nvented anything, isn't it, Hawki

awkins had

e two m

wkins ha

e insurance comp

Hawkins h

iven it up for good?

yawned, and there I s

arted me-toward Philadelphia next morning. Perhaps, though, the ra

awkins as I stepped ashore on the Jersey side of the ferry

f the offices. Unperceived, I came close enough to hear him murmur th

d worked him up. I

peared in the door of the office and handed

ed his back, while the youth gazed after him

idiots!" Hawkins

ould disappea

iggs, yo

any trouble brewing, Hawkins, consider m

enough to drive a man to the asylum. Did you se

t to stand inside

orhood of their infernal door! The idea of mak

s, unless you applied for a job as fireman. Wh

Griggs. You don't understa

adelp

Hawkins cri

en," I

'll be with us! You'l

-sleeve and dragged me

d, detaining him,

and see it bef

at it is. Are you going to play any monkey-shi

e for yourself?" the inventor

ed for

Hawkins Alcomot

er heavens is

pose that I'm prepared to give a demonstration with magic lantern pictures on the spot? If you

ter Hawkins, through the gates, down the platform, and along by the train until we reached t

uge iron horse

I observed an affair which resembled something an enthusiastic

large automobile engine; and along eac

t doesn't look much like the old-fa

d say it

sh-just a trial Alcomotive, you know-b

tha

old steam locomotive," said Hawkins, evidently fe

ng pull a train? I

ive-it's run by vapors of alcohol, you know-we have sufficient power to pull fifteen parlor ca

ton, Philadelphia, and all points s

, but he did

time to start," Hawkins c

Hawkins," I said feelingly. "Good-by. I'll

ming on the Alco

ust its passengers and rolling-stock and road-bed to your alcohol machine, that's

" said the inventor, grabbing me with some determination. "

o!" I

hanic who was warily eying the

. In a second or two I stood on the ca

ond or two sooner-had I but collec

nness of my elevation to act for the moment. A

nductor waving

" tittered the engineer. "We

dn't get so excited about it. Why, positively,

t up," put in the engineer.

he turned a crank-he pu

last vision of the end brakeman revealed him rolling along the platform in a highly undignifi

served Hawkins grimly, as we whizzed past towers

sequent disadvantages may have develope

rshes, swaying from side to side, tearing a long hole in the atmosp

r time?" cried

or t-t-t-time," I

eer, who had been ruthlessly detailed to assis

it?" deman

t arranged to give with thi

railroad people that I inten

know-we may smash into

won't. I can stop this machine and the whole train in two hundred feet. That's another great point about the Alcomotiv

engineer shouted ag

ith a pleased smile. "Really, I had

ry commendable fashion. It seems so remarkable that one of his contrivances

ard usage. There were visible bruises in several cases, due, presuma

blind to anyth

that fine?" h

nd alive," was abo

be back in the cars. Let's

neer, "who's going to run the da

This is the valve for the alcohol-this is the igniter-here are the brakes-this is the speed contr

wife and family--"

aid Hawki

e thing sh

ime you started, my man. I'll wav

ck to play on the defenceless engineer. Had I been able t

a murmured benediction for the hapless mechanic who stood and

ts in one o

t he start?" mutt

killed him," I sugge

a

k, others toppled head over heels into the aisle, the porter went down unceremoniously upon h

ugh for Hawkins. He sat back and watched

he old locomotive now?

wood, Hawkins," I cautioned him. "

ind of yours grapple with the fact that the Hawkins Alcomotive i

enough," I said dubi

ke me physically weary. See here! The Alcomotive supersedes the locomotive first, in point of weight; se

critical moments-perfect ease of control. Why, if that

it or not, he stopped-th

nters. They rattled and shook and cracked. The passengers executed further acrobatic f

hat was about the mildest remark I heard

had appeared upon my brow as if by magic. "Probably he fell

at's happened. Come, we'll go t

had reached the front of the train

engineer stood over the machinery, white a

it?" crie

I know?" demand

n't you

t. She-she st

ried the inventor "You m

g just stood stock-still and near bumped the life ou

et me think. What could have happened? Er

is

ull it

" asked the engineer. "You know, if anything happens, peo

ver!" Hawkins

rmured something which sound

ng ha

tered Hawkins. "Doesn't i

op

mall one at your left.

an ob

nsumptive coughs. One or two parts moved spasmodically an

comotive be

Hawkins, as the accursed thing gather

ing to the side of the car. "I ain't going to make my wi

g to jump?" sque

lied the mechanic,

as g

without any semblance

er, and to attempt a leap or a climb to the Alcomotive, with the whole affair rocking and swaying as it was, would s

der the sun--"

his train! The p

find the conductor. H

king along at certainly fifty miles an hour; and

! Find the

him ver

toward us as we reached the second car, and

e shrieked. "Why on

see--" Haw

r machine! You're the man

the mechanism has-er-slipped somewhe

g serious for us to be flying along backwards and the W

it?" Hawki

you stop h

see here!" A smile of reli

Quick

brakeman detach

hat do, when she's

d the inventor. "I d

cars," announced the conductor. "It's the only ch

s dazedly. "Is there r

Hawkins sank upon a se

bed. "If I had only known! I

foresee anything!

, it's all that curs

e crushing along in droves, frightened to de

xpression of Napoleon arriving in Had

e are two freight cars on the rear of the train! That may do a

it his fault?" cri

shrieked the inven

n," said the conductor sadly. "You m

m!" yelle

y likely they would have suspended Hawkins from one of the ventilators and p

-well, then I fancied that

panes clattered into the car-the whole coach was hurle

let in the sunlight. Passengers were o

eries of creaks and

ng which had once been a door. We climbe

n express was standing, unexpectedly, at a water tank-p

rs with them were piled up in kindling wood. E

on one side and blazed merrily,

he groups which swarmed from the express, after a muster had

d I edged

oarsely. "There's that infernal conduct

ment we sneaked down by the express

olley tracks and waited for the ca

really more of

me that night-the painful transaction by which he was compelled to surrender t

of it. But, on the whole,