“If I could get excused from this run back to Rockton I’d be able to do something. If they haven’t found her down there in Shadow Valley, I believe I can. I’ll get back to Rockton in time to take out the Midnight Flyer to-night.”
“Is there an engineer here able to take over your locomotive?”
“Ben Rogers is the man!” exclaimed Ralph. “I’ll put him wise to everything before we reach Timber Brook.”
“Go to it then, boy!” exclaimed the general manager. “I am sorry for Barton Hopkins. Until this strike came he was saving money right and left for the Great Northern. It is a pity that he has been under this strain—if he has—all this time. I hope Adair is helping him.”
Ralph had been quite sure that Bob Adair was giving his full attention to the kidnapping of Cherry Hopkins, and when he dropped off his locomotive at Timber Brook he was so assured. For he chanced to meet Mr. Adair right at the little station.
When they had exchanged news, Ralph found that the chief detective had not thought of the point that Mrs. Fairbanks had put into her son’s mind. The detectives had spent all the morning with Mr. Hopkins in beating the forest on either side of the road—even the burned area—for some trace of a hideout that the villains might use.
It was learned that the Timber Brook Station had been broken into, and one of the kidnappers had sent that message to Mr. Hopkins which Ralph had heard off the wire. But otherwise, nobody had seen any suspicious person about the right of way since the wreck of Thirty-three.
“Come on!” said Ralph excitedly. “I believe my mother has the right idea. At any rate, Mr. Adair, don’t you think it is worth putting to the test?”
Bob Adair agreed, and they started at once toward the Devil’s Den.