By Lttke Sharp. Jim Sutherland and Tom Pattern were two honest and enterprising gentlemen- After that statement it is hardly neces sary to add that they were citizens of Mon treal. They had a great scheme on hand and they were on their way to set in motion. They occupied seats in a first class carriage on the Central Switzerland Railway. They had left Basel, or Basle, or Bale that morning at 7.30, and if the express happened to be on time they would enter Lucerne at 9.54. There are few travellers to Switzerland at Christ, mas time, and consequently the young men had the first-class carriage all to themselves. The half-past seven train carries only first and second-class tra vellers, and in winter very few of them. The line from Basle to Lucerne being mostly down hill and the train being one of the fastest in the country, it was going with all the recklessness of speed that characterises a Canadian fast freight, and polished off the fifty-nine miles between the two towns in six minutes under two hours and a half. Of course a train that went at this break neck pace could not be expected to carry third-class people, or stop at many sta tions, and it didn't. The guard put on quite a number of airs because he looked after the passen gers of such a train. He occupied a high social position in Basle on account of it, and naturally looked down on guards who merely run on the fifteen mile an hour ex presses, and he made some efforts to im. press the American travellers with his own importance and tried to get them to realise their advantages in being privi leged to travel on the fastest Swiss ex press. The boys stood this as far as Olten, but after a five minute stop at that tation they called to the guard, and Jim opened out on him. "Mr Guard," he began, " what is th e mabter with this train, anyhow? Hot box?" " Do not comprehend, monsieur. What is Hutbox?" " What's wrong ? Why are we travel ling so slow?" I " Slow, monsieur? I am amazed. Slow ? This slow ? Surely, monsieur makes the joke." " Not a bit of it. There's no joke about this kind of stagnation. 