engineers. They began their real work in the east, and had made good in
sterner work in the mountains in Colorado.

Our readers all know how Tom and Harry opened their careers in Colorado
by becoming "cub engineers" with one of the field camps of the S. B. &
L. railroad. Taken only on trial, they had rapidly made good, and had
earned the confidence of the chief engineer in charge of the work.
When, owing to the sudden illness of both the chief engineer and his
principal assistant the road's work had been crippled, Tom and Harry had
had the courage as well as the opportunity to take hold, assume the
direction, and complete the building of the S. B. & L. within the time
required by the road's charter.

Had the young engineers failed, the S. B. & L., under the terms granted
by the state, might have been seized and sold at public auction. In
that case, the larger, and rival road, the W. C. & A., stood ready to
buy out the S. B. & L. and reap the profits that the latter road had
planned to earn. Not only had the young engineers succeeded in
overcoming all natural obstacles, but, in a series of wonderful
adventures, they had defeated the plots of agents of the W. C. & A.
From that time on Tom and Harry had been famous in Colorado railroad
circles.

After the S. B. & L. had been finished and put in operation, Tom Reade
had remained with the railroad for several months, still serving as
chief engineer, with Harry Hazelton as his trusted and dependable
assistant.

Now, at last, they had been lured away from the S. B. & L. by the offer
of a new chance to overcome difficulties of the sort that all fighting