The boys left the place in a little while and proceeded towards the railroad depot. Ralph had conceived quite a liking for his volatile new acquaintance. Clark had shown himself to be a loyal, resourceful friend, and the young engineer felt that he would miss his genial company if the other did not take the return trip to Stanley Junction. He told Clark this as they reached the depot. "That so?" smiled the latter. "Well, I'll go sure if you're agreeable. I've got no particular program to follow out, and I'd like to take in the Junction. Another thing, I'm curious to see how you come out with your friends. There's that smash-up on the siding at Plympton, too. Something may come up on that where I may be of service to you." They found the locomotive, steam up, on one of the depot switches in charge of a special engineer. It lacked over half an hour of leaving time. While Clark hustled about the tender, Ralph donned his working clothes and chattered with the relief engineer. The latter was to run the locomotive to the train, and Ralph walked down the platform to put on the time. "I've stowed my vest in a bunker in the cab," said Clark, by his side. "That's all right," nodded Ralph. "And I'm going to get some sandwiches and a few bottles of pop for a little midnight lunch." "All right," agreed the young engineer, as his companion started over towards Railroad Row. Lemuel Fogg had not put in an appearance up to this time, but a few minutes later Ralph saw him in the cab of No. 999, which he had gained by a short cut from the street. As Ralph was looking in the direction of the locomotive, some one came briskly up behind him and gave him a sharp, friendly slap on the shoulder. "Hello, Ralph Fairbanks!" he hailed. "Why, Dave Bissell!" said the young railroader, turning to face and shake hands with an old acquaintance. Dave had been a train boy on an accommodation run at Stanley Junction about a year previous, and had graduated into the same line of service on the Overland Limited. "I'm very glad to see you," said Ralph; "I hear you've got a great run." "Famous, Fairbanks!" declared Dave. "I'm hearing some big things about you." "You call them big because you remember the Junction and exaggerate home news," insisted Ralph. "Maybe so, but I always said you'd be president of the road some time," began Dave, and then with a start stared hard at young Clark, who appeared at that moment crossing the platform of a stationary coach from the direction of Railroad Row. "Why!" exclaimed Dave, "hey! hi! this way." Clark had halted abruptly. His expressive features were a study. As he evidently recognized Dave, his face fell, his eyes betokened a certain consternation, and dropping a package he carried he turned swiftly about, jumped from the platform and disappeared. "Why" spoke Ralph, considerably surprised, "do you know Marvin Clark?" "Who?" bolted out Dave bluntly. "That boy--Marvin Clark."