User:RalphOnTheRailroad/Sandbox/Ralph of the Roundhouse

Ralph of the roundhouse is the first volume in the /Ralph of the railroad series. The book was also published as the first of the four books in the eleventh /Ralph on the railroad volume.

Ralph Fairbanks is introduced as a baseball-playing youth who is the son of his deceased father, John Fairbanks, and his widow mother, Mrs. Fairbanks. This volume shows why and how he joined the railroad in the lowly position of engine wiper. As the story evolves, he solves several mysteries and, at the end, earns a promotion to a switch tower operator. The conclusion therefore sets up the second volume in the series /Ralph in the switch tower.

Summary
The widow Mrs. Fairbanks is forced to spend money saved for Ralph Fairbanks' college education to pay off a bogus mortgage to dishonest wealthy Gasper Farrington. Ralph gets a job as engine wiper at the roundhouse to help his mother meet the monthly mortgage payment. Not only does Ralph's home run hit provide his baseball club with a championship, his home run slide enables him to save the roundhouse foreman's daughter from certain death. In return, the foreman gives up drinking.

Ralph acts as fireman to pull cars to safety when the Acton yards catch fire. He takes over for a disabled engineer to push a burning powder car into a pond enabling firefighters to save several railroad buildings.

Ralph runs afoul of Ike Slump who is stealing railroad supplies from the shop; Gasper Farrington who wants to drive Mrs. Fairbanks off her property knowing the railroad will condemn a portion for a right-of-way; and Inspector Barton who has been hired by Gasper to get Ralph fired.

Ralph's home run hit accidentally stuck Van Sherwin in the head causing a mental shock. Van was trying to deliver a letter from Farley Granger saying Farley had been in league with Gasper to steal railroad bonds from Ralph's father, John, but Farley has reformed and has proof that the Gasper mortgage had been paid off by John. Gasper has a false charge against Farley. On a train ride with mentally deficient Van, Van suddenly recognizes Farley and steps from the locomotive cab into the air. When he hits a fence post, Van's memory is fully restored. Ralph locates the railroad supplies stolen by Ike and some of his accomplices are brought to justice. Ike, however, escapes.

Ralph gets Gasper to rescind the false charge. Thus Farley is able to hire workers to build his Dover and Springfield short line. Also Ralph gets Gasper to cancel the bogus mortgage.

Ralph's report is read by the railroad president and Ralph is assured by the road detective that Ralph will have no more problems with Inspector Barton. The story ends with the telegram asking Ralph to report as a tower switchman&mdash;thereby leading to the second volume of the series.

Plot
A person later identified as Van Sherwin rides the rails into town and asks Ralph Fairbanks how to deliver a letter to John Fairbanks. Before Ralph can question him further, the depot watchman chases Van away.

Ralph Fairbanks goes home and overhears his widowed mother talking with wealthy Gasper Farrington. While she believes her husband John&mdash;former partner with Gasper&mdash;had saved a lot of railroad bonds and had paid off the mortgage, there is no proof when the estate is settled. She therefore must spend money saved for Ralph's college eduction on the mortgage instead. For the first time in two years, she is $20 short but knows she has a thirty-day grace period. Gasper tells her that Ralph should help earn money by getting a job in the Springfield railroad office. Ralph, however, decides to work as an engine wiper in the local Stanley Junction roundhouse where he can live at home and help his mother.

Ralph resigns from baseball club to work for the railroad but agrees to play in one last game. His home-run hit ensures the club a championship win. It also strikes a window in derelict factory owned by Gasper. Ralph hears frantic whistling and sees passenger express engineer Griscom on freight locomotive with no fireman. When Griscom can't find another one, Ralph jumps on board and fires. They rush back to Acton yards and pull railroad cars to safety from ranging fire. When Griscom is temporarily blinded by exploding window pane, Ralph takes over and pushes burning powder car into retention pond. This allows firefighters to save some buildings in the yard. Master Mechanic James Blake writes recommendation of Ralph to roundhouse foreman Tim Forgan based on this.

Surly Tim Forgan does not want to hire Ralph but is forced to based on recommendation. Tim asks him to start work the next day. The previous night had had a soaking rain. When Ralph goes to repair window, he finds his homerun ball has struck Van in the temple hiding there. The doctor says "there is simply something mental gone out of the boy's life that science cannot put back again." Ralph's baseball club members repair window as he takes Van home to be nursed by his mother. Ralph and his mother find the penciled letter addressed to John Fairbanks but it has been ruined by the rain.

When Ralph scoped out the railroad job two days earlier, Ike Slump had mistakenly handed him a suspiciously heavy lunch pail. Now on Ralph's first day of work, Tim has him work under Ike Slump. Ike has each one run a locomotive into the roundhouse. Ralph stops and dashes off. Ike sneaks over and starts Ralph's engine crashing it into roundhouse wall. Ralph's dash and his homerun slide save little Nora, Tim's daughter, from being run over by a train. Luckily others saw what Ike did so Ralph is blameless. Ralph refuses an one-the-spot promotion feeling he has more to learn. But when asked by Tim what wish he wants granted, Ralph--having seen him sneak a drink--asks Tim to give up alcohol. Tim does and Tim relationship with his workers and theirs with him greatly improves.

Denny the watchman visits Ralph and learns of the mortgage. Denny believes that Gasper stole the bonds and that the mortgage had been paid off. He mentions that Gasper had another partner, Farwell Gibson, but they had a fight, Gasper charged him with fraud, and Farwell went into hiding.

Van has helped around the house as he is recovering and is working on the roof. As Ralph comes home from work, Van sees Ike and his gang have jumped Ralph. Van comes to Ralph's aid and they vanquish the gang. One of the objects thrown in the fight is the heavy dinner pail. Ralph opens it and discovers railroad brass fittings. He returns it to Tim Forgan, the roundhouse foreman.

Ike's father asks Ralph to find Ike for them since he has no come home and they are worried sick. Denny sees Forgan and Gasper talking and mentions a rumor that the railroad wants to condemn a right-of-way across the Fairbanks property. Gasper sees Ralph and offers to buy the Fairbanks place above market value, rent the family a place in Springfield, and get Ralph a job in the auditor's office. Having been tipped off, Ralph sees through Gasper's scheme and refuses. Gasper says that he will get Ralph fired.

The next day Tim tells Ralph that $2,000 worth of brass fittings have been stolen and his job is on the line. He offers to pay Ralph personally to see Ike to recover them. Ralph has two reasons to search for Ike and goes to the seedy side of town. He recognized some of Ike's gang from the injuries they received in the fight. They refuse to disclose where Ike is, but a hanger-on, Teddy, tells Ralph where Ike will be that night&mdash;a pawn shop owned by Cohen on Rotten Row. Ralph sneaks in the back to talk to Ike afraid if he entered in the front others would warn Ike. He enters a room through a transom intending to go into the front room where he hears Ike. However, Ralph stumbles on the crates full of the railroad brass and a barrel of excelsior. As Cohen and Ike unlock the door, Ralph dives for cover in the barrel. Here Ralph hears Cohen tell Ike to load up a wagon with the brasses and drive them to Jacobs in Dover who can smelt them. Ike lights a cigarette and tosses away the match which ignites the excelsior and forces Ralph to reveal himself. In the resulting fight, Ralph is knocked unconscious.

Ralph wakes up in a moving boxcar and timing his jump when it passes over a creek, jumps to safety. He then goes the Tim's house and reports what he has seen. Tim sends Ralph home to get his wounds taken care of while he and road detective Mathewson go to Cohen's place. Everything is gone but they find some stolen railroad whistles so Cohen can be charged with theft. Ralph's first month salary is enough to make up the difference so the mortgage note for the monthly payment can be made.

Two days later, on a tip of an inspection, others grumble about cleaning up whereas Ralph works extra hard. Inspector Barton shows up. "He's a relative of and trains with the division superintendent. He acted as a spy at the switchman's strike, got nearly killed for his sneaking ways, and the company rewarded him a gentlemanly position." When another worker sees a train going down the wrong track, Ralph dashes out. Unable to stop the train, he aligns a switch so it crashes into a derelict freight car rather than an $18,000 show car. Barton demands an explanation and when Ralph identifies himself, Barton looks through a notebook and apparently recognizes his name. Barton tries to have Tim fire Ralph. When Tim refuses, since Ralph had no authority to throw the switch, Barton suspends Ralph pending an investigation.

After Barton boosts in a hotel that Gasper gave him $500 to fire Ralph; Tim, Denny, and Mathewson realize Barton is going to stall the investigation as long as possible. Instead they ask Ralph to resign his position and Mathewson hires him for two weeks to investigate the missing railroad brasses.

Ralph takes Van with him on the train to Dover hoping Van will recognize something on the trip that will provide a clue to his identity. They both ride the coal pile in the locomotive. Suddenly Van sees a man driving a horse and wagon and, in diminished capacity, simply leaps off the engine and strikes his head on a fence post. Ralph stops the train and rushes back to help. Then signals the train to go on. The blow restores the memory lost when the baseball hit him. Van mentions the man is Farwell Gibson and since the wagon is long gone, they travel through the night through dense forest and reach Farwell's house by daybreak.

Farwell mentions he worked with Gasper to steal John Fairbank's bonds but was in turn cheated by Gasper. He tried to cancel a deal to get money but Farwell threatened to charge him with fraud and Farwell ran away. When Farwell took in Van he had a change of heart and sent the left with Van for John. Farwell also discovers a charter for the Dover and Springfield railroad which if completed will serve as a bee-line route and cause a bidding war with the other railroads. He and Van have worked on it six days a week for two years to keep the charter in force. Farwell also has proof that the Fairbanks mortgage had been paid off. Farwell asks Ralph to confront Gasper to get the fraud charge destroyed. Then Farwell can hire more men to build his railroad. In turn, Farwell will prove that the mortgage has been cleared off.

Van and Ralph continue on to Dover where they interview the fence Jacobs and the local police. However, they can neither find Van nor the missing brasses. Taking a different route back to Farwell, as they cross a stream Ralph recognizes Van building a raft from the crates he had seen in the pawn shop. Ralph asks Ike to return home and says the railroad will be lenient with him if everything is returned. But Ike starts to attack Ralph. Van helps subdue Ike and they tie him up and Van takes him back to Farley. Meanwhile Ralph follows the drag marks from the crate boards used in the raft and locates the missing railroad brasses. Ike's wagon had broken down and his tramp friend had taken the team, sold it, and abandoned Ike. Ike's only option is to try to float them down the river. Ralph alerts the police in Dover, then goes back to Farley and then to home.

Ralph goes to Jerome Black, Gasper's attorney, and gets him to convince Gasper to avoid public disgrace by canceling the Fairbanks mortgage and returning the forged statement against Farley Granger. Ralph pledges to have nothing more to do with Gasper unless he can obtain proof that Gasper stole his father's railroad bonds.

Ralph tells Tim Forgan the brasses have been found and his job is safe. Ralph turns in a report which Mathewson says will prevent any trouble with Inspector Barton and will be read by the railroad president that evening.

Ralph plans to return the forged note to Farley and Van predicts that since they can hire additional manpower the railroad will be completed in one year and he hopes to be locomotive engineer the next and Ralph will be their master mechanic. Van tells him that Ike escaped his ropes and robbed Farley. Ralph thinks it might be best that Ike was never brought to justice and hopes Ike will reform.

The story concludes with the telegram from James Blake ordering Ralph to report on Monday morning as the switch tower operator at Stanley Junction.

Chapters 1 to 10
Ralph Fairbanks during his school vacation meets Express Agent More at the Stanley Junction station. Ralph's father, John, died several years ago. John had worked his way up through the ranks of an Eastern railroad and came to the Great Northern even before Stanley Junction was built. Ralph is therefore surprised when a hobo, who is later identified as Van Sherwin, stops Ralph and asks him how to deliver a letter addressed to John. Before Ralph can question him, Van is chased off by the depot watchman.

Ralph goes home where he overhears a conversation between Mrs. Fairbanks and wealthy Gasper Farrington. Gasper has demanded that Ralph get a job to help pay for the $1200 mortgage of the Fairbanks home.

John had been a partner with Gasper. Mrs. Fairbanks believed John had paid off the mortgage and that John had many railroad bonds. However, most of the documents were lost and little money is left in the estate. Gasper threatens to take over the home, but Mrs. Fairbanks knows she has 30 days grace to make the interest payment due&mdash; and she is only $20 short. She is forced to spend the money saved for Ralph's college education.

Ralph vows to help his mother and he goes to the baseball club where he sells his never-worn uniform to another member for $5. Ralph must resign from the club to start his new job. However, the members realize Ralph's resignation will likely cost them the championship. Ralph agrees to one last game and the club championship win is assured. Ralph's home run ball breaks a window in an unused factory owned by Gasper.

Ralph asks Mr. More for a job but More has none to give. Working in the railroad office at Springfield would not enable Ralph to live at home. Therefore, Mr. More suggests he get a job as an engine wiper in the roundhouse. Ralph walks to the roundhouse and hears a request to take a lunch pail. Ike Slump had passed it down expecting another to take it. Ralph takes the unusually heavy pail. Ike finds out that Ralph is looking for a job and sells Ralph a tip for 50 cents&mdash;Ike will quit his job tomorrow.

Ralph decides to see the roundhouse foreman, Tim Forgan, for a job the next morning. If he cannot get the job on his own, he will try again after Ike leaves. On Ralph's way back home, he hears several locomotives whistling frantically. Ralph sees a freight locomotive being driven by John Griscom, express passenger engineer, with no fireman on board. Ralph follows and sees the locomotive stop near the house of Sam Cooper, Griscom's regular fireman. Cooper is unavailable due to a farming accident and another man has been sent for the doctor. Ralph jumps onboard and offers his services. He has had no experience firing but feels he can do the job.

John Griscom and Ralph go to the Acton freight yards. The yards are on fire and they and other engineers are pulling equipment from the flames. An offical points to four cars between two buildings sure to be burned. As John goes past one building, the fire explodes the window and showers him with glass. Temporarily blinded, John instructs Ralph on take over for him. Fire fighters suddenly abandon some buildings on fire when they notice that a car containing powder is on fire. Ralph pushes the car into a dump pit where it explodes harmlessly. The fire fighters then manage to save the buildings. Fortunately, the exploding window was accompanied by soot and putty which prevented John's eyes from being damaged and will be able to run the passenger train the next day.

Master Mechanic James Blake interviews and congratulates John Griscom and Ralph for their actions. When Ralph tells him of his desire for the roundhouse job, Blake writes a recommendation for Tim Forgan, the roundhouse foreman.

Next day, Forgan refuses Ralph a job until he reluctantly changes his mind when Ralph produces Blake's recommendation. Ralph does not know why Forgan seems so angry toward him. But Forgan requests he come back tomorrow to start work. Ralph goes to the store and buys work clothes. On his way home, he is accosted by Gasper Farrington regarding the broken factory window. Ralph had intended all along to fix it. Gasper offers to have it fixed for $1.25, but Ralph knows he can buy the glass for 35 cents and install it for free.

The previous night had had a soaking rain. When Ralph reaches the factory window, he finds that his home run ball has hit Val Sherwin in the temple. Ralph gets his baseball teammates to help carry Val to the doctor and one of them repairs the window. The doctor determines "there is simply something mental gone out of the boy's life that science cannot put back again." Ralph takes Van home where he and Mrs. Fairbanks help him recover. At home, they examine the letter that Val was trying to deliver to their father. However, the rain-soaked pencil note makes most of the contents unreadable. Ralph vows to take care of Val since it was Ralph's baseball that caused the brain injury.

Chapters 11 to 20
Ralph shows up early for his first day of work and starts sweeping up. Tim Forgan arrives and is angry that Ralph is working without orders and warns Ralph not to be a spy. Tim tells him to take his orders for the day from Ike Slump. Ike sends him on an errand, but Ralph sees Ike form a ball of grease and waste. As Ralph returns, he falls in behind the foreman who is hit by the grease ball meant for him. Tim Forgan catches Ike and takes him into his office for a beating. Forgan cannot fire Ike because he is friends with Ike's father, a saloon keeper.

When Ike comes out of the office, he orders Ralph to move one locomotive in the roundhouse stall while Ike takes another. As soon as Ralph starts his locomotive, he immediately stops it and abruptly leaves the locomotive. Ike moves over to Ralph's locomotive and opens the throttle. The locomotive crashes into the roundhouse wall. Ike jumps back to his engine and descends it as Forgan rushes to see the damage. Forgan sees Ralph and starts berating him for the accident. Just then, Denny Sloan, the yard watchman, tells Forgan to stop. The roundhouse wreck was inconsequental. Ralph left when he saw little Nora, Forgan's daughter, take a short cut through the yards, trip on a switch, and land in the path of an approaching train. His quick dash&mdash;including a baseball slide the last ten feet&mdash;allowed him to rescue her at the last moment. But Limpy, a lame roundhouse helper, had actually seen Ike start the locomotive and Ralph is absolved of all blame. When enny and Limpy tells this to the crowd, Ike sneaks away.

Tim Forgan asked for Ralph and is grateful for Ralph rescuing his daughter. Tim says that when he can hire a new helper, he will promote Ralph. But Ralph refuses saying he wants to earn the promotion. Tim then offers to grant him any wish. Tim confesses that both he and the master mechanic were vying for the presidency of a labor concill. Ike Slump's father, a saloon keeper, said that Ralph was being a spy but Ralph's actions show Tim he was not. Ralph has seen Tim sneak a drink of liquor and asks him to stop. Tim does and his temperament greatly improves. As a reward, Ralph is given the afternoon off by being placed on the sick list. But since he is not sick, he stays and gets insructions from one of the workers. Ike Slump's father visit and Ralph is glad to see him leave alone. Limpy tells him that it was the drinks he had in the saloon that caused him to have the accident which caused him to lose his train crew position and become lame. The tramp who worked with Ike Slump asked for his dinner pail. Ike had left and Ralph shared some of his food with him. However, Ralph saw him throw away the food. When Ralph goes home, he finds the injured hobo improved. He has been working in the garden and written his first name, Van, many times on the wood shed door.

The engineer John Griscom that Ralph had with in the Acton fire returns to work and finds the Ralph had especially shined up his locomotive. Denny visits Ralph and learns of the home mortgage. Denny believes that Gasper had stolen John Fairbanks bonds and that the mortgage had been paid off. He mentions Gasper had a falling out with another person, Farwell Gibson. After a fight, Gasper had Farwell Gibson charged with fraud and Farwell disappered.

Mrs. Fairbanks told Ralph that Van would climb up to the roof to watch Ralph as long as possible and spot him as early as possible when Ralph went to and from work. On his way home, Ike and his companions jump Ralph to pay him back. Van, seeing from the roof that Ralph in trouble, comes to his rescue and the two chase off Ike and his gang. One of things thrown at him during the fight was a dinner pail. Ralph picks up the heavy pail and finds inside railroad marked brass fittings. He returns to the roundhouse and returns them. Forgan is quite interested since he is liable for anything stolen from the roundhouse.

The next day, Ike Slump's father meets Ralph, apologizes for his son, and asks Ralph to find him for them. Both he and his wife are worrying sick since he has not returned home. Denny tips off Ralph that Forgan and Gasper were talking and there is also the rumor that the railroad wants to build a branch line across his mother's property. Gasper sends for Ralph, mentions that he has checked into the character of work, and offers to buy his mother's property above market value, rent them a place in Springfield, and give Ralph a job in the auditor's department. Having been tipped off, Ralph refuses Gasper's offer and tells him the reason. Gasper threatens to have him fired. Recalling the handwritten rain-soaked letter and guessing that one of its last words&mdash;which he had earlier interpreted as farewell&mdash;was Farewell, he mentions the name Farwell Gibson. Hearing it, Gasper passes out. After a doctor is sent for and determines Gasper will recover, Ralph leaves.

Ralph discusses the situation with his mother and tells her that he thinks Farwell is alive and in hiding. She accepts Ralph's plan to take time off from work and take Van with him on John Griscom's train. He hopes by watching Van's reaction that he can determine Farley's location&mdash;or at least where Van got on the train.

But before Ralph can propose this to Tim Forgan the next day, Tim mentions that someone has stolen $2,000 of railroad brass from the storage sheds&mdash;not the bins in the roundhouse where it would have been detected earlier. With Tim's job on the line, Tim offers to personally pay his salary while Ralph tracks this. Although Ralph did not tell of his suspecions that Ike was involved&mdash;because Ralph had no proof&mdash;Tim suspects Ike anyway. With two reason to find Ike, Ike's father's and Tim's, Ralph goes searching.

Looking in the rundown section of town, Ralph recognizes at least two of the people with Ike during the fight judging by the black eye of one and the swolen nose of another. Ralph asks them where Ike is. While their first reaction is to jump him, the thought that Van may be around the corner stops them. They do not, however, give up his location.

As Ralph leaves, a small child, Teddy follows him and offers to tell Ralph Ike's location for a quarter. Teddy, a county farm boy, is a part of Ike's gang but is only accepted when he is useful and ignored when he is not. He does not know where Ike is at present but knows where Ike goes every night. Ralph agrees to meet Teddy after dark.

Teddy ushers Ralph to a second hand clothing store and a pawnshop owned by Cohen on Rotten Row. Ralph thanks Teddy and asks him to stop by the roundhouse the next noon for a meal and a talk. Ralph sneaks into the back of the building to talk with Ike. Had he gone in the front, spotters may have warned Ike and he would have run away. Ralph hears Ike voice and in order to approach him, he climbs through the transom of a locked room that will lead him to the front room. On the floor are twenty flat boxes too heavy to be shoved with his foot and a barrel of excelsior. Ralph realizes these are the stolen railroad brass waiting to be packed up.

Nor wishing to be found in this room, Ralph plans to leave and then reenter the building from another direction. But Ralph hears the key turn in a lock and his only avenue of escape is to dive into the barrel of excelsior.

Chapters 21 to 30
Ike and Cohen enter the room with a lamp and sit down to discuss plans. Ike needs to leave town and Cohen cannot melt down the railroad brass. Cohen askes Ike to drive it to Jacob in Dover who can process it. The load will be made to look like a delivery of vegetables. Once there, Jacob will take care of the team and Ike can travel further west.

Ike lights a cigarette and tosses away the match. It lands and lights the excelsior. Cohen grabs a pitcher of water to put out the flames just as Ralph rises from the barrel. The fire is extinguished but a fight ensues among the three. Ralph hits Ike but is knocked unconscious when Cohen hits him with the pitcher. Ralph wakes up in a empty boxcar on a moving freight train. Opening the door, he recognizes that he is about two miles from Acton and twenty-two miles from Stanley Junction. Timing his jump to when the train crosses a creek, he leaves the train, Ralph walks to Acton, catches a train for Stanley Junction and gets off near the roundhouse foreman's house around 11:25 PM. He catches Tim Forgan about ready to go to bed and explains the situation. Tim tells Ralph to go home to get his wounds taken care of and to take a few days of sick leave. Tim will put the matter in the hands of road detective Mathewson.

In spite of his soreness, Ralph goes to work the next day. At 10 AM, Tim shows up and updates Ralph. When Tim and Mathewson reached Cohen's place; Ike, the brass fittings, horses and wagon were gone. They did find some stolen locomotive whistles that they could charge Cohen with. So Cohen was jailed. Teddy was also jailed as a witness. Teddy was released when he failed to provide any information. Cohen was bailed out. Mathewson was unable to find Ike, the wagon, the horses or the missing brasses.

However the fencing operation was disrupted. Tim having given up alcohol was much more pleasant to others. At the end of the month Ralph got his first paycheck of a little more than $27. Ralph used some money to help Teddy get a job selling newspapers at the depot. The money Teddy earned paid for his logding and Ralph paid for his meals. Mrs. Fairbank's money and Ralph's were enough to redeam the mortgage note.

Two days later Limpy warns Ralph of the visit that day of Inspector Barton. Barton will inspect the roundhouse for cleanliness and safety. Limpy tells Ralph that "'He's a relative of and trains with the division superintendent. He acted as a spy at the switchmen's strike, got nearly killed for his sneaking tactics, and the company rewarded him by giving him a gentlemenly position.'" (pg 188). While Ralph works industriously to clean the place up, others grumbled at his actions and posted sarcastic notes.

Limpy looks out the roundhouse window and shouted to Ralph that a train is backing through track B instead of track A. Track B further branches off into two tracks. The switch is currently set for a siding holding a $18,000 private car. Unable to stop the train, Ralph throws the switch so a derilict freight car is smashed instead. The engineer stops in time to prevent further damage.

Inspector Barton shows up at the accident scene. The target used to indicate which track the switch was set for is shown to be faulty. Barton looks in a notebook and recognizes Ralph's name in it. When Barton learns that Ralph had no authority to throw the switch, he is suspending pending an investigation. Other yard men who were attracted to the scene by the crash are quite supportive of Ralph when they learn what he did. One engineer assure Barton that Ralph will have the full support of the Internation Brotherhood of Locomotive Enginers. Barton discusses the matter and the smashed roundhouse wall matter with the roundhouse foreman, Tim Forgan. Barton asks Tim to lay Ralph off, but Tim refuses.

Tim Forgan sends word that evening by Denny, the yard watchman, warning Ralph not to show up for work the next day. Tim, Denny, and road detective Mathewson believe Gasper and Barton are in a conspiracy to tie Ralph's hearing up in red tape. In order to defeat Gasper, Denny ask Ralph to sign his resignation letter as engine wiper. Ralph is given a check for $20 to reimburse him for expenses the night he identified the gang of the stolen railroad brasses. This will compensate Ralph as he is asked to stay away from the roundhouse for two weeks. Denny said that Mathewson asked Ralph to take a trip on the express to Dover in hopes of finding a clue to the missing railroad brasses. Furthermore, Ralph leans that Mathewson has hired him at $10/week with a pass good for transportation anywhere on the railroad. Denny has saved the best for last. Denny had a friend who overhead Barton at the hotel boasting that Gasper Farrington had offered him $500 to get Ralph fired. Tim, Denny, and Mathewson are going to refer this matter all the way to the President of the railroad and all of Ralph's good deeds will ensure him promotion to switch tower operator (p. 209) at $60/month.

Ralph plans to take Van on his trip to Dover with the hope that Van will recognize his surroundings somewhere along the line and Ralph can reunite Van and also learn what information was in the rain-soaked letter Van was carrying. Ralph gets the doctors permission for this. The doctor says the trip cannot do any harm and Van might recognize something that will start to restore his memory.

Ralph and Van ride the coal pile on John Griscom's locomotive as John pulls the express train. Ralph watches Van intently for any sign of recognition of the country they pass through. Suddenly Van recognizes a horse pulling a cart with a man driving. As coal is used up in the firebox, the undermined coal gives way, upsets Ralph's perch, and prevents Ralph from reacting quickly. The confused Van wanting to talk to the man with the horse steps off the tender into space and falls down the embankment. Ralph tells Griscom to stop the train and then Ralph runs back. He sees Van has hit his head on a fence post and fears he has been killed.

Fortunately Van is OK. In fact, the shock of hitting the fence post has apparently restored the memory that had been knocked out of him with the baseball hit. The doctor had been right when he had said a second shock might due this. While Ralph wants to get back on the locomotive, Van has no knowledge of being on it, does not know who Ralph is, and wants to find the man and the horse. Ralph signals Griscom to leave without them. When Ralph introduces himself as Ralph Fairbanks, Van recognized the name and reaches for the letter. He is disappointed as the rain-soaked letter had been removed from his pocket. Ralph fills Van in on all the events that have occurred in the three weeks since he had been knocked unconcious with the baseball. Van starts after the man and the horse but gives up. He knows that he has a 20-mile walk ahead of him. He and Ralph stop to rest. Van sleeps while Ralph goes to a nearby farmhouse to get food and water to replace what they had left on the locomotive.

After a one hour nap and food Van feels much better and his memory is nearly restored. Ralph guesses that the man with the horse and wagon was Farwell Gibson. Since Farwell is a hermit, Ralph agrees to travel with Van but wait outside while Van determines if Farwell wants to see Ralph. Although Farwell's place is only 20 miles way, the forest has deep undergrowth. The horse and cart have taken a 40-mile detour route and the straight path will take the rest of the night and on until daybreak.

The first part of the journey was easy. Van said this was graded by the Great Northern for a line to Dover before the G.N. abandoned the project. Later they cover only one mile in a hour through the dense overgrowth. Van mentions that he has worked two years with another man grading a two-mile railroad. Finally at daybreak they made their last climb and saw Farley Gibson's log house a half-mile ahead. Van went on ahead to talk to Farley first. Ralph waited and then decided to look around. He saw the start of the railroad Van had described.

Van came back and they walked to the house where Farley Gibson welcomed them into the office of the Dover and Springfield short line.

Chapters 31 to 35
Inside Ralph sees that the house is a combination depot and railroad office. A map indicates the proposed route and stations. Farley explains that a completed D&S would serve as a bee-line route that the Great Northern and the Midland Central would have a bidding-war over.

Farley confesses that Gasper Farrington robbed Ralph's father, John, and Farley has documented proof. In fact, Farley helped Gasper do it. Farley joined forces with Gasper to buy railroad bonds. John bought $20,000 bonds held in a bank in trust until he could complete payment. Gasper also got the two to buy into Midland Central bonds. When the market broke, they lost their money. While Gasper pretended to be broke also, he, in fact, was the one manipulating the stock market. Since Farley had lost all his money and was desparate, Gasper convinced him to work together to steal John's bonds. Gasper got control of the bonds but Farley got nothing.

As protection for his wife, John also agreed to take out a temporary mortgage on his property which on John's death would go to her. So Ralph learns that Gasper never had any right to collect interest on the Fairbanks mortgage.

Farley also borrowed $1,000 from his brother. Gasper had gotten the Shortline charter which, unknown to Farley, was then considered worthless. After giving the $1,000 to Gasper for it, Gasper claimed the money was lost in a deal and Farley again had nothing.

In another scheme Farley was in a joint venture with Gasper and cancelled it to gain a few hundred dollars. Gasper claimed that he had no right to sign for both partners and accused Farley of forging the document. In addition, he claimed that he got a warrent for Farley's arrest. In the ensuing argument, Farley fought with Gasper and then decided to hide out in the wilderness.

Van Sherwin, an orphan outcast, showed up at Farley's house. Farley sent Van to one of Farley's relatives to borrow some money. Farley paid a lawyer to research the Short Line charter and found out that Farley could buy and hold it indefinitely as long as he worked six days a week on it. From then on, Farley and Van had been grading the line.

Farley's mood had changed for the better since Van arrived and he decided to write to John&mdash;as a hermit, Farley had not known he had died. Farley sent Van to deliver the letter.

Farley asks Ralph to confront Gasper with the information Farley has given him so Gasper will destroy the forged note. Farley will then be able to get more men to work on his railroad. In return, Farley will issue a sworn statement that Gasper has no right to collect the mortgage interest. Farley will also see that the Fairbanks are well treated when the Short Line becomes a success.

Ralph gets Van to drive him to Dover so he can intervew Jacobs, the fence, and check with the local police. Altough he gains useful information, Ralph does not find Ike Slump, the tramp who helped Ike in the roundhouse, or the missing railroad brasses and fears they are gone forever. Taking a different route for Farley's home, they travel along roads for 15 miles before they again enter the jungle of overgrowth. As they cross a stream, Ralph suddenly seeing s man, facing away, working on a structure partially submerged. As Ralph hides, he sees the man turn around and recognizes Ike Slump.

As Ralph sneaks closer he determines that Ike is building a raft and confronts Ike. Ralph tells Ike to go home since both his parents are worried about him. Because Ike father has friends on the railroad, Ralph guarantees that if Ike returns the stolen property, the railroad will be leniant with him. Ike denies that he has or ever had the property. Ralph tells Ike that he learned Ike's tramp had sold the team 20 miles beyond Dover.

Ike now tries to attack Ralph, but Ralph expecting it, takes evasive action and whistles for Van to join him in subduing Ike. They tie Ike up and Van takes him back to Farley. Ralph meanwhile investigates the raft.

Ralph realizes that the top boards of the raft are the same size as the cases holding the brasses and other boards are fastened together with passenger coach fittings marked G.N. Ralph follows a trail made by drag marks from the wood used in the raft back to a ravine where he finds the packing boxes full of brasses. Ralph returns to Dover where he tells the police and then returns to Farley's house at Springfield and later returns to Stanley Junction. Here Ralph gets a meal at his house and tells her mother that Van is completely recovered.

Ralph then goes to the office of Mr. Jerome Black, Gasper's lawyer. Ralph described what he knew that Gasper had done and suggested that Mr. Black get Gasper to return the note forged against Farley and to cancel the mortgage on the Fairbanks property. Otherwise, Ralph will go to another lawyer and publicly expose Farley. Mr. Black goes to see Farley and returns later with the documents. Ralph promises to have nothing more to do with Gasper unless he can prove that Gasper stole the railroad bonds from his father.

The next afternoon Ralph reports to the roundhouse foreman, Tim Forgan, telling him his job is safe since the brasses have been recovered. Ralph turns in a typed report. Ralph explains the Ike and his tramp friend must have had a wagon breakdown near Dover. The tramp fled with the team and sold it for money. Ike had to build a raft to try and float the brasses down the river. Tim and Ralph join road detective Mathewson where Mathewson tells them that Inspector Barton will not cause any more trouble. He says Ralph's report will likely be read that day by the railroad president.

Denny the watchman reports that Ike's mother is still sick and won't get better until her son returns.

The next day Ralph on his way home makes plans to visit Farley Gibson and give him the forged note. Ralph meets Van at the Fairbanks home and learns that Ike Slump escaped his ropes and disappeared after robbing Farley. Ralph thinks this may be for the best and hopes that Ike will reform. Ralph tells Van that Farley is free to bring his Short Line to the public. Van predicts it will be finished in one year, Van will be a locomotive engineer the next and Ralph will be the master mechanic. Ralph says that a look far into the future. With his detective work done, Ralph is looking forward to any job&mdash;even in the roundhouse.

Just then a telegram arrives from Mr. James Blake, Master Mechanic. Ralph on the round house ends with the telegram:

"Ralph Fairbanks will report Monday morning at the roundhouse, Stanley Junction, for duty as a regularly appointed switch towerman on the Great Northern Railroad."