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  THE YOUNG RAILROADERS

  Tales of Adventure and Ingenuity

  by

  F. LOVELL COOMBS

  With Illustrations by F. B. Masters

  THE NEXT MOMENT THE MIDWAY JUNCTION GHOST STEPPEDGRIMLY FROM HIS BOX.]

  New YorkThe Century Co.1910

  Copyright, 1909, 1910, byThe Century Co.

  Published September, 1910

  Electrotyped and Printed byC. H. Simonds & Co., Boston

  ToB. R. C. AND K. L. C.A REMEMBRANCE

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I. One Kind Of Wireless 3 II. An Original Emergency Battery 24 III. A Tinker Who Made Good 38 IV. The Other Tinker Also Makes Good 54 V. An Electrical Detective 68 VI. Jack Has His Adventure 86 VII. A Race Through The Flames 102 VIII. The Secret Telegram 117 IX. Jack Plays Reporter, With Unexpected Results 132 X. A Runaway Train 146 XI. The Haunted Station 163 XII. In A Bad Fix, And Out 180 XIII. Professor Click, Mind Reader 198 XIV. The Last Of The Freight Thieves 225 XV. The Dude Operator 246 XVI. A Dramatic Flagging 262 XVII. Wilson Again Distinguishes Himself 279 XVIII. With The Construction Train 295 XIX. The Enemy's Hand Again, And A Capture 310 XX. A Prisoner 325 XXI. Turning The Tables 337 XXII. The Defense Of The Viaduct 357

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  PAGE

  The next moment the Midway Junction ghost steppedgrimly from his box. Frontispiece

  "Now I am going to cut your cords," Alex went onsoftly. 8

  Held it over the bull's-eye, alternately covering anduncovering the stream of light. 13

  Threw himself at the front door, pounding upon itwith his fists. 26

  In the middle of the floor, the center of all eyes,hurriedly working with chisel and hammer. 31

  He was gazing into the barrel of a revolver. 54

  But the response click did not come. 59

  The clerk was colorless, but only faltered an instant. 72

  "There!" said Jack, pointing in triumph. 77

  Looped it over the topmost strand, near one of the posts. 86

  There, in the corner of the big barn, Jack sent as hehad never sent before. 91

  With a rush they dashed into the wall of smoke. 98

  Closer came the roaring monster. 103

  "Come on! Come on!" exclaimed the man in thedoorway. 112

  "How did you do it, Smarty?" snapped the shorter man. 117

  They whirled by, and the rest was lost. 140

  The engineer stepped down from his cab to grasp Alex'shand. 143

  The wait was not long. 146

  Jack made out a thin, clean-shaven face bending overa dark-lantern. 159

  The stranger drew the chair immediately before him,and seating himself, leaned forward secretively. 164

  "And it's awfully like the light, jumpy sending ofa girl!" 177

  The next instant Jack felt himself hurled out intothe darkness. 214

  He saw the detective led by, his arms bound behind him. 221

  Jack rose to his knees, and began working his wayforward from tie to tie. 250

  With the sharp words he again grasped the key. 253

  With the boys' prisoner securely bound to the saddleof the wandering horse, the Indian was offacross the plain. 348

  The Indian pulled up in a cloud of dust. 351

  THE YOUNG RAILROADERS