"I know something about it, Mr. Bartholomew," said the younger
inventor. "I have felt some interest in the electric locomotive,
though I have done nothing practical in the matter. But I know
the Jandel patent."

"It is about the best there is--and the most recent; but it
does not fill the bill. Not for the H. & P. A., anyway," said Mr.
Bartholomew, shortly.

"What does it lack?" asked Mr. Swift.

"Speed. It's got the power for heavy hauls. It could handle the
freight through the Pas Alos Range. But it would slow up our
traffic so that the shippers would at once turn to the
Hendrickton & Western. You understand that their rails do not
begin to engage the grades that our engineers thought necessary
when the old H. & P. A. was built."

"I get that," said Tom briskly. "You have come here, then, to
interest us in the development of a faster but quite as powerful
type of electric locomotive as the Jandel."

"Stated to the line!" exclaimed Mr. Bartholomew, smiting the
arm of his chair with his clenched fist. "That is it, young man.
You get me exactly. And now I will go on to put my proposition to
you."

"Do so, Mr. Bartholomew," murmured the old inventor, quite as
much interested as his son.