"I can give you a lift," replied the captain. "Go over to the station and ask for Lieutenant Moore; tell him who you are and that I requested him to give you a place on the goods train. "That was a happy thought," said Alfred, after they had thanked the captain. "It's good to have friends," he added. At the station they were disappointed to learn that the lieutenant was at the other end of the line. "Where is his assistant?" asked Alfred. "That's the man over there," said their informant, pointing to a nervous officer on the platform. "Sorry I can't accommodate you in the absence of the lieutenant," was his discouraging reply to their inquiries. "Well, shall we walk it?" said Ralph. "Not as long as the railroad is here; I have gotten out of the idea of walking since the captain made the suggestion," said Alfred, as he looked about. "That looks as though it might go the right way," said Ralph, as he pointed to a long train and noticed a squad of men closing the doors. While walking across they saw an engine backed up and coupled on the coaches. "This is our chance," said Ralph. The conductor gave the signal and slowly the train began to move. Ralph sprang up on the running board, and, calling to Alfred, said: "Just in time!" "Ay, there! where's your permit?" shouted a voice. "Permit?" said Ralph. "Permit to get to the front? Well, that's news to me. Did you ever hear anything like that?" he continued. The latter laughed at the audacity of the remark, but the conductor assumed that it was a species of assurance on the part of the boys, and it caused him to hesitate. The boys, meanwhile, boldly crept up the ladder and landed on top, where they quietly sat down, with their legs dangling over the side. After the train had gone a mile or so the conductor mounted the last coach and walked forward. "Hi 'ave me orders to allow no one without a permit," he said. "Well, you ask Lieutenant Moore whether we can ride or not," said Alfred. "Hey, but it must be in writing," he answered. "Yes; we know that; we will get the written permit as soon as we get to the other end of the line where the lieutenant is," said Ralph, with an assuring nod. "Blime me if this isn't irregular," he said. "Yes, it may be," answered Alfred. "It isn't exactly regular to ride on top, but we haven't been invited to have a seat in the caboose," said Ralph. "Caboose! caboose! did you say? Hi never heard of it," replied the conductor. "Never heard of a caboose?" said Alfred. "That's queer; I thought all railroad men knew what that meant." "Why, he's never been in America. They don't have cabooses in England. You ought to know that," said Ralph. "Oh, yes, Mr. Conductor, over in the United States all our freight trains have cabooses on the rear end for the use of the train hands," said Alfred. "Freight trains! My word, you confuse me. And what do you mean by train hands?" he asked. "Well, this is a freight train, and your men are train hands," said Ralph.