“Well, I’ll send you a man, and we’ll wait for instructions at the next station. If this don’t beat thunder!”
As the conductor scrambled back over the tender, Frank flung open the firebox door and put the coal to her. During the struggle the fire had not been tended, of course, and the steam was beginning to show the effect of it.
In a few minutes one of the brakemen came forward, and he fired her to the next station, where the conductor held up and telegraphed for instructions.
By this time old Joe was begging to be released.
“Look here, Merriwell,” he said, “you’re goin’ to do me out of my job, and I can’t afford to lose the place.”
“It’s not my fault,” said Frank. “You will be fortunate if you get off by simply losing your job.”
“Now, ye don’t mean to push me, do ye?” whined the thoroughly subjugated man. “You wouldn’t do that?”
“Why not?”
“That would be tough! It can’t be you’d do it.”
“You deserve it. You tried to kill me.”