“Bill Hoskins, you and some of the men get the dynamite under the track opposite here. You know how to do it! Hustle!”
“You bet I know how,” growled Bill eagerly, as he stepped forward, picking out the fellows he wanted as his helpers. “I’ll have the blast against the roadbed here ready in five minutes, Black.”
“Now, you’ll have three trains stalled along the line tonight, Cub Reade,” laughed Black sneeringly. “Getting any train as far as this won’t count for a copper’s worth! Your road has to get a through train all the way into Lineville before midnight. We’ll blow out the roadbed here, and then where are you?”
CHAPTER XXIV
CONCLUSION
At these words even the brief hope that had been in Tom Reade’s mind, died out.
With the roadbed gone at this point also, he did not see the slightest chance for the S.B. & L. to save its charter or its property rights.
“Here’s the racketty stuff,” went on Hoskins, indicating the boxes. “That small box has the fuses. Get the stuff along, and I’ll lay the magneto wire.”
“Not quite so hastily!” sternly broke in a new voice.
Tom Reade fairly yelled for joy, for the new speaker, as he knew at the first sound, was Dave Fulsbee.
The amazed and dismayed scoundrels huddled closer together for a moment in the middle of the thicket.