Thanks to the frying ham—and never was a slice of ham put to a better use—our improvised torch made a very large blaze, and presently, to our great satisfaction, we heard faintly against the wind the toot-toot of the whistle, showing that our signal was observed. We at once walked quickly towards the train, and just as our torch fell to pieces we saw two men coming up the track,—the conductor and one of the brakemen.
“Well, boys,” said the former, as he held up his lantern to look at us, “what did you signal us for? Bridge gone?”
“Train-wreckers,” said Percy. “They’ve pulled up a rail on the trestle.”
The conductor whistled. “How did you come to know of it?” he asked.
“We heard them laying their plans about an hour ago, and so we hurried down the track to stop you.”
“How many of them?” asked the brakeman.
“I WAVED THE LIGHT TO AND FRO IN FRONT OF ME.”
“Four. They are waiting for you in a little cabin near the bridge.”
The two men nodded to each other; they evidently knew the place; and then the conductor, telling us to follow him, led the way back to the train. At the engine he stopped, and addressing the engineer, said: