“I can try,” answered the engineer.
“All right! Let her go!” And Dick and the other passengers who had gone forward hopped on the train in a hurry, and the conductor followed. The train official did not suspect that the “blockading” had been done purposely, and Dick did not enlighten him.
The Rovers had secured seats for the girls and themselves in one of the parlor cars, and all were together. As the train rolled onward Dick related the particulars of the trick that had been played with the aid of Mr. Sanderson.
“Oh, Dick, how could you think of such a thing?” cried Dora.
“Oh, it just popped into my mind,” he answered. “And Mr. Sanderson acted his part to perfection. Aren’t you glad we did something to hold the train?”
“Indeed yes!”
“Would you have gone on without us?” asked Nellie.
“Not a step!” answered Tom, and spoke the words so quickly and earnestly that everybody in the party laughed.
“I didn’t want to miss this train for two reasons,” went on Dick. “In the first place, we’d lose our parlor-car seats, and in the second place, we’d have to wait four hours for another train, and that nothing but a slow accommodation.”
“Well, I shouldn’t mind a slow train—while we have such good company,” observed Sam, and for this remark Grace gave him a warm look of appreciation.