with the rest." His tone was calm and untroubled.

Tom saw Ross pull the coupling pin, and duck under the train. He glanced
back to the shed where the train crew was at breakfast. There was no sign
of alarm.

They approached the engine as indifferently as though they were walking for
exercise.

"Wait here," said Andrews when they were beside the engine cab. He went
forward, crossed in front of the train and looked back on the other side to
see if the men were aboard. Then he came sauntering back.

"Get aboard!" he snapped. "Knight at the throttle."

Knight mounted first; then Brown, with Tom and Andrews following. Knight
jumped to the engineer's seat, and grabbed the throttle. There came the
hissing of steam: the engine trembled and puffed. Brown lunged for the sand
lever, yanked it open. The wheels spun on the track, then grabbed it, and
the engine sprang forward like a beast unchained.




CHAPTER NINE


THE RACE

The sudden jerk of the engine sent Tom spinning against the side of the