The three Mexicans jumped to obey.
Directly they appeared in the doorway with a large claw-bar in their hands.
"Will this do?" asked one.
"Sure! Throw it off," said Billie, "and I'll soon start the old caboose."
Picking up the bar, Billie inserted the claw under one of the wheels while Adrian stood with his hand on the car rail ready to spring aboard.
At the first attempt the claw slipped and nothing happened, but at the second attempt the wheels yielded a little.
"This time she'll go," Billie called. "All aboard!"
Adrian sprang onto the car as Billie bore down upon the bar and the wheels began to revolve.
"Never mind the bar," cried Adrian as he saw that Billie was raising the implement to throw it onto the platform. "Jump aboard!"
Billie started to obey, but the advice came too late. As he dropped the bar it struck one end of a tie, flopped over and hit him on the shin.