He obeyed me; but I saw that he put hardly a spoonful of coal into the furnace, and closed the door, while I was looking out ahead. The train went well down the grade; but when we approached Spangleport, we dragged hard. “Fill up your furnace, Lewis,” said I, rather sharply, as I observed that the gauge had hardly gained anything. He put another spoonful of coal into the furnace. “Fill it up!” I added, warmly; and I began to feel that some one was trying to sell me out. “It won’t burn if I put in too much,” growled Lewis. “Shovel it in,” I continued, glancing into the fire box, which was nearly empty. “More yet,” I added, as he attempted to close the door. I kept my eye on him till I was satisfied that we should soon have all the steam we could use. When I stopped the train at Spangleport we had lost five minutes, and, what was worse, I had nearly lost my temper. Lewis Holgate appeared to be laboring for the defeat, rather than the success, of the Lightning Express train. The presence of Mr. President Tommy on the foot-board seemed to be a partial explanation of his conduct. But I was determined that the enterprise should not be a failure. I was fully resolved to make time if steam could do it. Lightning Express was on trial, and if it failed, the Centreporters, whom I was now accused of favoring, would take courage. We stopped but a moment at Spangleport. I opened the furnace, and stirred up the fire myself. At the same time I kept one eye on Lewis, and the other on Tommy; for I wanted to catch one of them reversing a crank, or doing any other mischief. Both of them looked innocent, though I saw them exchanging significant glances. By this time I had a full head of steam, and was satisfied that I could make up the lost time, if no further obstacles were thrown in my way. The eight miles of road between Spangleport and Grass Springs was almost as straight as an arrow, and I expected to recover the lost ground on this run. Only an hour had been allowed for the passengers to reach Ucayga. If the train was behind time, those going east and west would lose their passage. “All aboard!” shouted the conductor, as he gave me the signal to start the train. “You are on time, Wolf, and you needn’t hurry yourself,” said Tommy, as he consulted his watch. “There’s time enough,” I replied, determined not to be deceived by him. I was nervous and excited, for I was conscious that both of my companions on the engine were laboring to make the Lightning Express a failure in my charge. I kept my hand on the lever of the throttle valve, almost afraid that it would be wrenched from my grasp. I let on the steam, and kept letting it on till the Ucayga--for that was the name which had been given to the locomotive, in compliment to the place which it was necessary to conciliate--seemed to fly through the air. “Shovel in the coal, Lewis,” said I to my unwilling fireman, while we were rushing on at this furious rate.