“Well, you might send another message that Hicks had recovered and was able to take the train through. This is a freight, and perhaps the old man will let him go on with it, as there is no other regular engineer to take it.”
Evans stared at Frank in astonishment.
“You are the queerest chap I ever struck,” he exclaimed.
“Why?”
“Most fellows in your place would be ready to hang Hicks.”
“Perhaps so; but I feel as if he were hanging over a chasm, and I might save him or push him down. If I do not give him a hand, my conscience will trouble me.”
“If you do, the chances are about ten to one that it will put you in a bad scrape.”
“How?”
“It won’t be much trouble for him to make out that you were in the wrong, and he’ll do it, too.”
“I don’t believe that.”