"Now, that's handsome, Engineer Fairbanks!" replied Clark. "There's some moving picture shows in town here, open after ten o'clock, and there's a mechanics' library with quite a museum of railroad contrivances. We've got time to take it all in. Come on. Unless that crowd stops us, we'll start the merry program rolling. No one in sight," the youth continued, as they stepped into the street and he glanced its length in both directions. "Have the enemy deserted the field, or are they lying in ambush for us?" They linked arms and sauntered down the pavement. They had proceeded nearly two squares, when, passing an alley, both halted summarily. "Hello! here's business, I guess," said Clark, and he and Ralph scanned closely the group they had passed just before the breakfast meal. The hoodlum gang had suddenly appeared from the alleyway, and forming a circle, surrounded them. There was an addition to their ranks. Ralph noted this instantly. He was a rowdy-looking chunk of a fellow, and the swing of his body, the look on his face and the expression in his eyes showed that he delighted in thinking himself a "tough customer." Backed by his comrades, who looked vicious and expectant, he marched straight up to Ralph, who did not flinch a particle. "You look like Fairbanks to me--Fairbanks, the engineer," he observed, fixing a glance upon Ralph meant to dismay. "Yes, that is my name," said Ralph quietly. "Well," asserted the big fellow, "I've been looking for you, and I'm going to whip the life out of you." CHAPTER VI FOUR MEDALS Marvin Clark stepped promptly forward at the announcement of the overgrown lout, who had signified his intention of whipping the young engineer of No. 999. Clark had told Ralph that athletics was his strong forte. He looked it as he squared firmly before the bully. "Going to wallop somebody, are you?" spoke Clark cooly. "Watch the system-cylinder"--and the speaker gave to his arms a rotary motion so rapid that it was fairly dizzying, "or piston rods," and one fist met the bulging breast of the fellow with a force that sent him reeling backwards several feet. "Hey, there! you keep out of this, if you don't want to be massacreed!" spoke a voice at Clark's elbow, and he was seized by several of the rowdy crowd and forced back from the side of Ralph. "Hands off!" shouted Clark, and he cleared a circle about him with a vigorous sweep of his arms. "Don't you mix in a fair fight, then," warned a big fellow in the crowd, threateningly. "Ah, it's going to be a fair fight, is it?" demanded Clark. "Yes, it is." "I'll see to it that it is," remarked Clark briefly. The fellow he had dazed with his rapid-fire display of muscle had regained his poise, and was now again facing the young engineer. "Understand?" he demanded, hunching up his shoulders and staring viciously at Ralph. "I'm Billy Bouncer." "Are you?" said Ralph simply.