He ran to the bed, speedily pulled off a blanket lying there, and wrapped it about the woman. "Hold the child closely," he directed, and bodily lifted mother and babe in his strong, sinewy arms. The young railroader staggered under his great burden as he made for the hallway, but never was he so glad of his early athletic training as at this critical moment in his life. It was a strenuous and perilous task getting down the front stairs with his load, but Ralph managed it. He carried mother and child clear out into the garden, placed them carefully on a rustic bench there, and then ran towards the well. By this time people had come to the scene of the fire. There were two buckets at the well. A neighbor and the young railroader soon formed a limited bucket brigade, but it was slow work hauling up the water, and the flames had soon gained a headway that made their efforts to quench them useless. Ralph organized the excited onlookers to some system in removing what could be saved from the burning house. In the meantime he had directed a boy to hasten to the nearest telephone and call out the fire department. Soon the clanging bell of the hose cart echoed in the near distance. The rear part of the house had been pretty well burned down by this time, and the front of the building began to blaze. Ralph got a light wagon from the barn of a neighbor. A comfortable couch was made of pillows and blankets, and Mrs. Fogg and her child were placed on this. Ralph found no difficulty in enlisting volunteers to haul the wagon to his home, where his mother soon had the poor lady and her babe in a condition of safety and comfort. As Ralph returned to the dismantled and still smoking Fogg home he met a neighbor. "Oh, Fairbanks," spoke this person, "you're in great demand up at the Foggs." "How is that?" "Fogg has come to. They told him about your saving his wife and child. He cried like a baby at first. Then he insisted on finding you. He's blessing you for your noble heroism, I tell you." "I don't know about the noble heroism," returned Ralph with a smile. "Go back, will you, and tell him I'll see him in about an hour. Tell him to come down to our house at once. It's all arranged there to make him feel at home until he can make other arrangements." "You're a mighty good fellow, Fairbanks" declared the man enthusiastically, "and everybody knows it!" "Thank you," returned Ralph, and proceeded on his way. As he casually looked at his watch the young railroader quickened his steps with the half-murmured words: "And now for a tussle with the master mechanic." CHAPTER XI THE MASTER MECHANIC "Want to resign, do you?" "That is what I came here for, sir," said the young engineer of No. 999.