There was a long wait at Riverton after arrival that day. Then they were sided, and Fogg strolled off to a restaurant. Ralph sat down on a pile of ties at the side of the track and enjoyed the lunch that he had brought with him from home. He had just finished it and was about to go to the cab and get a book on railroading to read, when a tall, farmer-appearing fellow came upon the scene.
“Say,” he drawled, “is this 999—yes, I see it is.”
“All right,” nodded Ralph; “what about it?”
“I want to see the engineer.”
“I am the engineer.”
“Name Fairbanks?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m sent to you.”
“Don’t know—never saw the boy before. He’s a stranger in Riverton. Came up to me and gave me a half-a-dollar to come here and deliver a message to you.”