the car. Ralph, trying to reach the doorway to leap out, was tripped up, and he fell quite heavily.
“Toss him out!” growled his first assailant, but Ralph recovered himself, managed to gain his feet, and leaped to the ground outside.
The three men followed. Ralph ran behind a pile of railroad ties. His pursuers gained upon him. He stumbled, fell flat, and they pounced upon him.
“Hold on there,” suddenly spoke a new voice. “Get back and stay back, or I’ll know the reason why.”
Something whizzed through the air. It was a heavy cudgel. Whack! whack! whack! the three fellows retreated as their shoulders were assailed good and hard.