“There is a superstition among railroad men which, strangely enough, is seemingly warranted by experience, that when one wreck occurs, two more are certain to follow. And, sure enough, two more did follow, though neither was so serious as the one at Vinton; which, indeed, still lives in the memories of those who helped clear it away as the worst that ever happened on the division…”

“Every branch of railroading fascinates the average American boy. The shops, the telegraph and signal systems, the yard and track work, the daily life of danger which confronts every employee, whether he be the ordinary workman or the engineer of a limited express train, and the mysterious ‘office’ which controls every branch of the work, – each holds out its allurements to him.”

“In this story Mr. Stevenson’s hero is just the right sort, a manly lad of sixteen who is given a chance as a section hand on a big Western railroad, and whose experiences are as real as they are thrilling. He is persecuted by the discharged employee whose place he took, and becomes involved in complications which nearly cause his undoing; but his manliness and courage are finally proven, and the reward is his for duty done at any cost.” — From the original publisher’s description.

Book Contents

• List of Illustrations
• 1 The Bottom Round
• 2 A New Experience
• 3 An Adventure And A Story
• 4 Allan Meets An Enemy
• 5 Allan Proves His Metal
• 6 Reddy To The Rescue
• 7 The Irish Brigade
• 8 Good News And Bad
• 9 Reddy’s Exploit
• 10 A Summons In The Night
• 11 Clearing The Track
• 12 Unsung Heroes
• 13 A New Danger
• 14 Allan Makes A Discovery
• 15 A Shot From Behind
• 16 A Call To Duty
• 17 A Night Of Danger
• 18 The Signal In The Night
• 19 Reddy Redivivus
• 20 The Road’s Gratitude
• Other Books by Page & Company, Boston

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019-05-16
• Updated: v6. 2021-04-04
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0