THE
GREAT
K&A
TRAIN
ROBBERY
Sith
PAUL·LEICESTER. FORD
R
!



AL 1575.2.57
The gift of
Mariner's House
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY


THIS BOOK BELONGS
Seamons' Free Circulating Library,
NADINERS HOUSE,
11 Norts Equaro Boston, Mass.
IT SHOULD BE RETURND) VIEN
READ TO THE ABOV8 ADRESS.
IN CARE OF GEO. L. SMALL.





THE GREAT
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY









集
​








The
Great
K. & A.IT
Train- (C
Robbery
By
Paul Leicester Ford
Author of The Honorable Peter Stirling
New York
Dodd Mead and Company
1897


AL 1575.2.57
!A13 1961
Copyright, 1896,
By J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY.
Copyright, 1897,
By Dodd, MEAD AND COMPANY.
University Press :
John WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.


TO
MY TRAVELLING COMPANIONS
ON SPECIALS 218 AND 97
ITS ENDEAVOR TO WEAVE INTO A STORY SOME OF OUR
OVERLAND HAPPENINGS AND ADVENTURES
IS GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED
TO MISS GEORGE BARKER GIBBS.
My dear George:
At your request I originally inscribed this skit to our whole
party. In its republication, however, I can but feel that the dedica-
tion should be more particular. Written because you asked it, first
read aloud to beguile our ride across the great American desert,
and finally printed because you wished a copy as a souvenir of
our journeyings, no one can so naturally be called upon to stand
sponsor to the little tale. Should the story but give its readers a
fraction of the pleasure I owe to your kindness, its success is
assured.
Faithfully yours,
PAUL LEICESTER FORD.





Contents
CHAPTER
PAGE
I THE PARTY ON SPECIAL NO. 218 I
II THE HOLDING-UP OF OVERLAND
NO. 3 · · · · · · · · 17
III A NIGHT'S WORK ON THE AL-
KALI PLAINS . . . . . 30
KALI PLAINS
SOME RATHER
QUEER ROAD
AGENTS
AGENTS .....43
V A TRIP TO THE GRAND CAÑON 55
VI THE HAPPENINGS DOWN HANCE's
TRAIL ....... 69
VII A CHANGE OF BASE .... 82
VIII HOW DID THE SECRET LEAK
OUT? ........ 93
TRAIL
vii


THE
Great K. & A. Train-Robbery
CHAPTER I
THE PARTY ON SPECIAL NO. 218
Any one who hopes to find in what is here
written a work of literature had better lay it
aside unread. At Yale I should have got
the sack in rhetoric and English composition,
let alone other studies, had it not been for
the fact that I played half-back on the team,
and so the professors marked me away up
above where I ought to have ranked. That
was twelve years ago, but my life since I
received my parchment has hardly been of
a kind to improve me in either style or
grammar. It is true that one woman tells
me I write well, and my directors never find
fault with my compositions ; but I know
that she likes my letters because, whatever


THE GREAT
else they may say to her, they always say in
some form, “I love you,” while my board
approve my annual reports because thus far I
have been able to end each with “I re-
commend the declaration of a dividend of —
per cent from the earnings of the current
year.” I should therefore prefer to reserve
my writings for such friendly critics, if it did
not seem necessary to make public a plain
statement concerning an affair over which
there appears to be much confusion. I have
heard in the last five years not less than
twenty renderings of what is commonly
called “the great K. & A. train-robbery,”
— some so twisted and distorted that but for
the intermediate versions I should never
have recognized them as attempts to narrate
the series of events in which I played a
somewhat prominent part. I have read or
been told that, unassisted, the pseudo-hero
captured a dozen desperadoes ; that he was
one of the road agents himself; that he was
saved from lynching only by the timely
arrival of cavalry; that the action of the


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
United States government in rescuing him
from the civil authorities was a most high-
handed interference with State rights; that
he received his reward from a grateful rail-
road by being promoted; that a lovely woman
as recompense for his villany — but bother !
it's my business to tell what really occurred,
and not what the world chooses to invent.
And if any man thinks he would have done
otherwise in my position, I can only say that he
is a better or a worse man than Dick Gordon.
Primarily, it was football which shaped
my end. Owing to my skill in the game, I
took a post-graduate at the Sheffield Scien-
tific School, that the team might have my
services for an extra two years. That led
to my knowing a little about mechanical
engineering, and when I left the “quad” for
good I went into the Alton Railroad shops.
It was n't long before I was foreman of a
section; next I became a division superin-
tendent, and after I had stuck to that for a
time I was appointed superintendent of the
Kansas & Arizona Railroad, a line extending


THE GREAT
from Trinidad in Kansas to The Needles in
Arizona, tapping the Missouri Western
System at the first place, and the Great
Southern at the other. With both lines we
had important traffic agreements, as well as
the closest relations, which sometimes were a
little difficult, as the two roads were anything
but friendly, and we had directors of each
on the K. & A. board, in which they fought
like cats. Indeed, it could only be a question
of time when one would oust the other and
then absorb my road. My head-quarters
were at Albuquerque, in New Mexico, and
it was there, in October, 1890, that I
received the communication which was the
beginning of all that followed.
This initial factor was a letter from the
president of the Missouri Western, telling
me that their first vice-president, Mr. Cullen
(who was also a director of my road), was
coming out to attend the annual election of
the K. & A., which under our charter had to
be held in Ash Forks, Arizona. A second
paragraph told me that Mr. Cullen's family
4


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
accompanied him, and that they all wished
to visit the Grand Cañon of the Colorado
on their way. Finally the president wrote
that the party travelled in his own private
car, and asked me to make myself generally
useful to them. Having become quite
hardened to just such demands, at the proper
date I ordered my superintendent’s car on
to No. 2, and the next morning it was dropped
off at Trinidad.
The moment No. 3 arrived, I climbed into
the president's special, that was the last car
on the train, and introduced myself to Mr.
Cullen, whom, though an official of my road,
I had never met. He seemed surprised at
my presence, but greeted me very pleasantly
as soon as I explained that the Missouri
Western office had asked me to do what I
could for him, and that I was there for that
purpose. His party were about to sit down
to breakfast, and he asked me to join them :
so we passed into the dining-room at the
forward end of the car, where I was in-
troduced to “My son,” “ Lord Ralles,” and


THE GREAT
“ Captain Ackland.” The son was a junior
copy of his father, tall and fine-looking, but,
in place of the frank and easy manner of his
sire, he was so very English that most people
would have sworn falsely as to his native
land. Lord Ralles was a little, well-built
chap, not half so English as Albert Cullen,
quick in manner and thought, being in this
the opposite of his brother Captain Ackland,
who was heavy enough to rock-ballast a road-
bed. Both brothers gave me the impression
of being gentlemen, and both were decidedly
good-looking
After the introductions, Mr. Cullen said
we would not wait, and his remark called my
attention to the fact that there was one more
place at the table than there were people
assembled. I had barely noted this, when
my host said, “ Here's the truant,” and,
turning, I faced a lady who had just entered.
Mr. Cullen said, “ Madge, let me introduce
Mr. Gordon to you.” My bow was made to
a girl of about twenty, with light brown hair,
the bluest of eyes, a fresh skin, and a fine


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
figure, dressed so nattily as to be to me, after
my four years of Western life, a sight for
tired eyes. She greeted me pleasantly, made
a neat little apology for having kept us wait-
ing, and then we all sat down.
It was a very jolly breakfast-table, Mr.
Cullen and his son being capital talkers, and
Lord Ralles a good third, while Miss Cullen
was quick and clever enough to match the
three. Before the meal was over I came to
the conclusion that Lord Ralles was in love
with Miss Cullen, for he kept making low
asides to her; and from the fact that she
allowed them, and indeed responded, I drew
the conclusion that he was a lucky beggar,
feeling, I confess, a little pang that a title
was going to win such a nice American
girl.
One of the first subjects spoken of was
train-robbery, and Miss Cullen, like most
Easterners, seemed to take a great interest
in it, and had any quantity of questions to
ask me.
“I've left all my jewelry behind, except


THE GREAT
my watch,” she said, “and that I hide every
night. So I really hope we'll be held up, it
would be such an adventure.”
“ There is n't any chance of it, Miss
Cullen,” I told her; “and if we were,
you probably would n't even know that
it was happening, but would sleep right
through it.”
“Would n't they try to get our money and
our watches ?” she demanded.
I told her no, and explained that the ex-
press- and mail-cars were the only ones to
which the road agents paid any attention.
She wanted to know the way it was done:
so I described to her how sometimes the
train was Aagged by a danger signal, and
when it had slowed down the runner found
himself covered by armed men; or how a
gang would board the train, one by one, at
way stations, and then, when the time came,
steal forward, secure the express agent and
postal clerk, climb over the tender, and com-
pel the runner to stop the train at some
lonely spot on the road. She made me tell


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
her all the details of such robberies as I
knew about, and, though I had never been
concerned in any, I was able to describe
several, which, as they were monotonously
alike, I confess I colored up a bit here and
there, in an attempt to make them interest-
ing to her. I seemed to succeed, for she
kept the subject going even after we had left
the table and were smoking our cigars in
the observation saloon. Lord Ralles had a
lot to say about the American lack of courage
in letting trains containing twenty and thirty
men be held up by half a dozen robbers.
“ Why,” he ejaculated, “ my brother and
I each have a double express with us, and do
you think we'd sit still in our seats ? No.
Hang me if we would n't pot something."
“ You might,” I laughed, a little nettled,
I confess, by his speech,“ but I'm afraid it
would be yourselves.”
« Aw, you fancy resistance impossible ? ”
drawled Albert Cullen.
“ It has been tried,” I answered, “and
without success. You can see it's like all


THE GREAT
surprises. One side is prepared before the
other side knows there is danger. Without
regard to relative numbers, the odds are all
in favor of the road agents.”
“ But I would n’t sit still, whatever the
odds," asserted his lordship. “And no Eng-
lishman would.”
“Well, Lord Ralles,” I said, “I hope for
your sake, then, that you 'll never be in a
hold-up, for I should feel about you as the
runner of a locomotive did when the old lady
asked him if it was n't very painful to him
to run over people. "Yes, madam,' he sadly
replied: "there is nothing musses an engine
up so.'"
I don't think Miss Cullen liked Lord
Ralles's comments on American courage
any better than I did, for she said, -
“ Can't you take Lord Ralles and Captain
Ackland into the service of the K. & A., Mr.
Gordon, as a special guard?”
“ The K. & A. has never had a robbery
yet, Miss Cullen,” I replied, “and I don't
think that it ever will have.”
10


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
Why not?” she asked.
I explained to her how the Cañon of the
Colorado to the north, and the distance of
the Mexican border to the south, made escape
so almost desperate that the road agents pre-
ferred to devote their attentions to other
routes. “ If we were boarded, Miss Cullen,”
I said, “ your jewelry would be as safe as it
is in Chicago, for the robbers would only
clean out the express- and mail-cars; but if
they should so far forget their manners as to
take your trinkets, I'd agree to return them
to you inside of one week.”
« That makes it all the jollier,” she cried,
eagerly. “We could have the fun of the
adventure, and yet not lose anything. Can't
you arrange for it, Mr. Gordon ?”
“I'd like to please you, Miss Cullen," I
said, “ and I'd like to give Lord Ralles a
chance to show us how to handle those
gentry; but it's not to be done.” I really
should have been glad to have the road
agents pay us a call.
We spent that day pulling up the Raton
II


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
her neck, and the curves and color of her
cheeks.
Half a day served to see everything in
Santa Fé worth looking at, but Mr. Cullen
decided to spend there the time they had to
wait for his other son to join the party.
To pass the hours, I hunted up some ponies,
and we spent three days in long rides up
the old Santa Fé trail and to the outlying
mountains. Only one incident was other
than pleasant, and that was my fault. As
we were riding back to our cars on the
second afternoon, we had to cross the branch
road-bed, where a gang happened to be at
work tamping the ties.
“ Since you ’re interested in road agents,
Miss Cullen,” I said, “ you may like to see
one. That fellow standing in the ditch is
Jack Drute, who was concerned in the
D. & R. G. hold-up three years ago.”
Miss Cullen looked where I pointed, and
seeing a man with a gun, gave a startled
jump, and pulled up her pony, evidently
supposing that we were about to be attacked.
13


THE GREAT
“ Sha'n't we run ?” she began, but then
checked herself, as she took in the facts of
the drab clothes of the gang and the two
armed men in uniform. “ They are con-
victs ? ” she asked, and when I nodded, she
said, “ Poor things !” After a pause, she
asked, “ How long is he in prison for?”
“Twenty years,” I told her.
“ How harsh that seems!” she said.
“How cruel we are to people for a few
moments' wrong-doing, which the circum-
stances may almost have justified !” She
checked her pony as we came opposite
Drute, and said, “ Can you use money?”
“ Can I, lyedy ? ” said the fellow, leering
in an attempt to look amiable. “Wish I
had the chance to try.”
The guard interrupted by telling her it
was n't permitted to speak to the convicts
while out of bounds, and so we had to ride
on. All Miss Cullen was able to do was to
throw him a little bunch of flowers she had
gathered in the mountains. It was literally
casting pearls before swine, for the fellow
14


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
did not seem particularly pleased, and when,
late that night, I walked down there with a
lantern I found the flowers lying in the
ditch. The experience seemed to sadden
and distress Miss Cullen very much for the
rest of the afternoon, and I kicked myself
for having called her attention to the brute,
and could have knocked him down for the
way he had looked at her. It is curious that
I felt thankful at the time that Drute was
not holding up a train Miss Cullen was on.
It is always the unexpected that happens.
If I could have looked into the future, what
a strange variation on this thought I should
have seen!
The three days went all too quickly,
thanks to Miss Cullen, and by the end of
that time I began to understand what love
really meant to a chap, and how men could
come to kill each other for it. For a fairly
sensible, hard-headed fellow it was pretty
quick work, I acknowledge ; but let any
man have seven years of Western life with-
out seeing a woman worth speaking of, and
15


THE GREAT
then meet Miss Cullen, and if he did n't do
as I did, I would n't trust him on the tail-
board of a locomotive, for I should put him
down as defective both in eyesight and in
intellect.


K. &. A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
CHAPTER II
THE HOLDING-UP OF OVERLAND NO. 3
On the third day a despatch came from
Frederic Cullen telling his father he would
join us at Lamy on No. 3 that evening. I
at once ordered 97 and 218 coupled to the
connecting train, and in an hour we were back
on the main line. While waiting for the
overland to arrive, Mr. Cullen asked me to
do something which, as it later proved to
have considerable bearing on the events of
that night, is worth mentioning, trivial as it
seems. When I had first joined the party,
I had given orders for 97 to be kicked in
between the main string and their special,
so as not to deprive the occupants of 218 of
the view from their observation saloon and
balcony platform. Mr. Cullen came to me
now and asked me to reverse the arrange-
2
17


THE GREAT
ment and make my car the tail end. I was
giving orders for the splitting and kicking in
when No. 3 arrived, and thus did not see the
greeting of Frederic Cullen and his family.
When I joined them, his father told me that
the high altitude had knocked his son up so,
that he had to be helped from the ordinary
sleeper to the special and had gone to bed
immediately. Out West we have to know
something of medicine, and my car had its
chest of drugs: so I took some tablets and
went into his state-room. Frederic was like
his brother in appearance, though not in
manner, having a quick, alert way. He was
breathing with such difficulty that I was
almost tempted to give him nitroglycerin,
instead of strychnine, but he said he would
be all right as soon as he became accustomed
to the rarefied air, quite pooh-poohing my
suggestion that he take No. 2 back to
Trinidad ; and while I was still urging, the
train started. Leaving him the vials of
digitalis and strychnine, therefore, I went
back, and dined solus on my own car, indulg-
18


THE GREAT
hand, for which I was grateful, as the salary
of a railroad superintendent would hardly
stand the game they probably played; and I
had my compensation when Miss Cullen also
was not asked to join them. She said she was
going to watch the moonlight on the moun-
tains from the platform, and opened the door
to go out, finding for the first time that No.
97 was the “ender.” In her disappointment
she protested against this, and wanted to know
the why and wherefore.
“We shall have far less motion, Madge,”
Mr. Cullen explained, “and then we sha'n't
have the rear-end man in our car at night.”
« But I don't mind the motion,” urged
Miss Cullen, “and the flagman is only there
after we are all in our rooms. Please leave
us the view.”
“I prefer the present arrangement, Madge,”
insisted Mr. Cullen, in a very positive voice.
I was so sorry for Miss Cullen's disap-
pointment that on impulse I said, “ The plat-
form of 97 is entirely at your service, Miss
Cullen.” The moment it was out I realized
20


THE GREAT
something, and her father answered her.
Lord Ralles must have heard, for he mut-
tered something, which made Miss Cullen
color up; but much good it did him, for she
turned to me and said, “Since my father
does n't disapprove, I will gladly accept your
hospitality, Mr. Gordon,” and after a glance
at Lord Ralles that had a challenging “ I'll
do as I please" in it, she went to get her hat
and coat. The whole incident had not taken
ten seconds, yet it puzzled me beyond meas-
ure, even while my heart beat with an un-
reasonable hope; for my better sense told me
that it simply meant that Lord Ralles disap-
proved, and Miss Cullen, like any girl of
spirit, was giving him notice that he was not
yet privileged to control her actions. What-
ever the scene meant, his lordship did not
like it, for he swore at his luck the moment
Miss Cullen had left the room.
When Miss Cullen returned we went back
to the rear platform of 97. I let down the
traps, closed the gates, got a camp-stool for
her to sit upon, with a cushion to lean back on,
22


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
and a footstool, and fixed her as comfortably
as I could, even getting a travelling-rug to
cover her lap, for the plateau air was chilly.
Then I hesitated a moment, for I had the
feeling that she had not thoroughly approved
of the thing and therefore she might not like
to have me stay. Yet she was so charming
in the moonlight, and the little balcony the
platform made' was such a tempting spot to
linger on, while she was there, that it was n't
easy to go. Finally I asked, -
“ You are quite comfortable, Miss Cullen ?”
“ Sinfully so," she laughed.
“ Then perhaps you would like to be left
to enjoy the moonlight and your meditations
by yourself?” I questioned. I knew I ought
to have just gone away, but I simply could n't
when she looked so enticing.
“ Do you want to go? ” she asked.
“No!” I ejaculated, so forcibly that she
gave a little startled jump in her chair.
“ That is -I mean," I stuttered, embar-
rassed by my own vehemence, “I rather
thought you might not want me to stay.”
23


THE GREAT
“What made you think that ?" she
demanded.
I never was a good hand at inventing ex-
planations, and after a moment's seeking for
some reason, I plumped out, “Because I
feared you might not think it proper to use
my car, and I suppose it's my presence that
made you think it.”
She took my stupid fumble very nicely,
laughing merrily while saying, “ If you like
mountains and moonlight, Mr. Gordon, and
don't mind the lack of a chaperon, get a stool
for yourself, too.” What was more, she
offered me half of the lap-robe when I was
seated beside her.
I think she was pleased by my offer to go
away, for she talked very pleasantly, and far
more intimately than she had ever done be-
fore, telling me facts about her family, her
Chicago life, her travels, and even her
thoughts. From this I learned that her elder
brother was an Oxford graduate, and that
Lord Ralles and his brother were classmates,
who were visiting him for the first time since
24


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
he had graduated. She asked me some ques-
tions about my work, which led me to tell
her pretty much everything about myself that
I thought could be of the least interest; and
it was a very pleasant surprise to me to find
that she knew one of the old team, and had
even heard of me from him.
“Why,” she exclaimed, “ how absurd of
me not to have thought of it before! But,
you see, Mr. Colston always speaks of you
by your first name. You ought to hear how
he praises you."
“Trust Harry to praise any one,” I said.
“There were some pretty low fellows on the
old team, - men who could n't keep their
word or their tempers, and would slug every
chance they got; but Harry used to insist
there was n't a bad egg among the lot.”
“ Don't you find it very lonely to live out
here, away from all your old friends ? ” she
asked.
I had to acknowledge that it was, and told
her the worst part was the absence of pleas-
ant women. “Till you arrived, Miss Cul-
25


THE GREAT
len,” I said, “ I had n't seen a well-gowned
woman in four years.” I've always noticed
that a woman would rather have a man
notice and praise her frock than her beauty,
and Miss Cullen was apparently no excep-
tion, for I could see the remark pleased her.
“ Don't Western women ever get Eastern
gowns ?” she asked.
« Any quantity,” I said, “but you know,
Miss Cullen, that it is n't the gown, but the
way it 's worn, that gives the artistic touch."
For a fellow who had devoted the last seven
years of his life to grades and fuel and rebates
and pay-rolls, I don't think that was bad. At
least it made Miss Cullen's mouth dimple at
the corners.
The whole evening was so eminently
satisfactory that I almost believe I should
be talking yet, if interruption had not come.
The first premonition of it was Miss Cullen's
giving a little shiver, which made me ask if
she was cold.
“Not at all,” she replied. “I only —
what place are we stopping at?"
26


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
I started to rise, but she checked the
movement and said, “Don't trouble your-
self. I thought you would know without
moving. I really don't care to know.”
I took out my watch, and was startled to
find it was twenty minutes past twelve. I
was n't so green as to tell Miss Cullen so,
and merely said, “ By the time, this must be
Sanders.”
“Do we stop long?" she asked.
« Only to take water,” I told her, and
then went on with what I had been speaking
about when she shivered. But as I talked
it slowly dawned on me that we had been
standing still some time, and presently I
stopped speaking and glanced off, expecting
to recognize something, only to see alkali
plain on both sides. A little surprised, I
looked down, to find no siding. Rising
hastily, I looked out forward. I could see
moving figures on each side of the train, but
that meant nothing, as the train's crew, and,
for that matter, passengers, are very apt to
alight at every stop. What did mean some-


THE GREAT
thing was that there was no water-tank, no
station, nor any other visible cause for a
stop.
“Is anything the matter?” asked Miss
Cullen.
“I think something's wrong with the
engine or the road-bed, Miss Cullen,” I
said, “ and, if you 'll excuse me a moment,
I'll go forward and see.”
I had barely spoken when “ bang ! bang!”
went two shots. That they were both fired
from an English “express” my ears told me,
for no other people in this world make a
mountain howitzer and call it a rifle.
Hardly were the two shots fired when
“ crack! crack! crack! crack !” went some
Winchesters.
« Oh! what is it ? ” cried Miss Cullen.
“I think your wish has been granted,"
I answered hurriedly. “We are being
held up, and Lord Ralles is showing us
how to — ”
My speech was interrupted. “Bang!
bang !” challenged another “express,” the
28


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
shots so close together as to be almost
simultaneous. “ Crack! crack! crack!”
retorted the Winchesters, and from the
fact that silence followed I drew a clear
inference. I said to myself, “That is an
end of poor John Bull.”


THE GREAT
CHAPTER III
A NIGHT'S WORK ON THE ALKALI PLAINS
I HURRIED Miss Cullen into the car, and,
after bolting the rear door, took down my
Winchester from its rack.
“I'm going forward,” I told her, “and
will tell my darkies to bolt the front door:
so you 'll be as safe in here as in Chicago.”
In another minute I was on my front
platform. Dropping down between the
two cars, I crept along beside — indeed,
half under — Mr. Cullen's special. After
my previous conclusion, my surprise can be
judged when at the farther end I found the
two Britishers and Albert Cullen, standing
there in the most exposed position possible.
I joined them, muttering to myself some-
thing about Providence and fools.
« Aw,” drawled Cullen, “ here's Mr. Gor-
don, just too late for the sport, by Jove."
30


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
“ Well,” bragged Lord Ralles, “we've
had a hand in this deal, Mr. Superintendent,
and have n't been potted. The scoundrels
broke for cover the moment we opened
fire.”
By this time there were twenty passengers
about our group, all of them asking questions
at once, making it difficult to learn just what
had happened; but, so far as I could piece
the answers together, the poker-players'
curiosity had been aroused by the long
stop, and, looking out, they had seen a
single man with a rifle, standing by the
engine. Instantly arming themselves, Lord
Ralles let Ay both barrels at him, and in
turn was the target for the first four shots
I had heard. The shooting had brought the
rest of the robbers tumbling off the cars,
and the captain and Cullen had fired the
rest of the shots at them as they scattered.
I did n't stop to hear more, but went forward
to see what the road agents had got away
with.
I found the express agent tied hand and
31


THE GREAT
foot in the corner of his car, and, telling a
brakeman who had followed me to set him
at liberty, I turned my attention to the safe.
That the diversion had not come a moment
too soon was shown by the dynamite car-
tridge already in place, and by the fuse that
lay on the floor, as if dropped suddenly.
But the safe was intact.
Passing into the mail-car, I found the
clerk tied to a post, with a mail-sack pulled
over his head, and the utmost confusion
among the pouches and sorting-compart-
ments, while scattered over the floor were
a great many letters. Setting him at liberty,
I asked him if he could tell whether mail
had been taken, and, after a glance at the
confusion, he said he could not know till
he had examined.
Having taken stock of the harm done, I
began asking questions. Just after we had
left Sanders, two masked men had entered
the mail-car, and while one covered the clerk
with a revolver the other had tied and
6 sacked ” him. Two more had gone for-
32


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
ward and done the same to the express agent.
Another had climbed over the tender and
ordered the runner to hold up. All this was
regular programme, as I had explained to
Miss Cullen, but here had been a variation
which I had never heard of being done, and
of which I could n't fathom the object.
When the train had been stopped, the man
on the tender had ordered the fireman to
dump his fire, and now it was lying in the
road-bed and threatening to burn through
the ties; so my first order was to extinguish
it, and my second was to start a new fire
and get up steam as quickly as possible.
From all I could learn, there were eight
men concerned in the attempt; and I
confess I shook my head in puzzlement
why that number should have allowed
themselves to be scared off so easily.
My wonderment grew when I called on
the conductor for his tickets. These showed
nothing but two from Albuquerque, one from
Laguna, and four from Coolidge. This lat-
ter would have looked hopeful but for the
33


THE GREAT
fact that it was a party of three women and
a man. Going back beyond Lamy did n't
give anything, for the conductor was able to
account for every fare as either still in the
train or as having got off at some point.
My only conclusion was that the robbers had
sneaked onto the platforms at Sanders; and
I gave the crew a good dressing down for
their carelessness. Of course they insisted
it was impossible; but they were bound to do
that.
Going back to 97, I got my telegraph
instrument, though I thought it a waste of
time, the road agents being always careful to
break the lines. I told a brakeman to climb
the pole and cut a wire. While he was
struggling up, Miss Cullen joined me.
“Do you really expect to catch them ?”
she asked.
“ I should n't like to be one of them,” I
replied.
“But how can you do it ? ”.
“ You could understand better, Miss
Cullen, if you knew this country. You see
34


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
every bit of water is in use by ranches, and
those fellows can't go more than fifty miles
without watering. So we shall have word
of them, wherever they go.”
“ Line cut, Mr. Gordon," came from
overhead at this point, making Miss Cullen
jump with surprise.
“What was that ? ” she asked.
I explained to her, and, after making con-
nections, I called Sanders. Much to my
surprise, the agent responded. I was so
astonished that for a moment I could not be-
lieve the fact.
« This is the queerest hold-up of which I
ever heard,” I remarked to Miss Cullen.
“ Aw, in what respect ?” asked Albert
Cullen's voice, and, looking up, I found that
he and quite a number of the passengers had
joined us.
“ The road agents make us dump our
fire,” I said, “ and yet they have n't cut the
wires in either direction. I can't see how
they can escape us.”
“ What fun!” cried Miss Cullen.
35


THE GREAT
“ I don't see what difference either makes in
their chance of escaping,” said Lord Ralles.
While he was speaking, I ticked off the
news of our being held up, and asked the
agent if there had been any men about
Sanders, or if he had seen any one board
the train there. His answer was positive
that no one could have done so, and that
settled it as to Sanders. I asked the same
questions of Allantown and Wingate, which
were the only places we had stopped at after
leaving Coolidge, getting the same answers.
That eight men could have remained con-
cealed on any of the platforms from that
point was impossible, and I began to suspect
magic. Then I called Coolidge, and told of
the holding up, after which I telegraphed the
agent at Navajo Springs to notify the com-
mander at Fort Defiance, for I suspected the
road agents would make for the Navajo
reservation. Finally I called Flagstaff as I
had Coolidge, directed that the authorities be
notified of the facts, and ordered an extra to
bring out the sheriff and posse.
36


THE GREAT
« How do you know the number ?” asked
a passenger.
“I don't,” I said. “That's the number
the crew think there were ; but I myself
don't believe it.”
“Why don't you believe the men ?”
asked Miss Cullen.
« First, because there is always a ten-
dency to magnify, and next, because the
road agents ran away so quickly.”
“I counted at least seven," asserted Lord
Ralles.
“Well, Lord Ralles," I said, “I don't
want to dispute your eyesight, but if they
had been that strong they would never have
bolted, and if you want to lay a bottle of
wine, I'll wager that when I catch those
chaps we'll find there were n't more than
three or four of them.”
“ Done!” he snapped.
Leaving the group, I went forward to get
the report of the mail agent. He had put
things to rights, and told me that, though the
mail had been pretty badly mixed up, only
38


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
one pouch at worst had been rifled. This
— the one for registered mail — had been
cut open, but, as if to increase the mystery,
the letters had been scattered, unopened,
about the car, only three out of the whole
being missing, and those very probably had
fallen into the pigeon-holes and would be
found on a more careful search.
I confess I breathed easier to think that
the road agents had got away with nothing,
and was so pleased that I went back to the
wire to send the news of it, that the fact
might be included in the press despatches.
The moon had set, and it was so dark that
I had some difficulty in finding the pole.
When I found it, Miss Cullen was still
standing there. What was more, a man was
close beside her, and as I came up I heard
her say, indignantly, —
« I will not allow it. It is unfair to take
such advantage of me. Take your arm
away, or I shall call for help.”
That was enough for me. One step
carried my hundred and sixty pounds over
39


THE GREAT
the intervening ground, and, using the mo-
mentum of the stride to help, I put the flat
of my hand against the shoulder of the man
and gave him a shove. There are three or
four Harvard men who can tell what that
means, and they were braced for it, which
this fellow was n't. He went staggering
back as if struck by a cow-catcher, and lay
down on the ground a good fifteen feet
away. His having his arm around Miss
Cullen's waist unsteadied her so that she
would have fallen too if I had n't put my
hand against her shoulder. I longed to put
it about her, but by this time I did n't want
to please myself, but to do only what I
thought she would wish, and so restrained
myself.
Before I had time to finish an apology
to Miss Cullen, the fellow was up on his
feet, and came at me with an exclamation
of anger. In my surprise at recognizing the
voice as that of Lord Ralles, I almost neglected
to take care of myself; but, though he was
quick with his fists, I caught him by the
40


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
wrists as he closed, and he had no chance
after that against a fellow of my weight.
Oh, don't quarrel ! ” cried Miss Cullen.
Holding him, I said, “ Lord Ralles, I over-
heard what Miss Cullen was saying, and,
supposing some man was insulting her, I
acted as I did.” Then I let go of him, and,
turning, I continued, “ I am very sorry, Miss
Cullen, if I did anything the circumstances
did not warrant,” while cursing myself for
my precipitancy and for not thinking that
Miss Cullen would never have been caught
in such a plight with a man unless she had
been half willing; for a girl does not merely
threaten to call for help if she really wants
aid.
Lord Ralles was n’t much mollified by my
explanation. “You're too much in a hurry,
my man,” he growled, speaking to me as if
I were a servant. “Be a bit more careful in
the future.”
I think I should have retorted — for his
manner was enough to make a saint mad —
if Miss Cullen had n't spoken.


THE GREAT
“ You tried to help me, Mr. Gordon, and
I am deeply grateful for that,” she said. The
words look simple enough set down here.
But the tone in which she said them, and the
extended hand and the grateful little squeeze
she gave my fingers, all seemed to express so
much that I was more puzzled over them
than I was over the robbery.


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
CHAPTER IV
SOME RATHER QUEER ROAD AGENTS
“ You had better come back to the car, Miss
Cullen,” remarked Lord Ralles, after a
pause.
But she declined to do so, saying she
wanted to know what I was going to tele-
graph ; and he left us, for which I was n't
sorry. I told her of the good news I had to
send, and she wanted to know if now we
would try to catch the road agents. I set
her mind at rest on that score.
“ I think they 'll give us very little trouble
to bag,” I added, “ for they are so green that
it's almost pitiful.”
“ In not cutting the wires ? ” she asked.
« In everything," I replied. « But the
worst botch is their waiting till we had just
passed the Arizona line. If they had held
43


THE GREAT
us up an hour earlier, it would only have
been State's prison.”
“ And what will it be now ? ”
“ Hanging.”
“ What?” cried Miss Cullen.
“ In New Mexico train-robbing is not
capital, but in Arizona it is,” I told her.
“And if you catch them they 'll be hung ?”
she asked.
« Yes.”
“ That seems very hard.”
The first signs of dawn were beginning to
show by this time, and as the sky brightened
I told Miss Cullen that I was going to look
for the trail of the fugitives. She said she
would walk with me, if not in the way, and
my assurance was very positive on that point.
And here I want to remark that it 's saying a
good deal if a girl can be up all night in such
excitement and still look fresh and pretty,
and that she did.
I ordered the crew to look about, and then
began a big circle around the train. Finding
nothing, I swung a bigger one. That being
44


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
equally unavailing, I did a larger third. Not
a trace of foot or hoof within a half-mile of
the cars! I had heard of blankets laid down
to conceal a trail, of swathed feet, even of
leathern horse-boots with cattle-hoofs on the
bottom, but none of these could have been
used for such a distance, let alone the en-
tire absence of any signs of a place where
the horses had been hobbled. Returning,
to the train, the report of the men was the
same.
“We've ghost road agents to deal with,
Miss Cullen," I laughed. “ They come
from nowhere, bullets touch them not, their
lead hurts nobody, they take nothing, and
they disappear without touching the ground.”
“ How curious it is !” she exclaimed.
“One would almost suppose it a dream.”
“ Hold on,” I said. “We do have some-
thing tangible, for if they disappeared they
left their shells behind them.” And I pointed
to some cartridge-shells that lay on the ground
beside the mail-car. “My theory of aerial
bullets won't do.”
45


THE GREAT
« The shells are as hollow as I feel,”
laughed Miss Cullen.
“ Your suggestion reminds me that I am
desperately hungry,” I said. “Suppose we
go back and end the famine.”
Most of the passengers had long since
returned to their seats or berths, and Mr.
Cullen's party had apparently done the same,
for 218 showed no signs of life. One of my
darkies was awake, and he broiled a steak
and made us some coffee in no time, and just
as they were ready Albert Cullen appeared,
so we made a very jolly little breakfast. He
told me at length the part he and the Britishers
had borne, and only made me marvel the
more that any one of them was alive, for
apparently they had jumped off the car with-
out the slightest precaution, and had stood
grouped together, even after they had called
attention to themselves by Lord Ralles's shots.
Cullen had to confess that he heard the
whistle of the four bullets unpleasantly
close.
“ You have a right to be proud, Mr.
46


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
Cullen,” I said. “You fellows did a tre-
mendously plucky thing, and, thanks to you,
we did n't lose anything.”
“But you went to help too, Mr. Gordon,”
added Miss Cullen.
That made me color up, and, after a
moment's hesitation, I said, —
“I'm not going to sail under false colors,
Miss Cullen. When I went forward I
did n't think I could do anything. I sup-
posed whoever had pitched into the robbers
was dead, and I expected to be the same
inside of ten minutes.”
“ Then why did you risk your life," she
asked, “ if you thought it was useless ? ”
I laughed, and, though ashamed to tell
it, replied, “I did n't want you to think
that the Britishers had more pluck than I
had.”
She took my confession better than I
hoped she would, laughing with me, and then
said, “ Well, that was courageous, after all.”
“ Yes," I confessed, “I was frightened
into bravery.”


THE GREAT
“ Perhaps if they had known the danger
as well as you, they would have been less
courageous,” she continued; and I could
have blessed her for the speech.
While we were still eating, the mail clerk
came to my car and reported that the most
careful search had failed to discover the three
registered letters, and they had evidently been
taken. This made me feel sober, slight as
the probable loss was. He told me that his
list showed they were all addressed to Ash
Forks, Arizona, making it improbable that
their contents could be of any real value.
If possible, I was more puzzled than ever.
At six-ten the runner whistled to show he
had steam up. I told one of the brakemen
to stay behind, and then went into 218. Mr.
Cullen was still dressing, but I expressed my
regrets through the door that I could not go
with his party to the Grand Cañon, told him
that all the stage arrangements had been
completed, and promised to join him there
in case my luck was good. Then I saw
Frederic for a moment, to see how he was
48


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
(for I had nearly forgotten him in the ex-
citement), to find that he was gaining all the
time, and preparing even to get up. When
I returned to the saloon, the rest of the
party were there, and I bade good-bye to
the captain and Albert. Then I turned
to Lord Ralles, and, holding out my hand,
said, —
“Lord Ralles, I joked a little the other
morning about the way you thought road
agents ought to be treated. You have turned
the joke very neatly and pluckily, and I want
to apologize for myself and thank you for
the railroad.”
“ Neither is necessary,” he retorted airily,
pretending not to see my hand. .
I never claimed to have a good temper,
and it was all I could do to hold myself in.
I turned to Miss Cullen to wish her a pleas-
ant trip, and the thought that this might be
our last meeting made me forget even Lord
Ralles.
“ I hope it is n't good-bye, but only au
revoir,” she said. “Whether or no, you
49


THE GREAT
must let us see you some time in Chicago,
so that I may show you how grateful I am
for all the pleasure you have added to our
trip.” Then, as I stepped down off my plat-
form, she leaned over the rail of 218, and
added, in a low voice, “ I thought you were
just as brave as the rest, Mr. Gordon, and
now I think you are braver.”
I turned impulsively, and said, “ You
would think so, Miss Cullen, if you knew
the sacrifice I am making.” Then, without
looking at her, I gave the signal, the bell
rang, and No. 3 pulled off. The last thing
I saw was a handkerchief waving off the
platform of 218.
When the train dropped out of sight over
a grade, I swallowed the lump in my throat
and went to the telegraph instrument. I
wired Coolidge to give the alarm to Fort
Wingate, Fort Apache, Fort Thomas, Fort
Grant, Fort Bayard, and Fort Whipple,
though I thought the precaution a mere waste
of energy. Then I sent the brakeman up
to connect the cut wire.
50


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
“ Two of the bullets struck up here, Mr.
Gordon,” the man called from the top of
the pole.
“ Surely not!” I exclaimed.
“Yes, sir,” he responded. “The bullet-
holes are brand-new."
I took in the lay of the land, the embers
of the fire showing me how the train had lain.
“I don't wonder nobody was hit,” I ex-
claimed, “ if that's a sample of their shooting.
Some one was a worse rattled man than I
ever expect to be. Dig the bullets out,
Douglas, so that we can have a look at
them.”
He brought them down in a minute.
They proved to be Winchesters, as I had
expected, for they were on the side from
which the robbers must have fired.
« That chap must have been full of
Arizona tangle-foot, to have fired as wild as
he did,” I ejaculated, and walked over to
where the mail-car had stood, to see just how
bad the shooting was. When I got there
and faced about, it was really impossible to
51


THE GREAT
believe any man could have done so badly,
for raising my own Winchester to the pole
put it twenty degrees out of range and nearly
forty degrees in the air. Yet there were the
cartridge-shells on the ground, to show that
I was in the place from which the shots had
been fired.
While I was still cogitating over this, the
special train I had ordered out from Flagstaff
came in sight, and in a few moments was
stopped where I was. It consisted of a
string of three flats and a box car, and brought
the sheriff, a dozen cowboys whom he had
sworn in as deputies, and their horses. I
was hopeful that with these fellows' greater
skill in such matters they could find what I
had not, but after a thorough examination of
the ground within a mile of the robbery they
were as much at fault as I had been.
“ Them cusses must have a dugout nigh
abouts, for they couldn't 'a'got away without
wings,” the sheriff surmised.
I did n't put much stock in that idea, and
told the sheriff so.
52


THE GREAT
slowly back, searching along the edge of the
road-bed for more shells ; but, though I went
beyond the point where the last car had
stood, not one did I find. Any man who
has fired a Winchester knows that it drops
its empty shell in loading, and I could there-
fore 'draw only one conclusion, — namely,
that all seven discharges of the Winchesters
had occurred up by the mail-car. I had
heard of men supposing they had fired their
guns through hearing another go off; but
with a repeating rifle one has to fire before
one can reload. The fact was evident that
Albert Cullen either had fired his Winches-
ter up by the mail-car, or else had not fired
it at all. In either case he had lied, and
Lord Ralles and Captain Ackland had backed
him up in it.


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
CHAPTER V
A TRIP TO THE GRAND CAÑON
I stood pondering, for no explanation that
would fit the facts seemed possible. I
should have considered the young fellow's
story only an attempt to gain a little reputa-
tion for pluck, if in any way I could have
accounted for the appearance and disappear-
ance of the robbers. Yet to suppose —
which seemed the only other horn to the
dilemma — that the son and guests of the
vice-president of the Missouri Western, and
one of our own directors, would be concerned
in train-robbery was to believe something
equally improbable. Indeed, I should have
put the whole thing down as a practical
joke of Mr. Cullen's party, if it had not
been for the loss of the registered letters.
Even a practical joker would hardly care to
55


THE GREAT
go to the length of cutting open government
mail-pouches ; for Uncle Sam does n't ap-
prove of such conduct.
Whatever the explanation, I had enough
facts to prevent me from wasting more time
on that alkali plain. Getting the men and
horses back onto the cars, I jumped up on
the tail-board and ordered the runner to pull
out for Flagstaff. It was a run of seven
hours, getting us in a little after eight, and
in those hours I had done a lot of thinking
which had all come to one result, — that
Mr. Cullen's party was concerned in the
hold-up.
The two private cars were on a siding,
but the Cullens had left for the Grand
Cañon the moment they had arrived, and
were about reaching there by this time. I
went to 218 and questioned the cook and
waiter, but they had either seen nothing or
else had been primed, for not a fact did I
get from them. Going to my own car, I
ordered a quick supper, and while I was eat-
ing it I questioned my boy. He told me
56


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
that he had heard the shots, and had bolted
the front door of my car, as I had ordered
when I went out; that as he turned to go to
a safer place, he had seen a man, revolver in
hand, climb over the off-side gate of Mr.
Cullen's car, and for a moment he had sup-
posed it a road agent, till he saw that it was
Albert Cullen.
« That was just after I had got off ?”
I asked.
“ Yis, sah.
« Then it could n't have been Mr. Cul-
len, Jim," I declared, for I found him up
at the other end of the car.”
“Tell you it wuz, Mr. Gordon,” Jim
insisted. “I done seen his face clar in de
light, and he done go into Mr. Cullen's car
whar de old gentleman wuz sittin'.”
That set me whistling to myself, and I
laughed to think how near I had come to
giving nitroglycerin to a fellow who was only
shamming heart-failure; for that it was Fred-
eric Cullen who had climbed on the car I
had n't the slightest doubt, the resemblance
57


THE GREAT
between the two brothers being quite strong
enough to deceive any one who had never
seen them together. I smiled a little, and
remarked to myself, “I think I can make
good my boast that I would catch the rob-
bers; but whether the Cullens will like my
doing it, I question. What is more, Lord
Ralles will owe me a bottle.” Then I
thought of Madge, and did n't feel as pleased
over my success as I had felt a moment
before.
By nine o'clock the posse and I were in
the saddle and skirting the San Francisco
peaks. There was no use of pressing the
ponies, for our game was n't trying to es-
cape, and, for that matter, could n't, as the
Colorado River was n’t passable within fifty
miles. It was a lovely moonlight night, and
the ride through the pines was as pretty a
one as I remember ever to have made. It
set me thinking of Madge and of our talk
the evening before, and of what a change
twenty-four hours had brought. It was
lucky I was riding an Indian pony, or I
58


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
should probably have landed in a heap. I
don't know that I should have cared particu-
larly if a prairie-dog burrow had made me
dash my brains out, for I was n't happy over
the job that lay before me.
We watered at Silver Spring at quarter-
past twelve. From that point we were
clear of the pines and out on the plain, so
we could go a better pace. This brought
us to the half-way ranch by two, where we
gave the ponies a feed and an hour's rest.
We reached the last relay station just as the
moon set, about three-forty; and, as all the
rest of the ride was through coconino forest,
we held up there for daylight, getting a
little sleep meanwhile.
We rode into the camp at the Grand
Cañon a little after eight, and the deserted
look of the tents gave me a moment's fright,
for I feared that the party had gone. Tol-
free explained, however, that some had
ridden out to Moran Point, and the rest had
gone down Hance's trail. So I breakfasted
and then took a look at Albert Cullen's
59


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
very unpleasant job on hand, which I don't
want to make any worse than need be.
Every fact points to your party as guilty of
holding up the train last night and stealing
those letters. Probably you were n't all con-
cerned, but I've got to go on the assump-
tion that you are all guilty, till you prove
otherwise.”
“ Aw, you ’re joking,” drawled Albert.
“I hope so," I said, “but for the present
I've got to be English and treat the joke
seriously.”
« What do you want to do ?” asked Mr.
Cullen.
“I don't wish to arrest you gentlemen
unless you force me to,” I said, “ for I don't
see that it will do any good. But I want
you to return to camp with us.”
They assented to that, and, single file, we
rode back. When there I told each that he
must be searched, to which they submitted
at once. After that we went through their
baggage. I was n't going to have the sheriff
or cowboys tumbling over Miss Cullen's
61


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
saddling a couple of mules, started down
the trail.
We found Frederic and “ Captain ” Hance
just dismounting at the Rock Cabin, and I
told the former he was in custody for the
present, and asked him where Miss Cullen
and Lord Ralles were. He told me they
were just behind; but I was n't going to
take any risks, and, ordering the deputy to
look after Cullen, I went on down the trail.
I could n't resist calling back,
“ How's your respiration, Mr. Cullen?”
He laughed, and called, “ Digitalis put me
on my feet like a flash.”
“ He's got the most brains of any man in
this party,” I remarked to myself.
The trail at this point is very winding, so
that one can rarely see fifty feet in advance,
and sometimes not ten. Owing to this, the
first thing I knew I plumped round a curve
on to a mule, which was patiently standing
there. Just back of him was another, on
which sat Miss Cullen, and standing close
beside her was Lord Ralles. One of his
63


THE GREAT
hands held the mule's bridle; the other held
Madge's arm, and he was saying, “ You
owe it to me, and I will have one. Or
if - "
I swore to myself, and coughed aloud,
which made Miss Cullen look up. The
moment she saw me she cried, “ Mr. Gor-
don! How delightful !” even while she
grew as red as she had been pale the mo-
ment before. Lord Ralles grew red too,
but in a different way.
“ Have you caught the robbers ? ” cried
Miss Cullen.
“I'm afraid I have,” I answered.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
I smiled at the absolute innocence and
wonder with which she spoke, and replied,
“I know now, Miss Cullen, why you said I
was braver than the Britishers.”
“ How do you know?”
I could n't resist getting in a side-shot at
Lord Ralles, who had mounted his mule and
sat scowling. «The train-robbers were such
thoroughgoing duffers at the trade,” I said,


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
" that if they had left their names and ad-
dresses they would n't have made it much
easier. We Americans may not know
enough to deal with real road agents, but we
can do something with amateurs.”
“ What are we stopping here for?”
snapped Lord Ralles.
“I'm sure I don't know,” I responded.
“ Miss Cullen, if you will kindly pass us,
and then if Lord Ralles will follow you, we
will go on to the cabin. I must ask you to
keep close together.”
“ I stay or go as I please, and not by your
orders,” asserted Lord Ralles, snappishly.
« Out in this part of the country,” I
said calmly, “it is considered shocking bad
form for an unarmed man to argue with one
who carries a repeating rifle. Kindly follow
Miss Cullen.” And, leaning over, I struck
his mule with the loose ends of my bridle,
starting it up the trail.
When we reached the cabin the deputy
told me that he had made Frederic strip and
had searched his clothing, finding nothing.
65


THE GREAT
I ordered Lord Ralles to dismount and go
into the cabin.
“ For what ?” he demanded.
“We want to search you," I answered.
“I don't choose to be searched,” he pro-
tested. “You have shown no warrant,
nor ”
I was n’t in a mood towards him to listen
to his talk. I swung my Winchester into
line and announced, “I was sworn in last
night as a deputy-sheriff, and am privileged to
shoot a train-robber on sight. Either dead
or alive, I'm going to search your clothing
inside of ten minutes ; and if you have no
preference as to whether the examination
is an ante- or post-mortem affair, I certainly
have n't.”
That brought him down off his high horse,
- that is, mule, — and I sent the deputy in
with him with directions to toss his clothes
out to me, for I wanted to keep my eye on
Miss Cullen and her brother, so as to pre-
vent any legerdemain on their part.
One by one the garments came flying
66


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
through the door to me. As fast as I fin-
ished examining them I pitched them back,
except — Well, as I have thought it over
since then, I have decided that I did a mean
thing, and have regretted it. But just put
yourself in my place, and think of how Lord
Ralles had talked to me as if I was his ser-
vant, had refused my apology and thanks,
and been as generally “nasty " as he could,
and perhaps you won't blame me that, after
looking through his trousers, I gave them a
toss which, instead of sending them back
into the hut, sent them over the edge of the
trail. They went down six hundred feet
before they lodged in a poplar, and if his
lordship followed the trail he could get round
to them, but there would then be a hundred
feet of sheer rock between the trail and
the trousers. “I hope it will teach him to
study his Lord Chesterfield to better purpose,
for if politeness does n't cost anything, rude-
ness can cost considerable,” I chuckled to
myself.
My amusement did not last long, for my


THE GREAT
next thought was, “ If those letters are con-
cealed on any one, they are on Miss Cullen.”
The thought made me lean up against my
mule, and turn hot and cold by turns.
A nice situation for a lover!


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
CHAPTER VI
THE HAPPENINGS DOWN HANCE'S TRAIL
Miss CULLEN was sitting on a rock apart
from her brother and Hance, as I had asked
her to do when I helped her dismount. I
went over to where she sat, and said,
boldly, —
“ Miss Cullen, I want those letters.”
“What letters ? ” she asked, looking me
in the eyes with the most innocent of ex-
pressions. She made a mistake to do that,
for I knew her innocence must be feigned,
and so did n't put much faith in her face for
the rest of the interview.
“ And what is more,” I continued, with
a firmness of manner about as genuine as her
innocence, “unless you will produce them
at once, I shall have to search you.”
“Mr. Gordon!” she exclaimed, but she
put such surprise and grief and disbelief into
69


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
« I do,” she affirmed, but she did n't look
me in the face as she said it.
I ought to have been satisfied, but I
was n't, for, in spite of her denial, something
forced me still to believe she had them, and
looking back now, I think it was her manner.
I stood reflecting for a minute, and then re-
quested, “ Please stay where you are for a
moment.” Leaving her, I went over to
Fred.
“Mr. Cullen,” I said, “Miss Cullen,
rather than be searched, has acknowledged
that she has the letters, and says that if we
men will go into the hut she 'll get them for
me.”
He rose at once. “I told my father not
to drag her in,” he muttered, sadly. “I
don't care about myself, Mr. Gordon, but
can't you keep her out of it? She's as
innocent of any real wrong as the day she
was born.”
“I'll do everything in my power," I
promised. Then he and Hance went into
the cabin, and I walked back to the culprit.
71


THE GREAT
“ Miss Cullen,” I said, gravely, “ you
have those letters, and must give them to
me."
“But I told you — ” she began.
To spare her a second untruth, I inter-
rupted her by saying, “I trapped your
brother into acknowledging that you have
them.”
“ You must have misunderstood him," she
replied, calmly,“ or else he did n't know that
the arrangement was changed.”
Her steadiness rather shook my convic-
tion, but I said, “ You must give me those
letters, or I must search you.”
“ You never would !” she cried, rising
and looking me in the face.
On impulse I tried a big bluff. I took
hold of the lapel of her waist, intending to
undo just one button. I let go in fright
when I found there was no button, — only
an awful complication of hooks or some
other feminine method for keeping things
together,—and I grew red and trembled,
thinking what might have happened had I,
72


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
by bad luck, made anything come undone.
If Miss Cullen had been noticing me, she
would have seen a terribly scared man.
But she was n't, luckily, for the moment
my hand touched her dress, and before she
could realize that I snatched it away, she
collapsed on the rock, and burst into tears.
“Oh! oh!” she sobbed, “I begged papa
not to, but he insisted they were safest with
me. I'll give them to you, if you 'll only go
away and not ” Her tears made her in-
articulate, and without waiting for more I
ran into the hut, feeling as near like a mur-
derer as a guiltless man could.
Lord Ralles by this time was making almost
as much noise as an engine pulling a heavy
freight up grade under forced draft, swearing
over his trousers, and was offering the cow-
boy and Hance money to recover them.
When they told him this was impossible he
tried to get them to sell or hire a pair, but
they did n't like the idea of riding into camp
minus those essentials any better than he did.
While I waited they settled the difficulty by
73


THE GREAT
strapping a blanket round him, and by split-
ting it up the middle and using plenty of cord
they rigged him out after a fashion ; but I
think if he could have seen himself and been
given an option he would have preferred to
wait till it was dark enough to creep into
camp unnoticed.
Before long Miss Cullen called, and when
I went to her she handed me, without a
word, three letters. As she did so she crim-
soned violently, and looked down in her
mortification. I was so sorry for her that,
though a moment before I had been judging
her harshly, I now could n't help saying, —
“Our positions have been so difficult,
Miss Cullen, that I don't think we either of
us are quite responsible for our actions.”
She said nothing, and, after a pause, I
continued, —
“ I hope you'll think as leniently of my
conduct as you can, for I can't tell you how
grieved I am to have pained you."
Cullen joined us at this point, and, know-
ing that every moment we remained would
74


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
be distressing to his sister, I announced that
we would start up the trail. I had n't the
heart to offer to help her mount, and after
Frederic had put her up we fell into single
file behind Hance, Lord Ralles coming last.
As soon as we started I took a look at
the three letters. They were all addressed
to Theodore E. Camp, Esq., Ash Forks,
Arizona, - one of the directors of the K. &
A. and also of the Great Southern. With
this clue, for the first time things began to
clear up to me, and when the trail broadened
enough to permit it, I pushed my mule up
alongside of Cullen and asked, -
« The letters contain proxies for the K. &
A. election next Friday ?”
He nodded his head. « The Missouri
Western and the Great Southern are fighting
for control,” he explained, “and we should
have won but for three blocks of Eastern
stock that had promised their proxies to
the G. S. Rather than lose the fight, we
arranged to learn when those proxies were
mailed, — that was what kept me behind, -
75


THE GREAT
and then to hold up the train that carried
them.”
“ Was it worth the risk ? ” I ejaculated.
“ If we had succeeded, yes. My father
had put more than was safe into Missouri
Western and into California Central. The
G. S. wants control to end the traffic agree-
ments, and that means bankruptcy to my
father.”
I nodded, seeing it all as clear as day, and
hardly blaming the Cullens for what they
had done ; for any one who has had dealings
with the G. S. is driven to pretty desperate
methods to keep from being crushed, and
when one is fighting an antagonist that won't
regard the law, or rather one that, through
control of legislatures and judges, makes the
law to suit its needs, the temptation is strong
to use the same weapons one's self.
“ The toughest part of it is,” Fred went
on, “ that we thought we had the whole
thing “hands down,' and that was what made
my father go in so deep. Only the death of
one of the M. W. directors, who held eight
76


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
thousand shares of K. & A., got us in this
hole, for the G. S. put up a relation to con-
test the will, and so delayed the obtaining of
letters of administration, blocking his exec-
utors from giving a proxy. It was as mean
a trick as ever was played.”
“The G. S. is a tough customer to fight,”
I remarked, and asked, “Why did n't you
burn the letters ? ” really wishing they had
done so.
“We feared duplicate proxies might get
through in time, and thought that by keeping
these we might cook up a question as to
which were legal, and then by injunction
prevent the use of either.”
“ And those Englishmen,” I inquired,
« are they real ? ”
“Oh, certainly,” he rejoined. “They
were visiting my brother, and thought the
whole thing great larks.” Then he told me
how the thing had been done. They had
sent Miss Cullen to my car, so as to get me
out of the way, though she had n't known it.
He and his brother got off the train at the
77


THE GREAT
last stop, with the guns and masks, and con-
cealed themselves on the platform of the
mail-car. Here they had been joined by the
Britishers at the right moment, the disguises
assumed, and the train held up as already
told. Of course the dynamite cartridge was
only a blind, and the letters had been thrown
about the car merely to confuse the clerk.
Then while Frederic Cullen, with the letters,
had stolen back to the car, the two English-
men had crept back to where they had stood.
Here, as had been arranged, they opened fire,
which Albert Cullen duly returned, and then
joined them. “I don't see now how you
spotted us,” Frederic ended.
I told him, and his disgust was amusing to
see. “Going to Oxford may be all right for
the classics,” he growled, “but it's destruc-
tive to gumption.”
We rode into camp a pretty gloomy crowd,
and those of the party waiting for us there
were not much better; but when Lord Ralles
dismounted and showed up in his substitute
for trousers there was a general shout of
78


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
laughter. Even Miss Cullen had to laugh
for a moment. And as his lordship bolted
for his tent, I said to myself, “ Honors are
easy.”
I told the sheriff that I had recovered the
lost property, but did not think any arrests
necessary as yet ; and, as he was the agent
of the K. & A. at Flagstaff, he did n't ques-
tion my opinion. I ordered the stage out,
and told Tolfree to give us a feed before we
started, but a more silent meal I never sat
down to, and I noticed that Miss Cullen
did n't eat anything, while the tragic look on
her face was so pathetic as nearly to drive me
frantic.
We started a little after five, and were
clear of the timber before it was too dark to
see. At the relay station we waited an hour
for the moon, after which it was a clear
track. We reached the half-way ranch about
eleven, and while changing the stage horses
I roused Mrs. Klostermeyer, and succeeded
in getting enough cold mutton and bread to
make two rather decent-looking sandwiches.
79


THE GREAT
With these and a glass of whiskey and water
I went to the stage, to find Miss Cullen
curled up on the seat asleep, her head resting
in her brother's arms.
“ She has nearly worried herself to death
ever since you told her that road agents were
hung,” Frederic whispered; « and she's
been crying to-night over that lie she told
you, and altogether she's worn out with
travel and excitement."
I screwed the cover on the travelling-
glass, and put it with the sandwiches in the
bottom of the stage. “It's a long and a
rough ride,” I said, “and if she wakes up
they may give her a little strength. I only
wish I could have spared her the fatigue and
anxiety."
“She thought she had to lie for father's
sake, but she's nearly broken-hearted over
it,” he continued.
I looked Frederic in the face as I said,
“I honor her for it,” and in that moment
he and I became friends.
“ Just see how pretty she is !” he whis-
80


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
pered, with evident affection and pride, turn-
ing back the Aap of the rug in which she was
wrapped.
She was breathing gently, and there was
just that touch of weariness and sadness in
her face that would appeal to any man. It
made me gulp, I'm proud to say; and when
I was back on my pony, I said to myself,
« For her sake, I'll pull the Cullens out of
this scrape, if it costs me my position.”


THE GREAT
“I have dismissed the sheriff and his
posse, and I gave them a hundred dollars for
their work, and three bottles of pretty good
whiskey I had on my car. Unless they get
orders from elsewhere, you will not hear
any further from them.”
“ You must let me reimburse what ex-
pense we have put you to, Mr. Gordon. I
only wish I could as easily repay your
kindness.”
Nodding my head in assent, as well as in
recognition of his thanks, I continued, “ It
was my duty, as an official of the K. & A.,
to recover the stolen mail, and I had to do
it.”
“We understand that,” said Mr. Cullen,
“and do not for a moment blame you."
“But,” I went on, for the first time
looking at Madge, “it is not my duty
to take part in a contest for control of the
K. & A., and I shall therefore act in
this case as I should in any other loss of
mail.”
« And that is —?” asked Frederic.
84


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
“I am about to telegraph for instructions
from Washington," I replied. “As the
G. S. by trickery has dishonestly tied up
some of your proxies, they ought not to ob-
ject if we do the same by honest means; and
I think I can manage so that Uncle Sam
will prevent those proxies from being voted
at Ash Forks on Friday.”
If a galvanic battery had been applied to
the group about the breakfast table, it
would n't have made a bigger change. Madge
clapped her hands in joy; Mr. Cullen said
“ God bless you !” with real feeling ; Fred-
eric jumped up and slapped me on the
shoulder, crying, “ Gordon, you 're the big-
gest old trump breathing ; ” while Albert and
the captain shook hands with each other, in
evident jubilation. Only Lord Ralles re-
mained passive.
« Have you breakfasted ?” asked Mr.
Cullen, when the first joy was over.
“ Yes,” I said. “I only stopped in on
my way to the station to telegraph the Post-
master-General.”
85


THE GREAT
“ May I come with you and see what you
say ?” cried Fred, jumping up.
I nodded, and Miss Cullen said, question-
ingly, “Me too ?” making me very happy
by the question, for it showed that she
would speak to me. I gave an assent quite
as eagerly and in a moment we were all
walking towards the platform. Despite Lord
Ralles, I felt happy, and especially as I
had not dreamed that she would ever for-
give me.
I took a telegraph blank, and, putting it
so that Miss Cullen could see what I said,
wrote, —
“ Postmaster-General, Washington, D. C.
I hold, awaiting your instructions, the three
registered letters stolen from No. 3 Over-
land Missouri Western Express on Monday,
October fourteenth, loss of which has already
been notified you.”
Then I paused and said, “ So far, that's
routine, Miss Cullen. Now comes the help
for you,” and I continued :-
“ The letters may have been tampered
86


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
with, and I recommend a special agent.
Reply Flagstaff, Arizona. RICHARD GOR-
DON, Superintendent K. & A. R. R.”
“What will that do ? ” she asked.
“I'm not much at prophecy, and we'll
wait for the reply,” I said.
All that day we lay at Flagstaff, and after
a good sleep, as there was no use keeping
the party cooped up in their car, I drummed
up some ponies and took the Cullens and
Ackland over to the Indian cliff-dwellings.
I don't think Lord Ralles gained anything
by staying behind in a sulk, for it was a
very jolly ride, or at least that was what it
was to me. I had of course to tell them all
how I had settled on them as the criminals,
and a general history of my doings. To
hear Miss Cullen talk, one would have in-
ferred I was the greatest of living detectives.
“ The mistake we made,” she asserted,
“ was not securing Mr. Gordon's help to
begin with, for then we should never have
needed to hold the train up, or if we had we
should never have been discovered.”
87


THE GREAT
What was more to me than this ill-de-
served admiration were two things she said
on the way back, when we two had paired
off and were a bit behind the rest.
“ The sandwiches and the whiskey were
very good,” she told me, “and I'm so
grateful for the trouble you took.”
“ It was a pleasure,” I said.
“ And, Mr. Gordon,” she continued, and
then hesitated for a moment, — “ my —
Frederic told me that you — you said you
honored me for —?”.
“I do,” I exclaimed energetically, as she
paused and colored.
“ Do you really ? ” she cried. "I
thought Fred was only trying to make me
less unhappy by saying that you did.”
“I said it, and I meant it,” I told her.
“ I have been so miserable over that lie,”
she went on; “ but I thought if I let you
have the letters it would ruin papa. I really
would n't mind poverty myself, Mr. Gordon,
but he takes such pride in success that I
could n't be the one to do it. And then,
88


THE GREAT
wore such things would, or in fact could,
ever get along on my salary. In that way
the incident was a good lesson for me, for it
made me feel that, even if there had been
no Lord Ralles, I still should have had no
chance.
On our return to the cars there was a
telegram from the Postmaster-General await-
ing me. After a glance at it, as the rest
of the party looked anxiously on, I passed
it over to Miss Cullen, for I wanted her to
have the triumph of reading it aloud to them.
It read, —
“Hold letters pending arrival of special
agent Jackson, due in Flagstaff October
twentieth.”
“ The election is the eighteenth,” Fred-
eric laughed, executing a war dance on
the platform. “The G. S.'s dough is
cooked.”
“I must waltz with some one,” cried
Madge, and before I could offer she took
hold of Albert and the two went whirling
about, much to my envy. The Cullens
90


THE GREAT
other way. None of the riders had seen
me, so I slipped into my car and went back
to work. Fred came in presently to see if
I was up yet, and to ask me to lunch, but I
felt so miserable and down-hearted that I
made an excuse of my late breakfast for
not joining them.
After luncheon the party in the other
special all came out and walked up and down
the platform, the sound of their voices and
laughter only making me feel the bluer. Before
long I heard a rap on one of my windows,
and there was Miss Cullen peering in at me.
The moment I looked up, she called, —
“Won't you make one of us, Mr. Misan-
thrope ? "
I called myself all sorts of a fool, but out
I went as eagerly as if there had been some
hope. Miss Cullen began to tease me over
my sudden access of energy, declaring that
she was sure it was a pose for their benefit,
or else due to a guilty conscience over having
slept so late.
“ I hoped you would ride with us, though


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
perhaps it would n't have paid you. Ap-
parently there is nothing to see in Ash
Forks.”
“ There is something that may interest
you all,” I suggested, pointing to a special
that had been dropped off No. 2 that
morning.
« What is it ? ” asked Madge.
“ It's a G. S. special,” I said, “ and Mr.
Camp and Mr. Baldwin and two G. S.
officials came in on it.”
“What do you think he'd give for those
letters ? ” laughed Fred.
“ If they were worth so much to you, I
suppose they can't be worth any less to the
G. S.," I replied.
« Fortunately, there is no way that he can
learn where they are,” said Mr. Cullen.
“ Don't let 's stand still,” cried Miss
Cullen. “Mr. Gordon, I 'll run you a race
to the end of the platform.” She said this
only after getting a big lead, and she got
there about eight inches ahead of me, which
pleased her mightily. “It takes men so
95


THE GREAT
long to get started,” was the way she ex-
plained her victory. Then she walked me
beyond the end of the boarding to explain
the workings of a switch to her. That it
was only a pretext she proved to me the
moment I had relocked the bar, by saying, -
“Mr. Gordon, may I ask you a ques-
tion?”
“ Certainly,” I assented.
“ It is one I should ask papa or Fred,
but I am afraid they might not tell me the
truth. You will, won't you ?” she begged,
very earnestly.
“ I will,” I promised.
“ Supposing,” she continued, “ that it be-
came known that you have those letters ?
Would it do our side any harm?”
I thought for a moment, and then shook
my head. “No new proxies could arrive
here in time for the election,” I said, “and
the ones I have will not be voted.”
She still looked doubtful, and asked,
“ Then why did papa say just now, For-
tunately'?”
96


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
“ He merely meant that it was safer they
should n't know.”
« Then it is better to keep it a secret ?”
she asked, anxiously.
“I suppose so," I said, and then added,
“ Why should you be afraid of asking your
father?”
• Because he might — well, if he knew,
I'm sure he would sacrifice himself; and I
could n't run the risk.”
“I am afraid I don't understand ?” I
questioned.
“I would rather not explain,” she said,
and of course that ended the subject.
Our exercise taken, we went back to the
Cullens' car, and Madge left us to write some
letters. A moment later Lord Ralles remem-
bered he had not written home recently, and
he too went forward to the dining-room.
That made me call myself — something, for
not having offered Miss Cullen the use of
my desk in 97. Owing to this the two
missed part of the big game we were playing;
for barely were they gone when one of the
97


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
“I understand that you have in your pos-
session three letters addressed to me.”
“ I have,” I assented.
“ Then I will ask you to deliver them
to me.”
“I can't do that.”
« Why not?” he challenged. “They 're
my property.”
I produced the Postmaster-General's tele-
gram and read it to him.
« Why, this is infamous !” Mr. Camp
cried. “What use will those letters be after
the eighteenth? It 's a conspiracy.”
“I can only obey instructions,” I said.
“ It shall cost you your position if you do,”
Mr. Camp threatened.
As I've already said, I have n't a good
temper, and when he told me that I could n't
help retorting, —
“ That's quite on a par with most G. S.
methods.”
“I'm not speaking for the G. S., young
man,” roared Mr. Camp. “I speak as a
director of the Kansas & Arizona. What is
99


THE GREAT
more, I will have those letters inside of
twenty-four hours."
He made an angry exit, and I said to
Fred, “I wish you would stroll about and
spy out the proceedings of the enemy's camp.
He may telegraph to Washington, and if
there's any chance of the Postmaster-Gen-
eral revoking his order I must go back to
Flagstaff on No. 4 this afternoon."
« He sha'n't do anything that I don't know
about till he goes to bed,” Fred promised.
“ But how the deuce did he know that you
had those letters ? "
That was just what we were all puzzling
over, for only the occupants of No. 218 and
myself, so far as I knew, were in a position
to let Mr. Camp hear of that fact.
As Fred made his exit he said, “ Don't
tell Madge that there is a new complication,
for the dear girl has had worries enough
already.”
Miss Cullen not rejoining us, and Lord
Ralles presently doing so, I went to my own
car, for he and I were not good furniture for
--
---
--
100


THE GREAT
“Let her go,” I called to the conductor, as
Fred jumped aboard; and the train pulled out.
“I hope there's nothing wrong?” Madge
questioned, anxiously.
“ Nothing to worry over," I laughed.
« Only a little more fun for our money. By
the way, Miss Cullen,” I went on, to avoid
her questions, “ if you have your letters
ready, and will let me have them at once, I
can get them on No. 4, so that they 'll go
East to-night.”
Miss Cullen blushed as if I had said
something I ought not to have, and stam-
mered, “I-I changed my mind, and that
is — I did n't write them, after all.”
“I beg your pardon,– I ought to have
known; I mean, it's very natural,” I faltered
and stuttered, thinking what a dunce I had
been not to understand that both hers and
Lord Ralles's letters had been only a pretext
to get away from the rest of us.
My blundering apology and evident embar-
rassment deepened Miss Cullen's blush five-
fold, and she explained, hurriedly, “ I found
102


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
I was tired, and so, instead of writing, I went
to my room and rested.”
I suppose any girl would have invented
the same yarn, yet it hurt me more than the
bigger one she had told on Hance's trail.
Small as the incident was, it made me very
blue, and led me to shut myself up in my
own car for the rest of that afternoon and
evening. Indeed, I could n't sleep, but sat up
working, quite forgetful of the passing hours,
till a glance at my watch startled me with
the fact that it was a quarter of two. Feel-
ing like anything more than sleep, I went out
on the platform, and, lighting a cigar, paced
up and down, thinking of — well, thinking.
The night agent was sitting in the station,
nodding, and after I had walked for an hour
I went in to ask him if the train to Phænix
had arrived on time. Just as I opened the
door, the telegraph instrument began clicking,
and called Ash Forks. The man, with the
curious ability that operators get of recogniz-
ing their own call, even in sleep, waked up
instantly and responded, and, not wishing to
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
That may not look particularly intelligible,
but if the Phænix operator had been talking
over the 'phone to me he could n't have said
any plainer, —
“Sheriff yavapai county ash forks arizona
be at rail road station three forty five today
to meet train arriving from phenix prepared
to immediately serve peremptory mandamus
issued tonight by judge wilson sig theodore e
camp.”
My question being pretty thoroughly an-
swered, I went back and continued my walk;
but before five minutes had passed, the oper-
ator came out, and handed me a message.
It was from Fred, and read thus: -
“Camp, Baldwin, and lawyer went at
once to house of Judge Wilson, where they
stayed an hour. They then returned with
judge to station, and after despatching a tele-
gram have taken seats in train for Ash Forks,
leaving here at three twenty-five. I shall
return with them.”
A bigger idiot than I could have under-
stood the move. I was to be hauled before
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
myself to be committed for contempt of
court.”
“ What would they do with you?”
“Give me free board for a time.”
“ Not send you to prison?”
“ Yes.”
“Oh!” she cried, “ that must n't be.
You must not make such a sacrifice for us."
“I'd do more than that for you,” I said,
and I could n't help putting a little emphasis
on the last word, though I knew I had no
right to do it.
She understood me, and blushed rosily,
even while she protested, “ It is too much — ”
“ There's really no likelihood," I in-
terrupted, “ of my being able to assume a
martyr's crown, Miss Cullen; so don't begin
to pity me till I'm behind the bars."
“ But I can't bear to think — ”
“Don't,” I interrupted again, rejoicing all
the time at her evident anxiety, and bless-
ing my stars for the luck they had brought
me. «Why, Miss Cullen," I went on,
“I've become so interested in your success
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
when her eyes are round. And they are just
like the atmosphere out here. You can look
into them for a hundred miles, but you can't
get to the bottom.”
« The Arizona sky is wonderful,” said
Madge. “How do the scientists account
for it?”
I was n't going to have my description
of Miss Cullen side-tracked, for, since she
had given me the chance, I wanted her to
know just what I thought of her. Therefore
I did n't follow lead on the Arizona skies,
but went on, -
“And I really think her hair is just as
beautiful as her eyes. It's light brown, very
curly, and — ”
“ Her complexion ! ” exclaimed Madge.
“ Is she a mulatto ? And, if so, how can
a complexion be curly ?”
“ Her complexion,” I said, not a bit
rattled, “ is another great beauty of hers.
She has one of those skins —”
“Furs are out of fashion at present,” she
interjected, laughing wickedly.
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
the Cullens' car and electrified the party by
telling them of Camp's and Fred's des-
patches, and how I had come to overhear
the former. Mr. Cullen and Albert could n't
say enough about my cleverness in what had
really been pure luck, and seemed to think
I had sat up all night in order to hear that
telegram. The person for whose opinion I
cared the most — Miss Cullen — did n't say
anything, but she gave me a look that set my
heart beating like a trip-hammer and made
me put the most hopeful construction on that
speech of hers. It seemed impossible that
she did n't care for Lord Ralles, and that she
might care for me; but, after having had no
hope whatsoever, the smallest crumb of a
chance nearly lifted me off my feet.
We had a consultation over what was best
to be done, but did n't reach any definite
conclusion till the station-agent brought me
a telegram from the Postmaster-General.
Breaking it open, I read aloud, -
“ Do not allow service of writ, and retain
possession of letters according to prior in-
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THE GREAT
structions. At the request of this depart-
ment, the Secretary of War has directed the
commanding officer at Fort Whipple to fur-
nish you with military protection, and you
will call upon him at once, if in your judg-
ment it is necessary. On no account sur-
render United States property to Territorial
authorities. Keep Department notified.”
“Oh, splendid !” cried Madge, clapping
her hands.
“Mr. Camp will find that other people
can give surprise parties as well as himself,”
I said cheerfully.
“ You ’ll telegraph at once ? ” asked Mr.
Cullen.
“Instantly,” I said, rising, and added,
“ Don't you want to see what I say, Miss
Cullen ? "
« Of course I do,” she cried, jumping up
eagerly.
Lord Ralles scowled as he said, “ Yes;
let's see what Mr. Superintendent has to
say.”
“ You need n't trouble yourself,” I re-
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
marked, but he followed us into the station.
I was disgusted, but at the same time it
seemed to me that he had come because he
was jealous ; and that was n’t an unpleasant
thought. Whatever his motive, he was a
third party in the writing of that telegram,
and had to stand by while Miss Cullen and
I discussed and draughted it. I did n't try to
make it any too brief, not merely asking for
a guard and when I might expect it, but giv-
ing as well a pretty full history of the case,
which was hardly necessary.
“ You'll bankrupt yourself,” laughed
Madge. “ You must let us pay.”
“I'll let you pay, Miss Cullen, if you
want,” I offered. “How much is it, Wel-
ply?” I asked, shoving the blanks in to the
operator.
“ Nothin' for a lady,” said Welply, grinning.
“ There, Miss Cullen," I asked, “does
the East come up to that in gallantry?”
“Do you really mean that there is no
charge?” demanded Madge, incredulously,
with her purse in her hand.
I 21


THE GREAT
« That's the size of it,” said the operator.
“I'm not going to believe that !” cried
Madge. “I know you are only deceiving
me, and I really want to pay.”
I laughed as I said, “Sometimes railroad
superintendents can send messages free, Miss
Cullen.”
“ How silly of me !” exclaimed Madge.
Then she remarked, “ How nice it is to be a
railroad superintendent, Mr. Gordon! I
should like to be one myself.”
That speech really lifted me off my feet,
but while I was thinking what response
to make, I came down to earth with a
bounce.
“Since the telegram's done,” said Lord
Ralles to Miss Cullen, in a cool, almost com-
manding tone, “ suppose we take a walk.”
“I don't think I care to this morning,"
answered Madge.
“ I think you had better," insisted his lord-
ship, with such a manner that I felt inclined
to knock him down.
To my surprise, Madge seemed to hesitate,
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
and finally said, “I'll walk up and down the
platform, if you wish.”
Lord Ralles nodded, and they went out,
leaving me in a state of mingled amazement
and rage at the way he had cut me out. Try
as I would, I was n't able to hit upon any
theory that supplied a solution to the conduct
of either Lord Ralles or Miss Cullen, unless
they were engaged and Miss Cullen displeased
him by her behavior to me. But Madge
seemed such an honest, frank girl that I'd
have believed anything sooner than that she
was only playing with me.
If I was perplexed, I was n't going to give
Lord Ralles the right of way, and as soon as
I had made certain that the telegram was
safely started I joined the walkers. I don't
think any of us enjoyed the hour that fol-
lowed, but I did n't care how miserable I was
myself, so long as I was certain that I was
blocking Lord Ralles ; and his grumpiness
showed very clearly that my presence did
that, . As for Madge, I could n't make her
out. I had always thought I understood
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THE GREAT
women a little, but her conduct was beyond
understanding.
Apparently Miss Cullen did n't altogether
relish her position, for presently she said she
was going to the car. “I'm sure you and
Lord Ralles will be company enough for
each other,” she predicted, giving me a flash
of her eyes which showed them full of sup-
pressed merriment, even while her face was
grave.
In spite of her prediction, the moment she
was gone Lord Ralles and I pulled apart
about as quickly as a yard-engine can split a
couple of cars.
I moped around for an hour, too unsettled
mentally to do anything but smoke, and only
waiting for an invitation or for some excuse
to go into 218. About eleven o'clock I ob-
tained the latter in another telegram, and
went into the car at once.
“Telegram received," I read triumphantly.
“ A detail of two companies of the Twelfth
Cavalry, under the command of Captain
Singer, is ordered to Ash Forks, and will
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
start within an hour, arriving at five o'clock.
C. D. OLMSTEAD, Adjutant."
“ That won't do, Gordon,” cried Mr.
Cullen. « The mandamus will be here be-
fore that.”
« Oh, don't say there is something more
wrong!” sighed Madge.
“Won't it be safer to run while there is
still time?” suggested Albert, anxiously.
“I was born lazy about running away,” I
said.
« Oh, but please, just for once,” Madge
begged. “We know already how brave
you are.”
I thought for a moment, not so much
objecting, in truth, to the running away as
to the running away from Madge.
“I'd do it for you,” I said, looking at
Miss Cullen so that she understood this time
what I meant, without my using any emphasis,
“ but I don't see any need of making myself
uncomfortable, when I can make the other
side so. Come along and see if my method
is n't quite as good.”
125


THE GREAT
We went to the station, and I told the
operator to call Rock Butte; then I dictated :
“ Direct conductor of Phænix No. 3 on
its arrival at Rock Butte to hold it there
till further orders. RICHARD GORDON,
Superintendent.”
“ That will save my running and their
chasing," I laughed ; “ though I'm afraid
a long wait in Rock Butte won't improve
their tempers.”
The next few hours were pretty exciting
ones to all of us, as can well be imagined.
Most of the time was spent, I have to con-
fess, in maneuvres and struggles between
Lord Ralles and myself as to which should
monopolize Madge, without either of us
succeeding. I was so engrossed with the
contest that I forgot all about the passage of
time, and only when the sheriff strolled up to
the station did I realize that the climax was
at hand. As a joke I introduced him to
the Cullens, and we all stood chatting till
far out on the hill to the south I saw a cloud
of dust and quietly called Miss Cullen's at-
126


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
tention to it. She and I went to 97 for iny
field-glasses, and the moment Madge looked
through them she cried, -
“ Yes, I can see horses, and, oh, there are .
the stars and stripes! I don't think I ever
loved them so much before.”
“I suppose we civilians will have to take
a back seat now, Miss Cullen ? ” I said; and
she answered me with a demure smile worth
— well, I'm not going to put a value on
that smile.
“ They 'll be here very quickly,” she al-
most sang.
“ You forget the clearness of the air," I
said, and then asked the sheriff how far
away the dust-cloud was.
« Yer mean that cattle-drive ?” he asked.
“ 'Bout ten miles.”
“ You seem to think of everything,” ex-
claimed Miss Cullen, as if my knowing that
distances are deceptive in Arizona was won-
derful. I sometimes think one gets the
most praise in this world for what least
deserves it.
127


THE GREAT
I waited half an hour to be safe, and then
released No. 3, just as we were called to
luncheon; and this time I did n't refuse the
invitation to eat mine in 218.
We did n't hurry over the meal, and
towards the end I took to looking at my
watch, wondering what could keep the cav-
alry from arriving.
"I hope there is no danger of the train
arriving first, is there?” asked Madge.
“ Not the slightest," I assured her. “The
train won't be here for an hour, and the
cavalry had only five miles to cover forty
minutes ago. I must say, they seem to be
taking their time.”
“There they are now !” cried Albert.
Listening, we heard the clatter of horses'
feet, going at a good pace, and we all rose
and went to the windows, to see the arrival.
Our feelings can be judged when across the
tracks came only a mob of thirty or forty
cowboys, riding in their usual “show-off”
style.
“ The deuce !” I could n't help exclaim-
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
ing, in my surprise. “Are you sure you
saw a flag, Miss Cullen ? "
“Why — 1 — thought -” she faltered.
“ I saw something red, and — I supposed of
course — "
Not waiting to let her finish, I exclaimed,
“ There's been a Auke somewhere, I'm
afraid ; but we are still in good shape, for
the train can't possibly be here under an
hour. I'll get my field-glasses and have
another look before I decide what —"
My speech was interrupted by the en-
trance of the sheriff and Mr. Camp!
129


THE GREAT
CHAPTER XI
THE LETTERS CHANGE HANDS AGAIN
What seemed at the moment an incompre-
hensible puzzle had, as we afterwards learned,
a very simple explanation. One of the G.
S. directors, Mr. Baldwin, who had come in
on Mr. Camp's car, was the owner of a
great cattle-ranch near Rock Butte. When
the train had been held at that station for a
few minutes, Camp went to the conductor,
demanded the cause for the delay, and was
shown my telegram. Seeing through the
device, the party had at once gone to this
ranch, where the owner, Baldwin, mounted
them, and it was their dust-cloud we had
seen as they rode up to Ash Forks. To
make matters more serious, Baldwin had
rounded up his cowboys and brought them
along with him, in order to make any resist-
ance impossible.
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
I made no objection to the sheriff serving
the paper, though it nearly broke my heart
to see Madge's face. To cheer her I said,
suggestively, « They've got me, but they
have n't got the letters, Miss Cullen. And,
remember, it's always darkest before the
dawn, and the stars in their courses are
against Sisera.”
With the sheriff and Mr. Camp I then
walked over to the saloon, where Judge
Wilson was waiting to dispose of my case.
Mr. Cullen and Albert tried to come too,
but all outsiders were excluded by order of
the “court.” I was told to show cause
why I should not forthwith produce the
letters, and answered that I asked an ad-
journment of the case so that I might be
heard by counsel. It was denied, as was
to have been expected; indeed, why they
took the trouble to go through the forms
was beyond me. I told Wilson I should
not produce the letters, and he asked if I
knew what that meant. I could n't help
laughing and retorting, –
131


THE GREAT
“ It very appropriately means "contempt
of the court, your honor.”
“I'll give you a stiff term, young man,"
he said.
“ It will take just one day to have habeas
corpus proceedings in a United States court,
and one more to get the papers here,” I
rejoined pleasantly.
Seeing that I understood the moves too
well to be bluffed, the judge, Mr. Camp, and
the lawyer held a whispered consultation.
My surprise can be imagined when, at its
conclusion, Mr. Camp said, -
“ Your honor, I charge Richard Gor-
don with being concerned in the holding
up of the Missouri Western Overland
No. 3 on the night of October 14, and
ask that he be taken into custody on that
charge.”
I could n't make out this new move, and
puzzled over it, while Judge Wilson ordered
my commitment. But the next step revealed
the object, for the lawyer then asked for a
search-warrant to look for stolen property.
132


THE GREAT
town, and I wheeled my pony and rode down
behind the rear of the buildings. In turning,
I looked back, and saw half a dozen mounted
men already in pursuit, but I lost sight of them
the next moment. As soon as I reached a
street leading back to the railroad I turned
again, and rode towards it, my one thought
being to get back, if possible, to the station, and
put the letters into the railroad agent's safe.
When I reached the main street I saw
that my hope was futile, for another batch of
cowboys were coming in full gallop towards
me, very thoroughly heading me off in that
direction. To escape them, I headed up the
street away from the station, with the pack in
close pursuit. They yelled at me to hold
up, and I expected every moment to hear the
crack of revolvers, for the poorest shot among
them would have found no difficulty in drop-
ping my horse at that distance if they had
wanted to stop me. It is n't a very nice
sensation to keep your ears pricked up in
expectation of hearing the shooting begin
and to know that any moment may be your
136


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
last. I don't suppose I was on the ragged
edge more than thirty seconds, but they were
enough to prove to me that to keep one's
back turned to an enemy as one runs away
takes a deal more pluck than to stand up and
face his gun. Fortunately for me, my pur-
suers felt so sure of my capture that not one
of them drew a bead on me.
The moment I saw that there was no
escape, I put my hand in my breast-pocket
and took out the letters, intending to tear
them into a hundred pieces. But as I did so
I realized that to destroy United States mail
not merely entailed criminal liability, but was
off color morally. I faltered, balancing the
outwitting of Camp against State's prison, the
doing my best for Madge against the wrong
of it. I think I'm as honest a fellow as the
average, but I have to confess that I could n't
decide to do right till I thought that Madge
would n't want me to be dishonest, even
for her.
I turned across the railroad tracks, and cut
in behind some freight-cars that were stand-
137


THE GREAT
ing on a siding. This put me out of view
of my pursuers for a moment, and in that
instant I stood up in my stirrups, lifted
the broad leather Aap of the saddle, and
tucked the letters underneath it, as far in as
I could force them. It was a desperate place
in which to hide them, but the game was a
desperate one at best, and the very boldness
of the idea might be its best chance of
success.
I was now heading for the station over
the ties, and was surprised to see Fred Cullen
with Lord Ralles on the tracks up by the
special, for my mind had been so busy in the
last hour that I had forgotten that Fred was
due. The moment I saw him, I rode
towards him, pressing my pony for all he was
worth. My hope was that I might get time
to give Fred the tip as to where the letters
were; but before I was within speaking
distance Baldwin came running out from
behind the station, and, seeing me, turned,
called back and gesticulated, evidently to
summon some cowboys to head me off.
538


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
Afraid to shout anything which should con-
vey the slightest clue as to the whereabouts
of the letters, as the next best thing I pulled
a couple of old section reports from my
pocket, intending to ride up and run into my
car, for I knew that the papers in my hand
would be taken to be the wanted letters, and
that if I could only get inside the car even
for a moment the suspicion would be that I
had been able to hide them. Unfortunately,
the plan was no sooner thought of than I
heard the whistle of a lariat, and before I
could guard myself the noose settled over my
head. I threw the papers towards Fred and
Lord Ralles, shouting, “ Hide them!” Fred
was quick as a flash, and, grabbing them off
the ground, sprang up the steps of my car
and ran inside, just escaping a bullet from my
pursuers. I tried to pull up my pony, for I
did not want to be jerked off, but I was too
late, and the next moment I was lying on
the ground in a pretty well shaken and
jarred condition, surrounded by a lot of
men.
139


THE GREAT
CHAPTER XII
AN EVENING IN JAIL
Before my ideas had had time to straighten
themselves out, I was lifted to my feet, and
half pushed, half lifted to the station platform.
Camp was already there, and as I took this
fact in I saw Frederic and his lordship pulled
through the doorway of my car by the cow-
boys and dragged out on the platform beside
me. The reports were now in Lord Ralles's
hands.
“ That 's what we want, boys,” cried
Camp. “ Those letters.”
“ Take your hands off me,” said Lord
Ralles, coolly, “and I'll give them to you.”
The men who had hold of his arms
let go of him, and quick as a Aash Ralles
tore the papers in two. He tried to tear
them once more, but, before he could do
140


THE GREAT
markings of the one I had ridden, I was n’t
able to tell whether he might not be among
them.
Just as the fragments of the papers were
passed over to Mr. Camp, he was joined by
Baldwin and the judge, and Camp held the
torn pieces up to them, saying, —
“ They've torn the proxies in two."
“Don't let that trouble you,” said the
judge. “Make an affidavit before me,
reciting the manner in which they were
destroyed, and I'll grant you a mandamus
compelling the directors to accept them as
bona-fide proxies. Let me see how much
injured they are.”
Camp unfolded the papers, and I chuckled
to myself at the look of surprise that over-
spread his face as he took in the fact that
they were nothing but section reports. And,
though I don't like cuss-words, I have to
acknowledge that I enjoyed the two or
three that he promptly ejaculated.
When the first surprise of the trio was
over, they called on the sheriff, who arrived
142


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
opportunely, to take us into 97 and search
the three of us, – a proceeding that puzzled
Fred and his lordship not a little, for they
were n’t on to the fact that the letters had n't
been recovered. I presume the latter will
some day write a book dwelling on the
favorite theme of the foreigner, that there
is no personal privacy in America, and I
don't know but his experiences justify the
view. The running remarks as the search
was made seemed to open Fred's eyes, for
he looked at me with a puzzled air, but I
winked and frowned at him, and he put his
face in order.
When the papers were not found on any
of us, Camp and Baldwin both nearly went
demented. Baldwin suggested that I had
never had the papers, but Camp argued that
Fred or Lord Ralles must have hidden them
in the car, in spite of the fact that the cow-
boys who had caught them insisted that they
could n't have had time to hide the papers.
Anyway, they spent an hour in ferreting
about in my car, and even searched my two
143


THE GREAT
Ash Forks, though only six years old, had
advanced far enough towards civilization to
have a small jail, and into that we were
shoved. Night was come by the time we
were lodged there, and, being in pretty good
appetite, I struck the sheriff for some
grub.
“I'll git yer somethin',” he said, good-
naturedly ; “ but next time yer shove people,
Mr. Gordon, just quit shovin' yer friends.
My shoulder feels like — " perhaps it 's just
as well not to say what his shoulder felt
like. The Western vocabulary is expressive,
but at times not quite fit for publication.
The moment the sheriff was gone, Fred
wanted the mystery of the letters explained,
and I told him all there was to tell, including
as good a description of the pony as I could
give him. We tried to hit on some plan to
get word to those outside, but it was n't to
be done. At least it was a point gained that
some one of our party besides myself knew
where the letters were.
The sheriff returned presently with a loaf
146


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
of canned bread and a tin of beans. If I
had been alone, I should have kicked at the
food and got permission for my darkies to
send me up something from 97; but I
thought I'd see how Lord Ralles would
like genuine Western fare, so I said noth-
ing. That, I have to state, is more — or
rather less — than the Britisher did, after
he had sampled the stuff; and really I don't
blame him, much as I enjoyed his rage and
disgust.
It did n't take long to finish our supper,
and then Fred, who had n't slept much the
night before, stretched out on the floor and
went to sleep. Lord Ralles and I sat on
boxes — the only furniture the room con-
tained — about as far apart as we could get,
he in the sulks, and I whistling cheerfully.
I should have liked to be with Madge, but
he was n’t; so there was some compensa-
tion, and I knew that time was playing the
cards in our favor : so long as they had n't
found the letters we had only to sit still to
win.
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
“I would n't stake my chance of State's
prison against yours, gentlemen. And, while
I may lose my position, I 'll be a long way
from starvation.”
“That does n't tell us what Cullen gives
you to take the risk.”
“ Mr. Cullen has n't given, or even hinted
that he 'll give, anything.”
« And Mr. Gordon has n't asked, and, if
I know him, would n't take a cent for what
he has done,” said Fred, rising from the
floor.
“ You mean to say you are doing it for
nothing ?” exclaimed Camp, incredulously.
“ That's about the truth of it," I said ;
though I thought of Madge as I said it,
and felt guilty in suggesting that she was
nothing.
" Then what is your motive ?” cried
Baldwin.
If there had been any use, I should have
replied, “ The right ;” but I knew that they
would only think I was posing if I said it.
Instead I replied : “ Mr. Cullen's party has
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
“We could with any one but you,” said
Fred..
I should have liked to shake hands over
this compliment, but I only nodded, and
turning to Mr. Camp, said, -
“ You see how mean they are.”
“ You'll find we are not built that way,"
said Baldwin. « Five thousand is n't a bad
day's work, eh ?”
“ No," I said, laughing ; “but you just
told me I ought to get ten thousand if I
got a cent.”
“ It's worth ten to Mr. Cullen, but — ”
I interrupted by saying, “ If it's worth
ten to him, it's worth a hundred to me.”
That was too much for Camp. First he
said something best omitted, and then went
on, “ I told you it was waste time trying to
win him over.”
The three stood apart for a moment whis-
pering, and then Judge Wilson called the
sheriff over, and they all went out together.
The moment we were alone, Frederic held
out his hand, and said, -
151


THE GREAT
“ Gordon, it's no use saying anything,
but if we can ever do —”.
I merely shook hands, but I wanted the
worst way to say, —
“ Tell Madge what I've done, and the
thing's square.”
152


THE GREAT
“That's very good of you,” I said.
“I warn you,” he muttered threateningly,
« we are not men to be beaten. There are
fifty cowboys of Baldwin's in this town,
who think you were concerned in the holding
up. By merely tipping them the wink,
they 'll have you out of this, and after they ’ve
got you outside I would n't give the toss of a
nickel for your life. Now, then, will you
hand over those letters, or will you go to
- inside of ten minutes ? ”
I lost my temper in turn. « I'd much
prefer going to some place where I was less
sure of meeting you,” I retorted; “ and as
for the cowboys, you 'll have to be as tricky
with them as you want to be with me before
you 'll get them to back you up in your
dirty work.”
At this point the sheriff called back to
ask Camp if he was coming
“ All right,” cried Camp, and went to the
door. “This is the last call,” he snarled,
pausing for a moment on the threshold.
“I hope so," said I, more calmly in
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
manner than in feeling, I have to acknowl-
edge, for I did n't like the look of things.
That they were in earnest I felt pretty
certain, for I understood now why they had
let my companions out of jail. They
knew that angry cowboys were a trifle undis-
criminating, and did n't care to risk hanging
more than was necessary.
A long time seemed to pass after they
were gone, but in reality it was n’t more than
fifteen minutes before I heard some one steal
up and softly unlock the door. I confess
the evident endeavor to do it quietly gave
me a scare, for it seemed to me it could n't
be an above-board movement. Thinking
this, I picked up the box on which I had
been sitting and prepared to make the best
fight I could. It was a good deal of relief,
therefore, when the door opened just wide
enough for a man to put in his head, and I
heard the sheriff's voice say, softly, —
“Hi, Gordon!”
I was at the door in an instant, and
asked, —
155


THE GREAT
“What's up? ”
“ They're gettin' the fellers together, and
sayin' that yer shot a woman in the hold-up.”
“ It's an infernal lie,” I said.
“Sounds that way to me," assented the
sheriff; “but two-thirds of the boys are
drunk, and it's a long time since they've had
any fun.”
“Well,” I said, as calmly as I could,
“are you going to stand by me?”
“I would, Mr. Gordon,” he replied, “ if
there was any good, but there ain't time to
get a posse, and what's one Winchester
against a mob of cowboys like them?”
“ If you 'll lend me your gun,” I said,
“I'll show just what it is worth, without
troubling you."
“I'll do better than that,” offered the
sheriff, “and that's what I'm here for.
Just sneak, while there's time.”
“ You mean —?” I exclaimed.
“ That's it. I'm goin' away, and I'll
leave the door unlocked. If yer get clear
let me know yer address, and later, if I want
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
yer, I'll send yer word.” He took a grip on
my fingers that numbed them as if they had
been caught in an air-brake, and disappeared.
I slipped out after the sheriff without loss
of time. That there was n't much to spare
was shown by a crowd with some torches
down the street, collected in front of a saloon.
They were making a good deal of noise,
even for the West; evidently the flame was
being fanned. Not wasting time, I struck
for the railroad, because I knew the geography
of that best, but still more because I wanted
to get to the station. It was a big risk to
go there, but it was one I was willing to
take for the object I had in view, and, since
I had to take it, it was safest to get through
with the job before the discovery was made
that I was no longer in jail.
It did n't take me three minutes to reach
the station. The whole place was black as
a coal-dumper, except for the slices of light
which shone through the cracks of the cur-
tained windows in the specials, the dim light
of the lamp in the station, and the glow of
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THE GREAT
the row of saloons two hundred feet away.
I was afraid, however, that there might be a
spy lurking somewhere, for it was likely that
Camp would hope to get some clue of the
letters by keeping a watch on the station
and the cars. Thinking boldness the safest
course, I walked on to the platform without
hesitation, and went into the station. The
“ night man” was sitting in his chair, nod-
ding, but he waked up the moment I
spoke.
“Don't speak my name," I said, warn-
ingly, as he struggled to his feet; and then in
the fewest possible words I told him what I
wanted of him, — to find if the pony I had
ridden (Camp's or Baldwin's) was in town
and, if so, to learn where it was, and to get
the letters on the quiet from under the
saddle-flap. I chose this man, first, because
I could trust him, and next, because I had
only one of the Cullens as an alternative,
and if any of them went sneaking round, it
would be sure to attract attention. “The
moment you have the letters, put them in
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
the station safe," I ended, " and then get
word to me.”
“ And where 'll you be, Mr. Gordon ?”
asked the man.
“ Is there any place about here that's a
safe hiding spot for a few hours ?” I asked.
“ I want to stay till I'm sure those letters
are safe, and after that I'll steal on board
the first train that comes along."
“ Then you 'll want to be near here,” said
the man. “I'll tell you, I've got just the
place for you. The platform's boarded in
all round, but I noticed one plank that's
loose at one end, right at this nigh corner,
and if you just pry it open enough to get
in, and then pull the board in place, they'll
never find you.”
« That will do,” I said ; “and when the
letters are safe, come out on the platform,
walk up and down once, bang the door twice,
and then say, “That way freight is late.'
And if you get a chance, tell one of the
Cullens where I’m hidden.”
I crossed the platform boldly, jumped
159


THE GREAT
down, and walked away. But after going
fifty feet I dropped down on my hands and
knees and crawled back. Inside of two
minutes I was safely stowed away under the
platform, in about as neat a hiding-place as a
man could ask. In fact, if I had only had
my wits enough about me to borrow a re-
volver of the man, I could have made a
pretty good defence, even if discovered.
Underneath the platform was loose gravel,
and, as an additional precaution, I scooped
out, close to the side-boarding, a trough long
enough for me to lie in. Then I got into
the hole, shovelled the sand over my legs,
and piled the rest up in a heap close to me,
so that by a few sweeps of my arm I could
cover my whole body, leaving only my
mouth and nose exposed, and those below
the level. That made me feel pretty safe,
for, even if the cowboys found the loose
plank and crawled in, it would take un-
common good eyesight, in the darkness, to
find me. I had hollowed out my living
grave to fit, and if I could have smoked, I
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
should have been decidedly comfortable.
Sleep I dared not indulge in, and the sequel
showed that I was right in not allowing my-
self that luxury.
I had n't much more than comfortably
settled myself, and let thoughts of a cigar
and a nap Ait through my mind, when a row
up the street showed that the jail-breaking
had been discovered. Then followed shouts
and confusion for a few moments, while a
search was being organized. I heard some
horsemen ride over the tracks, and also down
the street, followed by the hurried footsteps
of half a dozen men. Some banged at the
doors of the specials, while others knocked at
the station door.
One of the Cullens' servants opened
the door of 218, and I heard the sheriff's
voice telling him he'd got to search the
car. The darky protested, saying that the
“ gentmun was all away, and only de miss
inside.” The row brought Miss Cullen to
the door, and I heard her ask what was the
matter.
II
161


THE GREAT
“Sorry to trouble yer, miss,” said the
sheriff, “ but a prisoner has broken jail, and
we've got to look for him.”
“ Escaped !” cried Madge, joyfully.
“ How ?”
“ That's just what gits away with me,”
marvelled the sheriff. “My idee is — ”
“Don't waste time on theories,” said
Camp's voice, angrily. “Search the car.”
“Sorry to discommode a lady,” apologized
the sheriff, gallantly, “but if we may just
look around a little ?”
“My father and brothers went out a few
minutes ago," said Madge, hesitatingly,
“ and I don't know if they would be
willing."
Camp laughed angrily, and ordered,
“ Stand aside, there.”
“Don't yer worry,” said the sheriff.
“ If he's on the car, he can't git away.
We'll send a feller up for Mr. Cullen,
while we search Mr. Gordon's car and the
station.”
They set about it at once, and used up ten
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
minutes in the task. Then I heard Camp
say, —
« Come, we can't wait all night for per-
mission to search this car. Go ahead.”
“I hope you 'll wait till my father comes,”
begged Madge.
“ Now go slow, Mr. Camp,” said the
sheriff. “We must n't discomfort the lady
if we can avoid it.”
“I believe you're wasting time in order
to help him escape,” snapped Camp.
“Nothin' of the kind,” denied the sheriff.
“ If you won't do your duty, I 'll take the.
law into my own hands, and order the car
searched,” sputtered Camp, so angry as
hardly to be able to articulate.
“Look a here,” growled the sheriff,“ who
are yer sayin' all this to anyway? If yer
talkin' to me, say so right off.”
“All I mean,” hastily said Camp, “is that
it's your duty, in your honorable position, to
search this car.”
“ I don't need no instructin' in my dooty as
sheriff,” retorted the official. “But a bigger
163


THE GREAT
dooty is what is owin' to the feminine sex.
When a female is in question, a gentleman,
Mr. Camp, - yes, sir, a gentleman, — is in
dooty bound to be perlite.”
« Politeness be - - !” swore
Camp.
“Git as angry as yer — please,” roared
the sheriff wrathfully, “but my soul to
- if any — - cuss has a right to use
such — - talk in the presence of a
lady!”
164


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
CHAPTER XIV
SLISTENERS NEVER HEAR ANYTHING GO
BEFORE I had ceased chuckling over the
sheriff's indignant declaration of the canons
of etiquette, I heard Mr. Cullen's voice de-
manding to know what the trouble was, and
it was quickly explained to him that I had
escaped. He at once gave them permission
to search his car, and went in with the
sheriff and the cowboys. Apparently Madge
went in too, for in a moment I heard Camp
say, in a low voice,
“Two of you fellows get down below the
car and crawl in under the truck where you
can't be seen. Evidently that cuss is n't
here, but he's likely to come by and by. If
so, nab him if you can, and if you can't, fire
two shots. Mosely, are you heeled ?”
“Do I chaw terbaccy ? ” asked Mosely,
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
The sheriff turned and made another elab-
orate apology for having had to trouble the
lady.
I heard Madge tell him that he had n't
troubled her at all, and then, as the cowboys
and Camp walked off, she added, “ And, Mr.
Gunton, I want to thank you for reproving
Mr. Camp's dreadful swearing.”
“Thank yer, miss,” said the sheriff.
“We fellers are a little rough at times,
but me if we don't know what's due to
a lady.”
“Papa,” said Madge, as soon as he was
out of hearing, “the sheriff is the most beau-
tiful swearer I ever heard.”
For a while there was silence round the
station ; I suppose the party in 218 were
comparing notes, while the two cowboys and
I had the best reasons for being quiet. Pres-
ently, however, the men came out of the car
and jumped down on the platform. Madge
evidentiy followed them to the door, for she
called, “ Please let me know the moment
something happens or you learn anything."
167


THE GREAT
“ Better go to bed, Madgy,” Albert called.
“ You ’ll only worry, and it's after three.”
“I could n't sleep if I tried,” she answered.
Their footsteps died away in a moment,
and I heard her close the door of 218. In a
few moments she opened it again, and, step-
ping down to the station platform, began to
pace up and down it. If I had only dared, I
could have put my finger through the crack
of the planks and touched her foot as she
walked over my head, but I was afraid it
might startle her into a shriek, and there was
no explaining to her what it meant without
telling the cowboys how close they were to
their quarry.
Madge had n't walked from one end of the
platform to the other more than three or four
times, when I heard some one coming. She
evidently heard it also, for she said, -
“I began to be afraid you had n't under-
stood me.”
“I thought you told me to see first if
I were needed,” responded a voice that
even the distance and the planks did not
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
prevent me from recognizing as that of Lord
Ralles.
“ Yes,” said she. “ You are sure you can
be spared ?”
“I could n't be of the slightest use,” as-
serted Ralles, getting on to the platform and
joining Madge. “It's as black as ink every-
where, and I don't think there's anything to
be done till daylight.”
“ Then I'm glad you came back, for I
really want to say something, — to ask the
greatest favor of you.”
“ You only have to tell me what it is,”
said his lordship.
“ Even that is very hard,” murmured
Madge. « If — if Oh! I'm afraid I
have n't the courage, after all.”
“ I'll be glad to do anything I can.”
“It's — well — Oh, dear, I can't.
Let's walk a little, while I think how to
put it.”
They began to walk, which took a weight
off my mind, as I had been forced to hear
every word thus far spoken, and was dread-
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
remembered how well she had played her part
on Hance's trail; but even that would n't
convince me. Proof of her duplicity came
quickly enough, for, while I was still think-
ing, the walkers were round again, and Lord
Ralles was saying, —
“Why have n't you complained to your
father or brothers ? ”
« Because I knew they would resent his
conduct to me, and — ”
“Of course they would,” cried her com-
panion, interrupting. “But why should you
object to that?”
“ Because of the letters,” explained Madge.
“Don't you see that if we made him angry
he would betray us to Mr. Camp, and — "
Then they passed out of hearing, leaving
me almost desperate, both at being an eaves-
dropper to such a conversation, and that
Madge could think so meanly of me. To
say it, too, to Lord Ralles made it cut all
the deeper, as any fellow who has been in
love will understand.
Round they came again in a moment, and
171


THE GREAT
I braced myself for the lash of the whip that
I felt was coming. I did n't escape it, for
Madge was saying, —
“Can you conceive of a man pretending
to care for a girl and yet treating her so? I
can't tell you the grief, the mortification, I
have endured.” She spoke with a half-sob
in her throat, as if she was struggling not to
cry, which made me wish I had never been
born. “It's been all I could do to control
myself in his presence, I have come so utterly
to hate and despise him,” she added.
“I don't wonder," growled Lord Ralles.
“ My only surprise is —"
With that they passed out of hearing again,
leaving me fairly desperate with shame, grief,
and, I'm afraid, with anger. I felt at once
guilty and yet wronged. I knew my conduct
on the trail must have seemed to her ungen-
tlemanly because I had never dared to explain
that my action there had been a pure bluff, and
that I would n't have really searched her for
— well, for anything; but though she might
think badly of me for that, yet I had done my
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
best to counterbalance it, and was running big
risks, both present and eventual, for Madge's
sake. Yet here she was acknowledging that
thus far she had used me as a puppet, while
all the time disliking me. It was a terrible
blow, made all the harder by the fact that she
was proving herself such a different girl from
the one I loved, — so different, in fact, that,
despite what I had heard, I could n't quite
believe it of her, and found myself seeking
to extenuate and even justify her conduct.
While I was doing this, they came within
hearing, and Lord Ralles was speaking.
«— with you,” he said. “But I still do
not see what I can do, however much I may
wish to serve you.”
“ Can't you go to him and insist that he —
or tell him what I really feel towards him —
or anything, in fact, to shame him? I really
can't go on acting longer.”
That reached the limit of my endurance,
and I crawled from my burrow, intending to
get out from under that platform, whether I
was caught or not. I know it was a foolish
173


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
CHAPTER XV
THE SURRENDER OF THE LETTERS
If the letters were safe, that was a good deal
more than I was. The moment the station-
master had made his agreed-upon announce-
ment, he said to the walkers, —
“ Had any news of Mr. Gordon ?”
“ No," replied Lord Ralles. “ And, as
the lights keep moving in the town, they
must still be hunting for him.”
“I reckon they 'll do considerable more
huntin' before they find him up there,"
chuckled the man, with a self-important
manner. “He's hidden away under this ere
platform.”
“ Not right here?” I heard Madge cry,
but I had too much to do to take in what
followed. I was lying close to the loose
plank, and even before the station-master
175


THE GREAT
had completed his sentence I was squirming
through the crack. As I freed my legs I
heard two shots, which I knew was the
signal given by the cowboys, followed by a
shriek of fright from Madge, for which she
was hardly to be blamed. I was on my feet
in an instant and ran down the tracks at my
best speed. It was n't with much hope of
escape, for once out from under the planking
I found, what I had not before realized, that
day was dawning, and already outlines at a
distance could be seen. However, I was
bound to do my best, and I did it.
Before I had run a hundred feet I could
hear pursuers, and a moment later a revolver
cracked, ploughing up the dust in front of
me. Another bullet followed, and, seeing
that affairs were getting desperate, I dodged
round the end of some cars, only to plump
into a man running at full speed. The col-
lision was so unexpected that we both fell,
and before I could get on my feet one of my
pursuers plumped down on top of me and I
felt something cold on the back of my neck.
776


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
« Lie still, yer sneakin' coyote of a road
agent,” said the man, “or I'll blow yer so
full of lead that yer could n't float in Salt
Lake.”
I preferred to take his advice, and lay
quiet while the cowboys gathered. From all
directions I heard them coming, calling to
each other that “the skunk that shot the
woman is corralled," and other forms of the
same information. In a moment I was
jerked to my feet, only to be swept off them
with equal celerity, and was half carried, half
dragged, along the tracks. It wasn't as
rough handling as I have taken on the foot-
ball-field, but I did n't enjoy it.
In a space of time that seemed only
seconds, I was close to a telegraph-pole; but,
brief as the moment had been, a fellow with
a lariat tied round his waist was half-way up
the post. I knew the mob had been told
that I had killed a woman in the hold-up, for
the cowboy, bad as he is, has his own stand-
ards, beyond which he won't go. But I
might as well have tried to tell my innocence
177


THE GREAT
to the moon as to get them to listen to
denials, even if I could have made my voice
heard.
The lariat was dropped over the cross-
piece, and as a man adjusted the noose a
sudden silence fell. I thought it was a little
sense of what they were doing, but it was
merely due to the command of Baldwin, who,
with Camp, stood just outside the mob.
“Let me say a word before you pull," he
called, and then to me he said, “ Now will
you give up the property ?”
I was pretty pale and shaky, but I come
of stiffish stock, and I would n't have backed
down then, it seemed to me, if they had been
going to boil me alive. I suppose it sounds
foolish, and if I had had plenty of time I have
no doubt my common-sense would have made
me crawl. Not having time, I was on the
point of saying “ No,” when the door of
218, which lay about two hundred yards
away, flew open, and out came Mr. Cullen,
Fred, Albert, Lord Ralles, and Captain Ack-
land, all with rifles. Of course it was per-
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
fect desperation for the five to tackle the
cowboys, but they were game to do it, all
the same.
How it would have ended I don't know,
but as they sprang off the car platform Miss
Cullen came out on it, and stood there, one
hand holding on to the door-way, as if she
needed support, and the other covering her
.heart. It was too far for me to see her
face, but the whole attitude expressed such
suffering that it was terrible to see. What
was more, her position put her in range of
every shot the cowboys might fire at the five
as they charged. If I could have stopped
them I would have done so, but, since that
was impossible, I cried, —
“ Mr. Camp, I'll surrender the letters.”
“ Hold on, boys,” shouted Baldwin ;
" wait till we get the property he stole.”
And, coming through the crowd, he threw
the noose off my neck.
« Don't shoot, Mr. Cullen,” I yelled, as
my friends halted and raised their rifles, and,
fortunately, the cowboys had opened up
179


THE GREAT
enough to let them hear me and see that
I was free of the rope.
Escorted by Camp, Baldwin, and the cow-
boys, I walked towards them. On the way
Baldwin said, in a low voice, “ Deliver the
letters, and we 'll tell the boys there has been
a mistake. Otherwise — "
When we came up to the five, I called to
them that I had agreed to surrender the
letters. While I was saying it, Miss Cullen
joined them, and it was curious to see how
respectfully the cowboys took off their hats
and fell back.
“ You are quite right,” Mr. Cullen called.
“ Give them the letters at once.”
“Oh, do, Mr. Gordon,” said Madge, still
white and breathless with emotion. “The
money is nothing. Don't think – ” It was
all she could say.
I felt pretty small, but with Camp and
Baldwin, now reinforced by Judge Wilson,
I went to the station, ordered the agent to
open the safe, took out the three letters, and
handed them to Mr. Camp, realizing how
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
poor Madge must have felt on Hance's trail.
It was a pretty big take down to my pride
I tell you, and made all the worse by the
way the three gloated over the letters and
over our defeat.
“We've taught you a lesson, young
man,” sneered Camp, as after opening the
envelopes, to assure himself that the proxies
were all right, he tucked them into his
pocket. “And we'll teach you another one
after to-day's election.”
Just as he concluded, we heard outside the
first note of a bugle, and as it sounded “ By
fours, column left," my heart gave a big jump,
and the blood came rushing to my face.
Camp, Baldwin, and Wilson broke for the
door, but I got there first, and prevented their
escape. They tried to force their way through,
but I had n't blocked and interfered at foot-
ball for nothing, and they might as well have
tried to break through the Sierras. Discov-
ing this, Camp whipped out his gun, and
told me to let them out. Being used to the
West, I recognized the goodness of the argu-
181


THE GREAT
ment and stepped out on the platform, giving
them free passage. But the twenty seconds
I had delayed them had cooked their goose,
for outside was a squadron of cavalry swing-
ing a circle round the station; and we had
barely reached the platform when the bugle
sounded “ Halt,” quickly followed by “ For-
ward left.” As the ranks wheeled, and
closed up as a solid line about us, I could
have cheered with delight. There was a
moment's dramatic hush, in which we could
all hear the breathing of the winded horses,
and then came the clatter of sword and
spurs, as an officer sprang from his saddle.
“I want Richard Gordon," the officer
called.
I responded, “ At your service, and badly
in need of yours, Captain Singer.”
“Hope the delay has n't spoilt things,”
said the captain. “We had a cursed fool of
a guide, who took the wrong trail and ran us
into Limestone Cañon, where we had to
camp for the night.”
I explained the situation as quickly as I
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K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
could, and the captain's eyes gleamed. “I'd
have given a bad quarter to have got here
ten minutes sooner and ridden my men over
those scoundrels,” he muttered. “I saw
them scatter as we rode up, and if I'd
known what they'd been doing we'd have
given them a volley.” Then he walked
over to Mr. Camp and said, “ Give me those
letters.”
“I hold those letters by virtue of an
order —” Camp began.
“Give me those letters,” the captain
interrupted.
“Do you intend a high-handed interfer-
ence with the civil authorities ?” Judge Wil-
son demanded.
“ Come, come,” said the captain, sternly.
“ You have taken forcible possession of
United States property. Any talk about civil
authorities is rubbish, and you know it.”
“I will never — "cried Mr. Camp.
“ Corporal Jackson, dismount a guard of
six men,” rang the captain's voice, interrupt-
ing him.
183


THE GREAT
CHAPTER XVI
A GLOOMY GOOD-BY
worly seeing
morning ask when he
At that point my importance ceased. Ap-
parently seeing that the game was up, Mr.
Camp later in the morning asked Mr. Cullen
to give him an interview, and when he was
allowed to pass the sentry he came to the
steps and suggested, -
“ Perhaps we can arrange a compromise
between the Missouri Western and the Great
Southern ? "
“We can try,” Mr. Cullen assented.
“ Come into my car.” He made way for
Mr. Camp, and was about to follow him,
when Madge took hold of her father's arm,
and, making him stoop, whispered something
to him.
“What kind of a place ?” asked Mr.
Cullen, laughing.
“A good one,” his daughter replied.
. 186


K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY
two years I was offered the presidency of
the Chicago & St. Paul, and I think that
was won on merit. Whether or not, I hold
the position still, and have made my road
earn and pay dividends right through the
panic.
All this is getting away ahead of events,
however. The election delayed us so that
we could n't couple on to No. 4 that after-
noon, and consequently we had to lie that
night at Ash Forks. I made the officers
my excuse for keeping away from the Cul-
lens, as I wished to avoid Madge. I did my
best to be good company to the bluecoats,
and had a first-class dinner for them on my
car, but I was in a pretty glum mood, which
even champagne could n't modify. Though
all necessity of a guard ceased with the com-
promise, the cavalry remained till the next
morning, and, after giving them a good
breakfast, about six o'clock we shook hands,
the bugle sounded, and off they rode. For
the first time I understood how a fellow
disappointed in love comes to enlist.
189


THE GREAT
the whole I had never quite been able to
think badly of her. I went out on the plat-
form of the station, and was lucky enough
to find her there alone.
“Miss Cullen,” I said, “I've been un-
gentlemanly and suspicious, and I'm about
as ashamed of myself as a man can be and
not jump into the Grand Cañon. I've not
come to you to ask your forgiveness, for I
can't forgive myself, much less expect it of
you. But I want you to know how I feel,
and if there's any reparation, apology, any-
thing, that you 'd like, I 'll — ”
Madge interrupted my speech there by
holding out her hand.
“ You don't suppose,” she said, “that,
after all you have done for us, I could be
angry over what was merely a mistake?”
That 's what I call a trump of a girl,
worth loving for a lifetime.
Well, we coupled on to No. 2 that
morning and started East, this time Mr.
Cullen's car being the “ender.” All on
218 were wildly jubilant, as was natural,
196