Being careful and troubled about many things, Lidgerwood missed the point of Benson’s remark; could not remember, when he tried, just what it was that he had been saying to Gridley when the interruption came.  But the matter was easily dismissed.  Having his two chief lieutenants before him, the superintendent seized the opportunity to outline the plan of campaign for the night.  McCloskey was to stay by the wires, with Callahan to share his watch.  Dawson, when he should come down, was to pick up a few of the loyal enginemen and guard the roundhouse.  Benson was to take charge of the yards, keeping his eye on the Nadia.  At the first indication of an outbreak, he was to pass the word to Van Lew, who would immediately transfer the private-car party to the second-floor offices in the head-quarters building.

“That is all,” was Lidgerwood’s summing up, when he had made his dispositions like a careful commander-in-chief; “all but one thing.  Mac, have you seen anything of Hallock?”

“Not since the middle of the afternoon,” was the prompt reply.

“And Judson has not yet reported?”

“No.”

“Well—­this is for you, Benson—­Mac already knows it:  Judson is out looking for Hallock.  He has a warrant for Hallock’s arrest.”

Benson’s eyes narrowed.

“Then you have found the ringleader at last, have you?” he asked.

“I am sorry to say that there doesn’t seem to be any doubt of Hallock’s guilt.  The arrest will be made quietly.  Judson understands that.  There is another man that we’ve got to have, and there is no time just now to go after him.”

“Who is the other man?” asked Benson.

“It is Flemister; the man who has the stolen switching-engine boxed up in a power-house built out of planks sawed from your Gloria bridge-timbers.”

“I told you so!” exclaimed the young engineer.  “By Jove!  I’ll never forgive you if you don’t send him to the rock-pile for that, Lidgerwood!”

“I have promised to hang him,” said the superintendent soberly—­“him and the man who has been working with him.”

“And that’s Rankin Hallock!” cut in the trainmaster vindictively, and his scowl was grotesquely hideous.  “Can you hang them, Mr. Lidgerwood?”

“Yes.  Flemister, and a man whom Judson has identified as Hallock, were the two who ditched 204 at Silver Switch last night.  The charge in Judson’s warrant reads,’train-wrecking and murder.’”

The trainmaster smote the desk with his fist.

“I’ll add one more strand to the rope—­Hallock’s rope,” he gritted ferociously.  “You remember what I told you about that loosened rail that caused the wreck in the Crosswater Hills?  You said Hallock had gone to Navajo to see Cruikshanks; he did go to Navajo, but he got there just exactly four hours after 202 had gone on past Navajo, and he came on foot, walking down the track from the Hills!”

“Where did you get that?” asked Lidgerwood quickly.