Old Joe grinned in an ugly way.
“Knew ye would,” he grunted. “You’re too tender.”
“It’s not that. But you are making needless work for me just because you do not like me. You are not running her right.”
Then the old engineer was furious.
“Drat ye!” he snarled. “Don’t ye talk to me in my own cab like that! I won’t stand it!”
Then he leaped on Merry so suddenly that Frank was flung from his feet. They went down together, the man on top. He had a wrench in his hand, and he swung it aloft.
“Aha! I’ll fix ye now!” he howled.
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE FIGHT ON THE ENGINE.
Frank had been taken by surprise at the sudden movement of the infuriated engineer. He had not thought Hicks would dare attack him in such a manner, and thus he was thrown down in the bottom of the cab, with the train running at forty miles an hour.