Ralph, hearing the men coming down the lower flight of stairs, turned and banged to the outer door and held it. The men tried to turn the knob, but the young train dispatcher had a grip of iron. “All right, boy!” shrilled Zeph, as he dropped. “Where’s that chap I overturned?” “He’s thrashing on his back there,” said Ralph coolly. “Let him alone. Be ready to run.” “That’s the thing I’m most ready for,” admitted Zeph. “Come on!” Ralph leaped away from the door and followed his friend up the alley. They were a block away in two minutes, and were not followed. Ralph overtook Zeph and dragged him down to a walk. “Gee!” exclaimed Dallas, “that was a close call——” “And a silly one,” declared the train dispatcher. “Another of the times when you jumped without looking. You had no business in that house.” “Yes, I had. Wasn’t that Andy McCarrey?” “It was.” “Well, I’ll know him again then. I never saw him before.” “If that is all you wanted,” said Ralph with some scorn, “I could have pointed him out to you a dozen times a day. He doesn’t hide himself.” “Huh! He was hiding away to-night, I guess.” “Perhaps. But it did you no good to let him know that his actions were observed and his private messenger followed.” “Oh! You mean that Whitey?” “That is whom I mean.” “I bet he had something on him we ought to have got hold of,” said Zeph, with sudden excitement. “Did you hear what McCarrey said? And was that Jim Perrin he meant, do you suppose?” “Like enough,” said Ralph soberly. “I am afraid Jim is into this strike scheme with both feet.” “The union ought to bounce him.” “He has a lot of friends. But perhaps if it could be proved that he had a secret agreement, or understanding, with McCarrey——” “Wish we’d searched that Whitey,” growled out Zeph, shaking his head mournfully. “If you didn’t always jump into a thing without first looking!” exclaimed Ralph. “Well, where are you stopping?” “I’ve got a room on Pearl Street. You know the place? But I didn’t think of sleeping to-night.” “And you won’t, after that milk and mince pie and the acrobatic activities you have just indulged in,” said Ralph, chuckling. “I’ll go over to the room with you. We can talk there. I’ve got something to show you.” “Huh?” questioned Zeph, curiously. In five minutes they reached the poorly furnished rooming-house in which Zeph was usually sheltered when he came to Rockton. It seemed as though he had a horror of living in good quarters, or as ordinarily respectable people lived. “You surely are foolish, Zeph,” declared Ralph. “There’s a good bed and room at your disposal at our house. Mother was only speaking of it this evening. And yet you prefer a ranch like this.” “As I told you, I never know what sort of a mess I may be getting into. Don’t want to make your mother trouble. Couldn’t think of doing more than coming to Sunday dinner and eating chicken.” “That’s a promise,” agreed Ralph, smiling. “I’ll order a pair of chickens from the butcher in the morning.”