"Well, sir," Jack began, "I waited fer Allan this evenin' t' tell him that Nolan had come back, an' when he told me that Nolan had been out here--" "Nolan out here?" interrupted the trainmaster, and Allan related the conversation of the night before. "When I heerd all that," began Jack, again, "I knowed that Nolan was up to no good; I knowed that he had come out here t' do th' boy dirt; an' all th' whinin' an' crocydile tears in th' world couldn't convince me no different. So when Allan got on th' accommydation, I left a message with th' caller fer my old woman, tellin' her I'd be late, an' jumped on th' back platform jest as th' train pulled out." Mr. Schofield nodded. He was beginning to understand the occurrences which had seemed so mysterious. At that moment a freight pulled in, and the conductor entered to get the orders. He cast an astonished glance at Nevins, but the presence of the trainmaster stifled any questions which may have been upon his lips, and he read his order, signed for it, and went out again. Allan went to the door, assured himself that the signals were properly set, then shut the door and resumed his seat on the table beside the instrument. "Well," Jack continued, "I knowed th' boy'd be mad if he thought I was follerin' him--he never did like it, even when Nolan was arter him last year--so I stayed there on th' back platform, an' dropped off in th' dark down there by th' water-plug. I set down in th' shadder of a pile o' ties an' waited. I see Allan come over here, an' purty soon th' other feller come out and hiked away fer th' village, like he had a date with his best girl an' was an hour late. "I was gittin' mighty hungry, and beginnin' t' feel purty foolish, too; fer I really hadn't nothin' t' go on except that Dan Nolan had been here th' day afore. It was gittin' cold, too, but I turned up my collar, pulled my cap down over my ears, lighted my pipe behind th' ties, an' arranged myself as comf'table as I could. I rammed my hands down in my pockets, t' keep 'em warm, an' snuggled up agin th' logs. Somethin' jabbed me in th' side, an' when I felt t' see what it was, I found I had a torpedy in my pocket. I'd put it there in th' mornin' thinkin' I might need it afore night, and hadn't been back t' th' section shanty since. Well, I eased it around so's it wouldn't jab me, and leaned back agin. "But th' minutes dragged by mighty slow, an' nothin' happened. I could see Allan, through th' windy, bendin' over th' table, or readin' in a book. I couldn't see my watch, it was too dark, an' I didn't dare strike another match, fer fear somebody'd see it, but I jedge it was clost to seven o'clock, an' I was sort o' noddin' back agin th' pile o' ties, with my eyes shet, when I heerd two men a-talkin' on th' other side o' th' pile, an' in a minute I was wide awake, fer I knowed one o' th' voices belonged t' Dan Nolan."