"All the boys are going up to Sweeney's, order the swellest meal he can put up, and send the bill to Jenkins!" "Whoopee! Great! I wish we were in on it!" exclaimed the brakemen in unison. "Is that quite fair?" asked Bob, having hoped that his departure would put an end to Tom's plan. "Fair? Sure, it's fair!" laughed Hosmer. "Anyhow, I don't see why you should care. He treated you mighty mean, taking your pass away from you." As the other trainmen agreed with the opinion of their conductor, Bob made no further objection, contenting himself with the thought that he could hardly be held responsible. During the conversation, the long freight train had got under way, and while the boy found many novel things to hold his attention, the brakemen amused themselves speculating on the effect the joke would have upon Jenkins. As the engine whistled for a station, Hosmer said to Bob: "How'd you like to ride on the engine till the next stop?" "My, but it would be fun!" replied Bob, his eyes sparkling with delight. "Then come on! I'll take you up and fix it with Barney, the engineer." As the train stopped, with a loud creaking of brakes and groaning of wheels, Bob jumped from the caboose and accompanied the burly conductor to the head of the train. "Hey, Barney!" he hailed the engineer. The man thus addressed poked a coal-begrimed face from the window of his cab, asking: "What is it--wait orders?" "Not this time. I've got a boy here--Bob Chester--who wants to ride with you to the next station." For a moment the engineer scowled, and Bob feared he would refuse. But quickly the grimy face broke into a smile, as Barney asked: "Is that the kid with a pass Jenkins left?" "Yes." "Sure he can ride with me. Help him up." Bob, however, needed no assistance, and no sooner had the permission been granted than he was climbing into the engine cab. Before he had succeeded, Hosmer whispered: "Barney's all right--and he doesn't like Jenkins. Tell him about the joke the boys are going to play." And then he continued aloud: "I'll either come for you, myself, or send some one when we reach Hastings. Orders give us the right of way to Hastings, Barney." "O.K.," grunted the engineer, as he turned to scrutinize Bob, at the same time standing so that he could glance up the track toward the station to catch the signal to start. Acting on the conductor's advice, Bob narrated the plan Tom had devised for having fun at Jenkins' expense, and was rewarded by seeing the engineer's face break into a broad grin, and then to hear him roar with laughter. "That'll make 'Old Miser's' hair turn gray," he gasped between laughs. "He'll never get over it, never! "Oh, Ned," he called to his fireman, who had been out oiling some part of the engine, "the boys are going to put one over on 'Miser' Jenkins." But before the engineer had an opportunity to tell of the contemplated joke, he caught the signal from the conductor to start.