“I’d like it, Mr. Carson,” replied Tim. “I’ve always wanted to ride in the cab of a fast train.”
“You’ll have your chance tonight,” smiled the managing editor, “for if I know anything about train schedules the mail is going to throw the miles up her stack when she hits her stride.”
Carson telephoned the railroad offices that Tim would ride the cab that night.
“You’d better go down to the station about eleven o’clock,” said the managing editor. “You’ll get your pass at the ticket office. Then go down to the roundhouse and get aboard the engine there. The engineer and conductor will be expecting you. This is quite an event for the railroad people and I want to give them a good yarn. I’ll send Ralph to Vinton this afternoon in the Good News and he’ll wait there and bring you home in the morning. One of the staff photographers will be at the station to take flash-lights when the mail pulls out.”
“I’ll finish my aviation column for tomorrow,” said Tim, “and then get some old clothes for I don’t imagine it will be any too clean on the engine.”
When Ralph returned from an assignment he was told to take the Good News and fly to Vinton, there to await the arrival of Tim on the midnight mail.
Tim accompanied his flying companion to the airport and helped him wheel the Good News out of the hangar.
“Traveling on a train will seem kind of slow compared to the Good News,” suggested Ralph.
“I don’t know about that,” replied Tim. “The mail’s new schedule is a hair raiser and they’ll have to pound the steel pretty hard to make their time. It won’t be any picnic, I can tell you that.”
Ralph, satisfied that the motor was thoroughly warm and ready for its task, waved at Tim.