“Joe’s one of the best engineers on the road,” said Slattery. “What he don’t know ain’t worth knowin’. Just you show me how he ran her.”
Frank was surprised, but he did as requested, and his surprise increased when the engineer did his best to change his style of handling the locomotive. As a result, Frank, the fireman, was the instructor of his engineer during the greater part of the trip. When the trip was almost over, Slattery said:
“Young feller, I’m much obliged to you. You’re all right, and I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told any living person before. I’m not a regular engineer; I’m a machinist by trade. When this road was opened, I had a pull, and I got a job. I’ve managed to hook along all right, though my firemen would always growl. I said I didn’t like you when we started out, but I lied. I did like your appearance, and, somehow, I was willin’ to have you show me how old Joe ran his engine. I think I’ve learned something to-day, and I kinder reckon we’ll git along all right. Yes; I’m much obliged.”
Frank felt satisfied with the result of that day.
When he arrived home that night, little Nell was telling old Joe some Bible stories which she had learned from the lips of her mother and Sabbath-school teacher. The old man was on the bed, listening in a wondering way. Without letting them know it, Merry paused and watched them.
“I never read the book any,” confessed the man. “Never seemed to care for it, for I thought it was full of foolish things; but them stories you have been tellin’ me have made me feel a heap better. If them’s the things what’s in the Bible, I don’t wonder people read it. It must do ’em good.”
“It is our guide,” said the girl; “all the guide we have in this life. If it were not for the Bible, all humanity would be adrift.”
“Yep, I reckon you’re right. I’ve been adrift myself, an’ I ’lowed there was no port open for me, but now——”
“Now you see a light.”
“Yes; it seems so. It seems that I’m goin’ into port at last, and I’ll drop anchor where no storms can reach me. You must be my pilot, Nellie.”