THE GREAT 
 
 TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 PAUL- L- FORD 
 
 ffRBOMRtt 
 
 IP 
 
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 i 
 
THE GREAT 
 K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
Paul Leicester Ford 
 
 // 
 
 Author of The Honorable Peter Stirling 
 
 New York 
 Dodd Mead and Company 
 
 1897 
 
Copyright, 1896, 
 BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 
 
 Copyright, 1897, 
 BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY. 
 
TO 
 
 MY TRAVELLING COMPANIONS 
 ON SPECIALS 218 AND 97 
 
 HIS ENDEAVOR TO WEAVE INTO A STORY SOME OF OUR 
 OVERLAND HAPPENINGS AND ADVENTURES 
 
 IS GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. 
 
 TO MISS GEORGE BARKER GfBBS. 
 
 My dear George: 
 
 At your request / originally inscribed tbis skit to our wbole 
 party. In its republication, however, I can but feel that the dedica* 
 tion sbould be more particular. Written because you asked it f first 
 read aloud to beguile our ride across the great American desert, 
 *nd 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. Sbould the story but give its readers a 
 fraction of tbe pleasure I owe to your kindness, its success is 
 mssurcd. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 PAUL LEICESTER FORD. 
 
 963108 
 
Contents 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I THE PARTY ON SPECIAL NO. 21 8 I 
 
 II THE HOLDING-UP OF OVERLAND 
 
 NO. 3 17 
 
 III A NIGHT'S WORK ON THE AL- 
 
 KALI PLAINS 30 
 
 IV SOME RATHER QUEER ROAD 
 
 AGENTS 43 
 
 V A TRIP TO THE GRAND CAffON 55 
 VI THE HAPPENINGS DOWN HANCfi's 
 
 TRAIL 69 
 
 VII A CHANGE OF BASE .... 82 
 
 VIII HOW DID THE SECRET LEAK 
 
 OWT ? 93 
 
 vii 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 IX A TALK BEFORE BREAKFAST . JO/ 
 
 X WAITING FOR HELP . . Iig 
 XI THE LETTERS CHANGE HANDS 
 
 AGAIN 1 2O 
 
 XII AN EVENING IN JAIL . , , 140 
 
 XIII A LESSON IN POLITENESS , , 153 
 
 XIV "LISTENERS NEVER HEAR ANY- 
 
 THING GOOD" . . . . 165 
 
 XV THE SURRENDER OF THE LET- 
 TERS 175 
 
 XVI A GLOOMY GOOD-BY . * . 1 86 
 
 viu 
 
THE 
 Great K. & A. Train- Robbery 
 
 CHAPTER' T , 
 
 THE PARTY ON SPECIAL MO. : :>.l3 1<r ' r< 
 
 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 
 i i 
 
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 
 
 p$r ceat * frm ? trie earnings of the current 
 ; J^ear."* '! 'stibufd' 'therefore prefer to reserve 
 
 1 jrij|j\EritiQg| fqr;'uch friendly critics, if it did 
 * not seem necessary to make public a plain 
 statement concerning an affair over whicb 
 there appears to be much confusion. I have 
 heard in the last five years not less than 
 twenty renderings of what is commonly 
 called u 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 
 
 2 
 
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 
 3 
 
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 Canon 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 
 5 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 u 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, u 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 
 6 
 
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. 
 
 ct I 've left all my jewelry behind, except 
 7 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 my watch," she said, " and that I hide every 
 night. So I really hope we '11 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." 
 
 41 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 flagged 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 
 8 
 
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. 
 
 u Why," he ejaculated, u 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." 
 
 a Aw, you fancy resistance impossible ? " 
 drawled Albert Cullen. 
 
 w It has been tried," I answered, cc and 
 without success. You can see it's like all 
 9 
 
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 '11 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. c Yes, madam,' he sadly 
 replied : c 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 ? " 
 
 u 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 Canon 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, u 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. u We could have the fun of the 
 adventure, and yet not lose anything. Can't 
 you arrange for it, Mr. Gordon ? " 
 
 u 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 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 pass, and so on over the Glorietta pass down 
 to Lamy, where, as the party wanted to see 
 Santa Fe, I had our two cars dropped off the 
 overland, and we ran up the branch line to 
 the old Mexican city. It was well-worn 
 ground to me, but I enjoyed showing the 
 sights to Miss Cullen, for by that time I had 
 come to the conclusion that I had never met 
 a sweeter or jollier girl. Her beauty, too, 
 was of a kind that kept growing on one, and 
 before I had known her twenty-four hours, 
 without quite being in love with her, I was 
 beginning to hate Lord Ralles, which was 
 about the same thing, I suppose. Every 
 hour convinced me that the two understood 
 each other, not merely from the little asides 
 and confidences they kept exchanging, but 
 even more so from the way Miss Cullen 
 would take his lordship down occasionally. 
 Yet, like a fool, the more I saw to confirm 
 my first diagnosis, the more I found myself 
 dwelling on the dimples at the corners of 
 Miss Cullen's mouth, the bewitching uplift 
 of her upper lip, the runaway curls about 
 
 12 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 her neck, and the curves and color of het 
 cheeks. 
 
 Half a day served to see everything in 
 Santa Fe 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 Fe 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 
 
 " ShaVt 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 ? M 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 teL.,ig 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 c, l:ttle bunch of flowers she had 
 gathered in the mountains. It was literally 
 casting pearls before swine, for the fellow 
 
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 <k 
 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- 
 3 17 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 merit 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 Culleai 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, 1 went 
 back, and dined solus on my own car, indulg- 
 18 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 ing at the end in a cigar, the smoke of whick 
 would keep turning into pictures of Miss 
 Cullen. I have thought about those pictures 
 since then, and have concluded that when 
 cigar-smoke behaves like that, a man might 
 as well read his destiny in it, for it can mean 
 only one thing. 
 
 After enjoying the combination, I went to 
 No. 218 to have a look at the son, and found 
 that the heart tonics had benefited him con- 
 siderably. On leaving him, I went to the 
 dining-room, where the rest of the party 
 were still at dinner, to ask that the invalid 
 have a strong cup of coffee, and after deliver- 
 ing my request Mr. Cullen asked me to 
 join them in a cigar. This I did gladly, foi 
 a cigar and Miss Cullen's society were even 
 pleasanter than a cigar and Miss Cullen's 
 pictures, because the pictures never quite 
 did her justice, and, besides, did n't talk. 
 
 Our smoke finished, we went back to the 
 
 saloon, where the gentlemen sat down to 
 
 poker, which Lord Ralles had just learned, 
 
 and liked. They did not ask me to take a 
 
 19 
 
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. 
 
 u We shall have far less motion, Madge," 
 Mr. Cullen explained, u and then we sha'n't 
 have the rear-end man in our car at night/' 
 
 u But I don't mind the motion," urged 
 Miss Cullen, u 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, u The plat- 
 form of 97 is entirely at your service, Miss 
 Cullen." The moment it was out I realized 
 20 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 that I ought not to have said it, and that I 
 deserved a rebuke for supposing she would 
 use my car. 
 
 Miss Cullen took it better than I hoped 
 for, and was declining the offer as kindly 
 as my intention had been in making it, 
 when, much to my astonishment, her father 
 interrupted by saying, 
 
 " By all means, Madge. That relieves us 
 of the discomfort of being v .he last car, and 
 yet lets you have the sceneiy and moonlight." 
 
 Miss Cullen looked at her father for a 
 moment as if not believing what she had 
 heard. Lord Ralles scowled and opened his 
 mouth to say something, but checked himself, 
 and only flung his discard down as if he 
 hated the cards. 
 
 u Thank you, papa," responded Miss Cul- 
 len, " but I think I will watch you play." 
 
 "Now, Madge, don't be foolish," said 
 Mr. Cullen, irritably. u You might just as 
 well have the pleasure, and you'll only dis- 
 turb the game if you stay here." 
 
 Miss Cullen leaned over and whispered 
 21 
 
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 '1! 
 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. 
 
 u No ! " I ejaculated, so forcibly that she 
 gave a little startled jump in her chair. 
 u That is I mean," I stuttered, embar- 
 rassed by my own vehemence, " I ratha 
 thought you might not want me to stay.'' 
 23 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 <c 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, u 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." 
 
 u 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* 
 2 5 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 ten," 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 nly 
 what place are we stopping at f " 
 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." 
 
 cc 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- 
 ay 
 
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. 
 
 " 1 think something 's wrong with the 
 engine or the road-bed, Miss Cullen," I 
 said, cc and, if you '11 excuse me a moment, 
 I '11 go forward and see." 
 
 I had barely spoken when " bang ! bang ! " 
 went two shots. That they were both fired 
 from an English u 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 
 <c crack ! crack ! crack ! crack ! " went some 
 Winchesters. 
 
 Oh ! what is it ? " cried Miss Cullen. 
 
 CC 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. u Crack ! crack ! crack ! " 
 retorted the Winchesters, and from the 
 fact that silence followed I drew a clear 
 inference. I said to myself, u 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 '11 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- 
 thir 6 about Providence and fools. 
 
 " Aw," drawled Cullen, u 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 fly 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 
 
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 
 u 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 1 
 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 
 3 33 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 fact that it was a party of three women ani 
 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." 
 
 u 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 1 
 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. 
 
 u 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 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 I don't think," said Miss Cullen, that 
 I am a bit more curious than most people, 
 but it has nearly made me frantic to have 
 you tick away on that little machine and 
 hear it tick back, and not understand a 
 word." 
 
 After that I had to tell her what I had 
 said and learned. 
 
 " How clever of you fco think of counting 
 the tickets and finding out where people got 
 on and off! I never should have thought of 
 either," she said. 
 
 " It has n't helped me much," I laughed, 
 rather grimly, " except to eliminate every 
 possible clue." 
 
 " They probably did steal on at one of the 
 stops," suggested a passenger. 
 
 I shook my head. u There is n't a stick 
 of timber nor a place of concealment on 
 these alkali plains," I replied, u and it was 
 bright moonlight till an hour ago. It would 
 be hard enough for one man to get within a 
 mile of the station without being seen, and it 
 would be impossible for seven or eight." 
 37 
 
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." 
 
 u 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 '11 wager that when I catch those 
 chaps we '11 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 noting, 
 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 
 lose beside her, and as I came up I heard 
 her say, indignantly, 
 
 " I will not allow it. It i? 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 ma& 
 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 wasn'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 ao restrained 
 myself. 
 
 Before I had time to finish an apology 
 to Miss Cullen the fellow was up on his 
 feet, and cam 3 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, u 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. u 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. 
 41 
 
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 
 
 u 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. 
 
 u I think they '11 give us very little trouble 
 to bag," I added, cc for they are so green that 
 it 's almost pitiful." 
 
 u In not cutting the wires ? " she asked. 
 
 u 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 '11 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 f 
 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. 
 
 44 We 've ghost road agents to deal with, 
 Miss Cullen," I laughed. u 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. 
 44 One would almost suppose it a dream." 
 
 44 Hold on," I said. 4C 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. cc My theory of aeria) 
 bullets won't do." 
 
 45 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 " The shells are as hollow as I feel/* 
 laughed Miss Cullen. 
 
 u 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. 
 
 44 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, 
 
 u 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." 
 
 u 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 v/ith me, and then 
 said, u Well, that was courageous, after all." 
 
 II Yes," I confessed, " I was frightened 
 into bravery." 
 
 47 
 
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 Canon, 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 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 (for 1 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." 
 
 u 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. 
 
 u I hope it is n't good-bye, but only au 
 revoir," she said. u Whether or no, you 
 4 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, u I thought you were 
 just as brave as the rest, Mr. Gordon, and 
 now I think you are braver." 
 
 I turned impulsively, and said, u 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. 
 SO 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 u Two of the bullets struck up here, Mr< 
 Gordon," the man called from the top of 
 the pole. 
 
 u 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 1 
 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 o? 
 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 
 
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 feflows' 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. 
 
 14 Them cusses must have a dugout nigh 
 
 abouts, for they could n't 'a' got away without 
 
 wings," the sheriff surmised. 
 
 I did n't put much stock in that idea, and 
 
 told the sheriff so. 
 
 5 2 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 C Waal, round up a better one," was his 
 retort. 
 
 Not being able to do that, I told him of 
 the bullets in the telegraph pole, and took 
 him over to where the mail car had stood. 
 
 u Jerusalem crickets ! " was his comment 
 as he measured the aim. " If that's where 
 they put two of their pills, they must have 
 pumped the other four inter the moon." 
 
 " What other four ? " I asked. 
 
 " Shots," he replied sententiously. 
 
 " The road agents only fired four times/* 
 I told him. 
 
 u Them and your pards must have been 
 pretty nigh together for a minute, then," he 
 said, pointing to the ground. 
 
 I glanced down, and sure enough, there 
 were six empty cartridge-shells. I stood 
 looking blankly at them, hardly able to be- 
 lieve what I saw; for Albert Cullen had 
 said distinctly that the train-robbers had fired 
 only four times, and that the last three Win- 
 chester shots I had heard had been fired by 
 himself. Then, without speaking, I walked 
 S3 
 
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 
 Albeit 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-ROBBERK 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 A TRIP TO THE GRAND 
 
 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, J 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 
 en 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 tha 
 hold-up. 
 
 The two private cars were on a siding, 
 but the Cullens had left for the Grand 
 Canon 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, u for I found him up 
 at the other end of the car." 
 
 "Tell you it wuz, Mr. Gordon," Jim 
 insisted. u I done seen his face clar in de 
 light, and he done go into Mr. Cullen's car 
 whar de old gentleman wuz sittinY* 
 
 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 
 hadn'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, u 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 wasn'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 ovef 
 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 tve 
 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 
 Canon 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 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 Chester. That it had been recently 
 fired was as plain as the Grand Canon itself; 
 throwing back the bar, I found an empty 
 cartridge shell, still oily from the discharge. 
 That completed the tale of seven shot?, I 
 did n't feel absolutely safe till I had asked 
 Tolfree if there had been any shooting of 
 echoes by the party, but his denial rounded 
 out my chain of evidence. 
 
 Telling the sheriff to guard the bags of the 
 party carefully, I took two of the posse and 
 rode over to Moran's Point. Sure enough, 
 there were Mr. Cullen, Albert, and Captain 
 Ackland. They gave a shout at seeing me, 
 and even before I had reached them they 
 called to know how I could come so soon, 
 and if I had caught the robbers. Mr. Cullen 
 started to tell his pleasure at my rejoining the 
 party, but my expression made him pause, 
 and it seemed to dawn on all three that the 
 Winchester across my saddle, and the cow- 
 boys* hands resting nonchalantly on the re- 
 volvers in their belts, had a meaning. 
 
 Mr. Cullen," I explained, " I 've got a 
 60 
 
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 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 clothes, so I looked over her bag myself. 
 The prettiness and daintiness of the various 
 contents were a revelation to me, and I tried 
 to put them back as neatly as I had found 
 them, but I did n't know much about the 
 articles, and it was a terrible job trying to 
 fold up some of the things. Why, there 
 was a big pink affair, lined with silk, with 
 bits of ribbon and lace all over it, which 
 nearly drove me out of my head, for I would 
 have defied mortal man to pack it so that it 
 should n't muss. I had a funny little feeling 
 of tenderness for everything, which made 
 fussing over it all a pleasure, even while I 
 felt all the time that I was doing a sneak act 
 and had really no right to touch her belong- 
 ings. I did n't find anything incriminating, 
 and the posse reported the same result with 
 the other baggage. If the letters were still 
 in existence, they were either concealed 
 somewhere or were in the possession of the 
 party in the Canon. Telling the sheriff 
 to keep those in the camp under absolute 
 surveillance, I took a single man, and 
 62 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 saddling a couple of mules, started down 
 the trail. 
 
 We found Frederic and cc 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 wasn'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, u Digitalis put me 
 on my feet like a flash." 
 
 u 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, u 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, u 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 1 
 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, 
 
 64 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 c 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. 
 
 u 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, 
 5 ^ 
 
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. u 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." 
 
 Thiit 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 rne, for I wanted to keep my eye on 
 Miss Cuilen 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 rne. 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. u 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 ! 
 
 68 
 
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." 
 
 u 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 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 the four syllables that I wanted the earth to 
 swallow me then and there. 
 
 "Why, Miss Cullen," I cried, "look at 
 my position. I 'm being paid to do certain 
 things, and " 
 
 " But that need n't prevent your being a 
 gentleman," she interrupted. 
 
 That made me almost desperate. " Miss 
 Cullen," I groaned, hurriedly, " I 'd rather be 
 burned alive than do what I 've got to, but if 
 you won't give me those letters, search you 
 I must." 
 
 " But how can I give you what I 
 have n't ? " she cried, indignantly, assuming 
 again her innocent expression. 
 
 " Will you give me your word of honor 
 that those letters are not concealed in your 
 clothes ? " 
 
 " I will," she answered. 
 
 I was very much taken aback, for it would 
 have been so easy for Miss Cullen to have 
 said so before that I had become convinced 
 she must have them. 
 
 44 And do you give me your word ? " 
 70 
 
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, u 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 '11 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 '11 do everything in my power," I 
 promised. Then he and Hance went into 
 the cabin, and I walked back to the culprit. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 <c Miss Cullen," I said, gravely, <c 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 '11 give them to you, if you '11 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 r^und him, and by split- 
 ting it up the middle ind 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 '11 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 
 an antagonist thaj^jazjox^t 
 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 ii this 
 hole, for the G. S. put up a relation tq 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." 
 
 u The G. S. is a tough customer to fight," 
 I remarked, and asked, u 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, 
 u 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 fof 
 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 
 
 73 
 
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, u 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 afler five, and were 
 clear of the timber before h 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. 
 
 u 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, 
 u I honor her for it," and in that moment 
 he and I became friends. 
 
 a Just see how pretty she is ! " he whis- 
 80 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 pered, with evident affection and pride, turn- 
 ing back the flap 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 '11 pull the Cullens out of 
 this scrape, if it costs me my position." 
 
THE GREAT 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 A CHANGE OF BASE 
 
 WE did not reach Flagstaff till seven, and I 
 told the stage-load to take possession of their 
 car, while I went to my own. It took me 
 some time to get freshened up, and then I 
 ate my breakfast ; for after riding seventy-two 
 miles in one night even the most heroic 
 purposes have to take the side-track. I 
 think, as it was, I proved my devotion pretty 
 well by not going to sleep, since I had been 
 up three nights, with only such naps as I 
 could steal in the saddle, and had ridden over 
 a hundred and fifty miles to boot. But 1 
 could n't bear to think of Miss Cullen's 
 anxiety, and the moment I had made myself 
 decent, and finished eating, I went into 218. 
 The party were all in the dining-room, 
 but it was a very difFe rent-looking crowd 
 from the one with which that first breakfast 
 82 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 had been eaten, and they all looked at me as 
 I entered as if I were the executioner come 
 for victims. 
 
 "Mr. Cullen," I began, "I've been 
 forced to do a lot of things that were n't 
 pleasant, but I don't want to do more than 
 I need. You 're not the ordinary kind of 
 road agents, and, as I presume your address 
 is known, I don't see any need of arresting 
 one of our own directors as yet. All I ask 
 is that you give me your word, for the party, 
 that none of you will try to leave the 
 country." 
 
 " Certainly, Mr. Gordon," he responded. 
 " And I thank you for your great con- 
 sideration." 
 
 " I shall have to report the case to our 
 president, and, I suppose, to the Postmaster- 
 General, but I sha'n't hurry about either. 
 What they will do, I can't say. Probably 
 you know how far you can keep them 
 quiet." 
 
 " I think the local authorities are all I 
 have to fear, provided time is given me." 
 
 83 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 <c 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. 1 
 only wish I could as easily repay your 
 kindness." 
 
 Nodding my head in assent, as well as in 
 recognition of his thanks, I continued, u 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. u 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 
 u 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. u I only stopped in on 
 my way to the station to telegraph the Post- 
 master-General." 
 
 8r 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 c< May I come with you and see what you 
 say ? " cried Fred, jumping up. 
 
 I nodded, and Miss Cullen said, question- 
 ingly, u Me too ! " miking 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 '11 
 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." 
 
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, u and I 'm so 
 grateful for the trouble you took." 
 
 u It was a pleasure," I said. 
 
 " And, Mr. Gordon," she continue^, ancf 
 then hesitated for a moment, u 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." 
 
 u 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 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 after you told me that train-robbers were 
 hung, I had to lie to save them. I ought to 
 have known you would help us." 
 
 I thought this a pretty good time to 
 make a real apology for my conduct on the 
 trail, as well as to tell her how sorry I was 
 at not having been able to repack her bag 
 better. She accepted my apology very 
 sweetly, and assured me her belongings had 
 been put away so neatly that she had won- 
 dered who did it. I knew she only said this 
 out of kindness, and told her so, telling also 
 of my struggles over that pink-beribboned 
 and belaced affair, in a way which made her 
 laugh. I had thought it was a ball gown, 
 and wondered at her taking it to the Canon ; 
 but she explained that it was what she called 
 a " throw " which I told her accounted 
 for the throes I had gone through over it. 
 It made me open my eyes, thinking that 
 anything so pretty could be used for the 
 same purposes for which I use my crash 
 bath-gown, and while my eyes were open I 
 saw the folly of thinking that a girl who 
 89 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 wore such things would, or in fact coulc*, 
 ever get along on my salary. In that way 
 the incident was a good lesson for me, for i\ 
 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." 
 
 cc I must waltz with some one," cried 
 
 Madge, and before I could offer bhe took 
 
 hold of Albert and the two went whirling 
 
 about, much to my envy. The Cullens 
 
 90 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 were about the most jubilant road agents I 
 had ever seen. 
 
 After consultation with Mr. Cullen, we 
 had 218 and 97 attached to No. I when it 
 arrived, and started for Ash Forks. He 
 wanted to be on the ground a day in advance, 
 and I could easily be back in Flagstaff before 
 the arrival of the special agent. 
 
 I took dinner in 218, and they toasted 
 me, as if I had done something heroic in- 
 stead of merely having sent a telegram. 
 Later four sat down to poker, while Miss 
 Cullen, Fred, and I went out and sat on 
 the platform of the car while Madge played 
 on her guitar and sang to us. She had a 
 very sweet voice, and before she had been 
 singing long we had the crew of a " dust 
 express" as we jokingly call a gravel 
 train standing about, and they were speed- 
 ily reinforced by many cowboys, who deserted 
 the medley of cracked pianos or accordions 
 of the Western saloons to listen to her, and 
 who, not being over-careful in the terms 
 with which they expressed their approval, 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 finally by their riotous admiration drove us 
 inside. At Miss Cullen's suggestion we 
 three nad a second game of poker, but 
 with chips and not money. She was an 
 awfully reckless player, and the luck was 
 dead in my favor, so Madge kept borrowing 
 my chips, till she was so deep in that we 
 both lost account. Finally, when we parted 
 for the night she held out her hand, and, 
 in the prettiest of ways, said, 
 
 " I am so deeply in your debt, Mr. 
 Gordon, that I don't see how I can ever 
 repay you." 
 
 I tried to think of something worth say- 
 ing, but the words would n't come, and I 
 could only shake her hand. But, duffer as I 
 was, the way she had said those words, and 
 the double meaning she had given them, 
 would have made me the happiest fellow 
 alive if I could only have forgotten the 
 existence of Lord Ralles. 
 
 92 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 HOW DID THE SECRET LEAK OUT ? 
 
 I MADE up for my three nights' lack of 
 s3eep by not waking the next morning till 
 after ten. When I went to 218, I found 
 only the chef, and he told me the party had 
 gone for a ride. Since I could n't talk to 
 Madge, I went to work at my desk, for 
 I had been rather neglecting my routine 
 work. While I still wrote, I heard horses' 
 hoofs, and, looking up, saw the Cullens re- 
 turning. I went out on the platform to wish 
 them good-morning, arriving just in time to 
 see Lord Ralles help Miss Cullen out of 
 her saddle ; and the way he did it, and the 
 way he continued to hold her hand after 
 she was down, while he said something to 
 her, made me grit my teeth and look the 
 93 
 
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, 
 
 u 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 
 94 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 perhaps it would n't have paid you. Ap- 
 parently there is nothing to see in Ash 
 Forks." 
 
 u 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, 1 
 suppose they can't be worth any less to the 
 G. S.," I replied. 
 
 u Fortunately, there is no way that he can 
 learn where they are," said Mr. Cullen. 
 
 "Don't let's stand still," cried Miss 
 Cullen. a Mr. Gordon, I '11 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, 
 
 u 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. 
 
 u 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, u and 
 the ones I have will not be voted." 
 
 She still looked doubtful, and asked, 
 " Then why did papa say just now, c For- 
 tunately ' ? " 
 
 96 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 "He merely meant that it was safer they 
 shouldn'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 r " 
 
 4 Because he might well, if he knew r 
 I'm sure he would sacrifice himself; and I 
 could n't run the risk." 
 
 u 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, anj 
 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 
 7 97 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 servants brought a card to Mr. Cullen, who 
 looked at it and exclaimed, "Mr. Camp!" 
 Then, after a speaking pause, in which we 
 all exchanged glances, he said, " Bring him 
 in." 
 
 On Mr. Camp's entrance he looked as 
 much surprised as we had all done a 
 moment before. " I beg your pardon for 
 intruding, Mr. Cullen," he said. U I was 
 told that this was Mr. Gordon's car, and I 
 wish to see him." 
 
 "I am Mr. Gordon." 
 
 " You are travelling with Mr. Cullen ? " 
 he inquired, with a touch of suspicion in his 
 manner. 
 
 " No," I answered. " My special is the 
 next car, and I was merely enjoying a cigar 
 here." 
 
 " Ah ! " said Mr. Camp. " Then I won't 
 interrupt your smoke, and will only relieve 
 you of those letters of mine." 
 
 I took a good pull at my cigar, and blew 
 the smoke out in a cloud slowly to gain time, 
 44 1 don't think I follow you," I said. 
 98 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 <c I understand that you have in your pos- 
 session three letters addressed to me." 
 
 44 1 have," I assented. 
 
 4C 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. 
 
 44 Why, this is infamous ! " Mr. Camp 
 cried. u What use will those letters be after 
 the eighteenth ? It 's a conspiracy." 
 
 44 1 can only obey instructions," I said. 
 
 44 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, 
 
 44 That 's quite on a par with most G. S. 
 methods." 
 
 44 I 'm not speaking for the G. S., young 
 man," roared Mr. Camp. 44 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, an if 
 there 's any chance of the Postmaster-Gen- 
 eral revoking his order I must go back to 
 Flagstaff on No. 4 this afternoon." 
 
 u He sha'n't do anything that I don't know 
 about till he goes to bed," Fred promised. 
 u 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 fol 
 JOG 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 the same room. Before I had been there 
 long, Fred came rushing in. 
 
 " Camp and Baldwin have been in consul- 
 tation with a lawyer,"* h -.^aid,*^' and now-the 
 three have just boarded "tiidst cars," pointing 
 out the window at ' the^branch-li-lit t rain .thai 
 was to leave for Phoenix in two minutes. 
 
 cc You must go with them," I urged, u and 
 keep us informed as to what they do, for they 
 evidently are going to set the law on us, and 
 the G. S. has always owned the Territorial 
 judges, so they '11 stretch a point to oblige 
 them." 
 
 " Have I time to fill a bag ? " 
 
 u Plenty," I assured him, and, going out, 
 I ordered the train held till I should give the 
 word. 
 
 " What does it all mean ? " asked Miss 
 Cullen, joining me. 
 
 I laughed, and replied, " I 'm doing a 
 braver thing even than your party did ; I 'm 
 holding up a train all by my lonesome." 
 
 u But my brother came dashing in just 
 now and said he was starting for Phoenix." 
 101 
 
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^, ^nxioi-sjiy, 
 
 "Nothing to worry over," I laughed. 
 - tc Oiily a little jnorr^ fun for our money. By 
 the way, Miss Cullen," I went on, to avoid 
 her questions, cc if you have your letters 
 ready, and will let me have them at once, I 
 can get them on No. 4, so that they '11 go 
 East to-night." 
 
 Miss Cullen blushed as if I had said 
 something I ought not to have, and stam- 
 mered, u I I changed my mind, and that 
 is I did n't write them, after all." 
 
 41 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, u 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 Phoenix 
 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 
 103 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 interrupt him, I delayed asking my question 
 till he should be free. I stood there thinking 
 of Madge, and listening heedlessly as the in- 
 strument ticked off the cipher signature of 
 the sending operator, and the " twenty-four 
 
 paid." But as I heard the clicks 
 
 which meant ph, I suddenly became attentive, 
 and when it completed u Phoenix "I concluded 
 Fred was wiring me, and listened for what 
 followed the date. This is what the instru- 
 ment ticked : 
 
 104 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 That may not look particularly intelligible, 
 but if the Phoenix 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 phoenix 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 : 
 
 u 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 
 205 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 Judge Wilson by means of mandamus pro- 
 ceedings, and, as he was notoriously a G. S. 
 judge, and was coming to Ash Forks solely 
 to oblige Mr. Camp, he would unquestion- 
 ably declare the letters the property of Mr. 
 Camp and order their delivery. 
 
 Apparently I had my choice of being a 
 traitor to Madge, of going to prison for con- 
 tempt of court, or of running away, which 
 was not far off from acknowledging that I 
 had done something wrong. I didn't like 
 any one of the options. 
 
 306 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 A TALK BEFORE BREAKFAST 
 
 LOOKING at my watch, I found it was a little 
 after three, which meant six in Washington : 
 allowing for transmission, a telegram would 
 reach there in time to be on hand with the 
 opening of the Departments. I therefore 
 wired at once to the following effect : 
 
 " Postmaster-General, Washington, D.C. 
 A peremptory mandamus has been issued by 
 Territorial judge to compel me to deliver 
 to addressee the tnree registered letters which 
 by your directions, issued October sixteenth, 
 I was to hold pending arrival of special agent 
 Jackson. Service of writ will be made at 
 three forty-five to-day unless prevented. 
 Telegraph me instructions how to act." 
 
 That done I had a good tub, took a brisk 
 walk down the track, and felt so freshened 
 107 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 up as to be none the worse for my sleepless 
 night. I returned to the station a little after 
 six, and, to my surprise, found Miss Cullen 
 walking up and down the platform. 
 
 " You are up early ! " we both said 
 together. 
 
 " Yes," she sighed. " I could n't sleep 
 last night." 
 
 " You 're not unwell, I hope ? " 
 
 u No, except mentally." 
 
 I looked a question, and she went on : " I 
 have some worries, and then last night I saw 
 you were all keeping some bad news from 
 me, and so I could n't sleep." 
 
 " Then we did wrong to make a mystery 
 of it, Miss Cullen," I said, " for it really 
 is n't anything to trouble about. Mr. Camp 
 is simply taking legal steps to try to force 
 me to deliver those letters to him." 
 
 " And can he succeed ? " 
 
 " No." 
 
 u How will you stop him ? " 
 
 " I don't know yet just what we shall 
 do, but if worse comes to worse I will allow 
 208 
 
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 " 
 
 cc There 's really no likelihood," I in- 
 terrupted, u 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 
 109 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 and the licking of those fellows that I really 
 think I 'd stand about anything rather than 
 that they should win. Yesterday, when Mr. 
 Camp threatened to " Then I stopped, 
 as it suddenly occurred to me that it was best 
 not to tell Madge that I might lose my posi- 
 tion, for it would look like a kind of bid for 
 her favor, and, besides, would only add to 
 her worries. 
 
 " Threatened what ? " asked Miss Cullen. 
 
 " Threatened to lose his temper," I 
 answered. 
 
 " You know that was n't what you were 
 going to say," Madge said reproachfully. 
 
 " No, it was n't," I laughed. 
 
 " Then what was it ? " 
 
 " Nothing worth speaking about." 
 
 " But I want to know what he threatened." 
 
 " Really, Miss Cullen," I began ; but she 
 interrupted me by saying anxiously, 
 
 " He can't hurt papa, can he ? " 
 
 " No," I replied. 
 
 " Or my brothers ? " 
 
 "He can't touch any of them without 
 no 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 my help. And he '11 have work to get that, 
 I suspect." 
 
 "Then why can't you tell me?" de- 
 manded Miss Cullen. " Your refusal makes 
 me think you are keeping back some danger 
 to them." 
 
 "Why, Miss Cullen," I said, "I didn't 
 like to tell his threat, because it seemed 
 well, I may be wrong, but I thought it might 
 look like an attempt an appeal Oh, 
 pshaw! " I faltered, like a donkey, "I 
 can't say it as I want to put it. " 
 
 " Then tell me right out what he threat- 
 ened," begged Madge. 
 
 "He threatened to get me discharged." 
 
 That made Madge look very sober, and 
 for a moment there was silence. Then she 
 said, 
 
 "I never thought of what you were risk- 
 ing to help us, Mr. Gordon. And I 'm 
 afraid it 's too late to " 
 
 "Don't worry about me," I hastened to 
 interject. " I 'm a long way from being dis- 
 charged, and, even if I should be, Miss 
 in 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 Cullen, I know my business, and it won't be 
 long before I have another place." 
 
 " But it 's terrible to think of the injury 
 we may have caused you/* sighed Madge, 
 sadly. " It makes me hate the thought of 
 money/" 
 
 u That 's a very poor thing to hate," I 
 said, " except the lack of it." 
 
 " Are you so anxious to get rich ? " asked 
 Madge, looking up at me quickly, as we 
 walked, for we had been pacing up and 
 down the platform during our chat. 
 
 " I have n't been till lately." 
 
 " And what made you change ? " she 
 questioned. 
 
 " Well," I said, fishing round for some 
 reason other than the true one, " perhaps 1 
 want to take a rest." 
 
 " You are the worst man for fibs I ever 
 knew," she laughed. 
 
 I felt myself getting red, while I ex 
 claimed, " Why, Miss Cullen, I never set up 
 for a George Washington, but I don't think 
 I 'm a bit worse liar than nine men in " 
 
 112 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 u Oh," she cried, interrupting me, u 1 
 did n't mean that way. I meant that when 
 you try to fib you always do it so badly that 
 one sees right through you. Now, acknowl- 
 edge that you would n't stop work if you 
 could ? " 
 
 " Well, no, I would n't," I owned up. 
 The truth is, Miss Cullen, that I 'd like 
 to be rich, because well, hang it, I don't 
 care if I do say it because I 'm in love." 
 
 Madge laughed at my confusion, and 
 asked, " With money ? " 
 
 "No," 1 said. "With just the nicest, 
 sweetest, prettiest girl in the world." 
 
 Madge took a look at me out of the corner 
 of her eye, and remarked, " It must be break- 
 fast time." 
 
 Considering that it was about six-thirty, I 
 wanted to ask who was telling a taradiddle 
 now ; but I resisted the temptation, and 
 replied, 
 
 " No. And I promise not to bother you 
 about my private affairs any more." 
 
 Madge laughed again merrily, saying, 
 8 113 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 14 You are the most obvious man I ever met, 
 Now why did you say that ? " 
 
 " I thought you were making breakfast an 
 excuse," I said, " because you did n't like the 
 subject." 
 
 " Yes, I was," said Madge, frankly. Tell 
 me about the girl you are engaged to." 
 
 I was so taken aback that I stopped in my 
 walk, and merely looked at her. 
 
 " For instance," she asked coolly, when 
 she saw that I was speechless, " what does 
 she look like ? " 
 
 " Like, like "I stammered, still em- 
 barrassed by this bold carrying of the war into 
 my own camp, a like an angel." 
 
 u Oh," said Madge, eagerly, u I 've always 
 wanted to know what angels were like. 
 Describe her to me." 
 
 " Well," I said, getting my second wind, 
 so to speak, " she has the bluest eyes I 've 
 ever seen. Why, Miss Cullen, you said 
 you 'd never seen anything so blue as the 
 sky yesterday ; but even the atmosphere of 
 1 rainless Arizona ' has to take a back seat 
 114 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 when her eyes are round. And they are juat 
 like the atmosphere out here. You can look 
 into them for a hundred miles, but you can't 
 get to the bottom." 
 
 u The Arizona sky is wonderful/* said 
 Madge. " How do the scientists account 
 for it?" 
 
 I wasn'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, 
 
 u And I really think her hair is just af 
 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. 
 "S 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 " Now look here, Miss Cullen," I cried t 
 indignantly, cc I 'm not going to let even you 
 make fun of her." 
 
 "I can't help it," she laughed, "when yru 
 look so serious and intense." 
 
 "It's something I feel intense about, Misa 
 Cullen," I said, not a little pained, I confess, 
 at the way she was joking. I don't mind a 
 bit being laughed at, but Miss Cullen knew, 
 about as well as I, whom I was talking 
 about, and it seemed to me she was laughing 
 at my love for her. Under this impression 
 I went on, " I suppose it is funny to you 
 probably so many men have been in love 
 with you that a man 's love for a woman has 
 come to mean very little in your eyes. But 
 out here we don't make a joke of love, and 
 when we care for a woman we care well, 
 k 's not to be put in words, Miss Cullen." 
 
 " I really did n't mean to hurt your feel- 
 ings, Mr. Gordon," said Madge, gently, and 
 quite serious now. " I ought not to have 
 tried to tease you." 
 
 " There!" I said, my irritation entirely 
 116 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 gone. " I had no right to lose my temper, 
 and I 'm sorry I spoke so unkindly. The 
 truth is, Miss Cullen, the girl I care for is in 
 love with another man, and so I \n bitter 
 and ill-natured in these days." 
 
 My companion stopped walking at the 
 Steps of 218, and asked, cc Has she told you 
 <o ? " 
 
 " No," I answered. " But it 's as plain 
 as she's pretty." 
 
 Madge ran up the steps and opened the 
 door of the car. As she turned to close it r 
 she looked down at me with the oddest of 
 expressions, and said, 
 
 a How dreadfully ugly she must be ! >f> 
 
 9T 
 
THE GREAT 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 WAITING FOR HELP 
 
 IF ever a fellow was bewildered by a single 
 speech, it was Richard Gordon. I walked 
 up and down that platform till I was called 
 to breakfast, trying to decide what Miss 
 Cullen had meant to express, only to suc- 
 ceed in reading fifty different meanings into 
 her parting six words. I wanted to think 
 that it was her way of suggesting that I 
 deceived myself in thinking that there was 
 anything between Lord Ralles and herself; 
 but, though I wished to believe this, I had 
 seen too much to the contrary to take stock 
 in the idea. Yet I could n't believe that 
 Madge was a coquette ; I became angry and 
 hot with myselt for even thinking it for a 
 moment. 
 
 Puzzle as I did over the words, I managed 
 to eat a good breakfast, and then went into 
 1*8 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 the Cullens* car and electrified the party bjr 
 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* 
 119 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 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 tnat other people 
 can give surprise parties as well as himself/* 
 I said cheerfully. 
 
 " You '11 telegraph at once ? " asked Mr. 
 Cullen. 
 
 " Instantly," I said, rising, and added, 
 u 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." 
 
 44 You need n't trouble yourself," I re- 
 120 
 
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 '11 bankrupt yourself," laughed 
 Madge. " You must let us pay." 
 
 " I '11 let you pay, Miss Cullen, if you 
 want," I offered. u How much is it, Wei- 
 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. 
 
 121 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 u That 's the size of it," said the operator. 
 
 cc 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." 
 
 u 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. 
 
 4t 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. 
 
 <c 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, 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 *nd finally said, cc I T aralk up and down thfc 
 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 'i 
 have believed anything sooner than that sh* 
 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 diA 
 that. As for Madge, I could n't make her 
 out, 1 had always thought I understood 
 123 
 
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 2 1 8. 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 wiL 
 
 124 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 itart within an hour, arriving at five o'clock 
 C. D. OLMSTEAD, Adjutant." 
 
 "That won't do, Gordon," cried Mr. 
 CuIIen. " The mandamus will be here be- 
 fore that/' 
 
 44 Oh, don't say there is something more 
 wrong ! " sighed Madge. 
 
 44 Won't it be safer to run while there if 
 till time ? " suggested Albert, anxiously. 
 
 44 1 was born lazy about running away," I 
 aid. 
 
 44 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* 
 
 44 1 '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, 
 44 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 
 
 tt Direct conductor of Phoenix No. 3 on 
 fits arrival at Rock Butte to hold it there 
 till further orders. RICHARD GORDON, 
 Superintendent.** 
 
 u That will save my running and their 
 chasing," I laughed ; " though I 'm afraid 
 a long vait 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 manoeuvres and struggles between 
 Lord Ralles and myself as to which should 
 monopolize Madge, without either of us 
 succeeding. 1 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 til! 
 far out on the hill to the south I saw a cloud 
 of dust and quietly called Miss Cullen's at- 
 trf 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 tention to it. She and I went to 97 for my 
 field-glasses, and the moment Madge looked 
 through them she cried, 
 
 " Yes, I can see horses, and, oh, there arc 
 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 '11 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." 
 
 u You seem to think of everything," ex- 
 claimed Miss Cullen, as if my knowing that 
 distances are deceptive in Arizona was won- 
 Jerful. 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 the 
 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 mjr 
 watch, wondering what could keep the cav- 
 alry from arriving. 
 
 u 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 1 
 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, 
 
 u The deuce ! " I could n't help exclaim- 
 128 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 ing, in my surprise. u Are you sure you 
 saw a flag, Miss Cullen ? " 
 
 why I thought " she faltered. 
 <c I saw something red, and I supposed of 
 course " 
 
 Not waiting to let her finish, I exclaimed, 
 * c There 's been a fluke somewhere, I 'm 
 afraid; but we are still in good shape, for 
 the train can't possibly be here under an 
 hour. I '11 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 ! 
 
THE GREAT 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE LETTERS CHANGE HANDS AGAI* 
 
 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. 
 
 130 
 
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, ct 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 1 
 knew what that meant. I could n't help 
 laughing and retorting, 
 
 '3* 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 a lt very appropriately means c contempt 
 of the court/ your honor.'* 
 
 " I '11 give you a stiff term, young man/' 
 be 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, 
 
 4C 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 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 The judge was equally obliging, and began 
 to fill one out on the instant. 
 
 This made me feel pretty serious, for the 
 letters were in my breast-pocket, and I swore 
 at my own stupidity in not having put them 
 in the station safe when I had first arrived at 
 Ash Forks. There were n't many moments 
 in which to think while the judge scribbled 
 away at the warrant, but in what time there 
 was I did a lot of head-work, without, how- 
 ever, finding more than one way out of the 
 snarl. And when I saw the judge finish off 
 his signature with a flourish, I played a pretty 
 desperate card. 
 
 u You 're just too late, gentlemen," I said, 
 pointing out the side window of the saloon. 
 cc There come the cavalry." 
 
 The three conspirators jumped to their feet 
 and bolted for the window ; even the sheriff 
 turned to look. As he did so I gave him a 
 shove towards the three which sent them all 
 sprawling on the floor in a pretty badly 
 mixed-up condition. I made a dash for the 
 door, and as I went through it I grabbed th 
 133 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 key and locked them in. When I turned to 
 do so I saw the lot struggling up from the 
 floor, and, knowing that it would n't take 
 them many seconds to find their way out 
 through the window, I didn't waste L .uch 
 time in watching them. 
 
 Camp, Baldwin, and the judge had left 
 their horses just outside the saloon, and there 
 they were still patiently standing, with their 
 bridles thrown over their heads, as only 
 Western horses will stand. It did n't take 
 me long to have those bridles back in place, 
 and as I tossed each over the peak of the 
 Mexican saddle I gave two of the ponies 
 slaps which started them off at a lope across 
 the railroad tracks. I swung myself into the 
 saddle of the third, and flicked him with the 
 loose ends of the bridle in a way which made 
 him understand that I meant business. 
 
 Baldwin's cowboys had most of them scat- 
 tered to the various saloons of the place, but 
 two of them were standing in the door-way 
 of a store. I acted so quickly, however, that 
 they did n't seem to take in what I was 
 134 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 about till I was well mounted. Then I 
 heard a yell, and fearing that they might 
 shoot, for the cowboy does love to use his 
 gun, I turned sharp at the saloon corner 
 and rode up the side street, just in time to 
 see Camp climbing through the window, with 
 Baldwin's head in view behind him. 
 
 Before I had ridden a hundred feet I 
 realized that I had a done-up horse under 
 me, and, considering that he ha covered 
 over forty miles that afternoon in pretty 
 quick time, it was not surprising that there 
 was n't very much go left in him. I knew 
 that Baldwin's cowboys could get new 
 mounts in plenty without wasting many 
 minutes, and that then they would overhaul 
 me in very short order. Clearly there was no 
 use in my attempting to escape by running. 
 And, as I was n't armed, my only hope was 
 to beat them by some finesse. 
 
 Ash Forks, like all Western railroad towns, 
 is one long line of buildings running parallel 
 with the railway tracks. Two hundred feet, 
 therefore, brought me to the edge of the 
 
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 rag 
 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 flap 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 ot 
 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. 
 
 138 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-r.OBBERY 
 
 Afraid to shout anything which should con- 
 vey the slightest clue as to the whereabouts 
 of the letters, as the next bes* 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 1 
 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, u 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. 
 
 1.39 
 
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. 
 
 cc That 's what we want, boys," cried 
 Camp. "Those letters." 
 
 " Take your hands off me," said Lord 
 Ralles, coolly, " and I '11 give them to you." 
 
 The men who had hold of his arms 
 
 let go of him, and quick as a flash Ralles 
 
 tore the papers in two. He tried to tear 
 
 them once more, but, before he could do 
 
 140 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 so, half a dozen men were holding him, 
 and the papers were forced out of his 
 hands. 
 
 Albert Cullen for all of them were on 
 the platform of 218 by this time shouted, 
 " Well done, Ralles ! " quite forgetting in 
 the excitement of the moment his English 
 accent and drawl. 
 
 Apparently Camp did n't agree with him, 
 for he ripped out a string of oaths which he 
 impartially divided among Ralles, the cow- 
 boys, and myself. I was decidedly sorry 
 that I had n't given the real letters, for his 
 lordship clearly had no scruple about destroy- 
 ing them, and I knew few men whom I would 
 have seen behind prison-bars with as little 
 personal regret. However, no one had, so 
 far as I could see, paid the slightest atten- 
 tion to the pony, and the probabilities were 
 that he was already headed for Baldwin's 
 ranch, with no likelihood of his stopping 
 till he reached home. At least that was 
 what I hoped ; but there were a lot of 
 ponies standing about, and, not knowing the 
 141 
 
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 '11 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 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 darkies, on the possibility that the true letter* 
 had been passed on to them. 
 
 While they were engaged in this, I was 
 trying to think out some way of letting Mr* 
 Cullen and Albert know where the letters 
 were. The problem was to suggest the 
 saddle to them, without letting the cowboys 
 understand, and by good luck I thought I 
 had the means. Albert had complained to 
 me the day we had ridden out to the Indian 
 dwellings at Flagstaff that his saddle fretted 
 some galled spots which he had chafed on 
 his trip to Moran's Point. Hoping he would 
 " catch on," I shouted to him, 
 
 " How are your sore spots, Albeit ? " 
 
 He looked at me in a puzzled way, 
 and called, " Aw, I don't understand 
 you." 
 
 " Those sore spots you complained about to 
 me the day before yesterday," I explained. 
 
 He did n't seem any the less befogged as 
 he replied, u I had forgotten all about 
 them." 
 
 " I *ve got a touch of the same trouble/* 
 -44 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 I went on ; " and, if I were you, I 'd look 
 into the cause." 
 
 Albert only looked very much mystified, 
 and I did n't dare say more, for at this point 
 the trio, with the sheriff, came out of my 
 car. If I had n't known that the letters 
 were safe, I could have read the story in 
 their faces, for more disgusted and angry- 
 looking men I have rarely seen. 
 
 They had a talk with the sheriff, and 
 then Fred, Lord Ralles, and I were marched 
 off by the official, his lordship loudly demand- 
 ing sight of a warrant, and protesting against 
 the illegality of his arrest, varied at moments 
 by threats to appeal to the British consul, 
 minister plenipo., her Majesty's Foreign 
 Office, etc., all of which had about as much 
 influence on the sheriff and his cowboy 
 assistants as a Moqui Indian snake-dance 
 would have in stopping a runaway engine. 
 I confess to feeling a certain grim satisfaction 
 in the fact that if I was to be shut off from 
 seeing Madge, the Britisher was in the same 
 box with me. 
 
 10 145 
 
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. 
 
 u I '11 git yer something" 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 mvself 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 1 
 thought I 'd see how Lord Ralles would 
 like genuine Western fare, so I said noth- 
 ing. That, I have to state, is more 01 
 rather less than the Britisher did, aftei 
 he had sampled the stuff; and really I don't 
 blame him, much as I enjoyed his rage and 
 disgust. 
 
 It did n 1 : 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. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 About an hour after supper, the sheriff 
 came back and told me Camp and Baldwin 
 wanted to see me. I saw no reason to ob- 
 ject, so in they came, accompanied by the 
 judge. Baldwin opened the ball by saying 
 genially, - 
 
 " Well, Mr. Gordon, you Ve played a 
 pretty cute gamble, and I suppose you think 
 you stand to win the pot." 
 
 ct I 'm not complaining," I said. 
 
 cc Still," snarled Camp, angrily, as if my 
 contented manner fretted him, a our time 
 will come presently, and we can make it 
 pretty uncomfortable for you. Illegal pro- 
 ceedings put a man in jail in the long 
 run." 
 
 " I hope you take your lesson to heart," 
 I remarked cheerfully, which made Camp 
 scowl worse than ever. 
 
 " Now," said Baldwin, who kept cool, 
 a we know you are not risking loss of 
 position and the State's prison for nothing, 
 and we want to know what there is in it for 
 you ? " 
 
 148 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 44 1 would n't stake my chance of State's 
 prison against yours, gentlemen. And, while 
 I may lose my position, I '11 be a long way 
 from starvation." 
 
 u That does n't tell us what Cullen gives 
 you to take the risk." 
 
 tt Mr. Cullen has n't given, or even hinted 
 that he '11 give, anything." 
 
 " And Mr. Gordon has n't asked, and, if 
 I know him, would n't take a cent for what 
 be has done," said Fred, rising from the 
 floor. 
 
 u You mean to say you are doing it for 
 nothing ? " exclaimed Camp, incredulously. 
 
 " That 's about the truth of it," I said j 
 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, cc The right ; " but I knew that they 
 
 would only think I was posing if I said it. 
 
 Instead 1 replied : u Mr. Cullen's party has 
 
 149 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 the stock majority in their favor, and would 
 have won a fair fight if you had played fair. 
 Since you did n't, I 'm doing my best to put 
 things to rights." 
 
 Camp cried, " All the more fool " but 
 Baldwin interrupted him by saying, 
 
 a That only shows what a mean cuss 
 Cullen is. He ought to give you ten thou- 
 sand, if he gives you a cent." 
 
 "Yes," cried Camp, "those letters are 
 worth money, whether he 's offered it or 
 not." 
 
 " Mr. Cullen never so much as hinted 
 paying me," said I. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Gordon," said Baldwin, 
 suavely, " we '11 show you that we can be 
 more liberal. Though the letters rightfully 
 belong to Mr. Camp, if you '11 deliver them 
 to us we '11 see that you don't lose your 
 place, and we'll give you five thousand 
 dollars." 
 
 I glanced at Fred, whom I found looking 
 at me anxiously, and asked him, 
 
 " Can't you do better than that ? " 
 i$o 
 
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 '11 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, u 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, 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 w 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." 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERy 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 A LESSON IN POLITENESS 
 
 WITHIN five minutes we had a big surprise, 
 for the sheriff and Mr. Baldwin came back, 
 and the former announced that Fred and 
 Lord Ralles were free, having been released 
 on bail. When we found that Baldwin had 
 gone on the bond, I knew that there was a 
 scheme of some sort in the move, and, taking 
 Fred aside, I warned him against trying to 
 recover the proxies. 
 
 11 They probably think that one or the 
 other of you knows where the letters are 
 hidden," I whispered, " and they '11 keep a 
 watch on you ; so go slow." 
 
 He nodded, and followed the sheriff and 
 Lord Ralles out. 
 
 The moment they were gone, Mr. Camp 
 said, cc I came back to give you a last 
 chance." 
 
 153 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 ** That 's very good of you," 1 said. 
 
 " I warn you," he muttered threateningly, 
 <c 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 '11 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 '11 have to be as tricky 
 with them as you want to be with me before 
 you '11 get them to back you up in your 
 dirty work." 
 
 At this point the sheriff called back to 
 ask Camp if he was coming. 
 
 a 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 
 154 
 
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, 
 
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 '11 lend me your gun," I said, 
 u I '11 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 
 
 156 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 yer, I '11 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 
 rtf the lamp in the station, and the glow of 
 '57 
 
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 
 <c 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 
 {he 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 
 158 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 the station safe," I ended, " and then get 
 word to me." 
 
 " And where '11 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 '11 steal on board 
 the first train that comes along." 
 
 u Then you '11 want to be near here," said 
 the man. " I '11 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 *li 
 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, c That way freight is late.' 
 And if you get a chance, tell one of the 
 Cuilens where I 'm hidden." 
 
 I crossed the platform boldly, jumped 
 '59 
 
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 
 160 
 
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 flit 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 othe r s knocked at 
 the station door. 
 
 One of the Cullers 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." 
 
 u 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. u 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, 
 u 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 
 u 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 uj* ten 
 162 
 
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 '11 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. 
 
 a If you won't do your duty, I '11 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, u who 
 are yer sayin' all this to anyway ? If yei 
 talkin' to me, say so right off." 
 
 " All I mean," hastily said Camp, cl 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 biggei 
 
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 ! " 
 
 to* 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 * LISTENERS NEVER HEAR ANYTHING GOOD** 
 
 BEFORE I had ceased chuckling over the 
 sheriffs 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, 
 
 4C 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 ? " 
 
 u Do I chaw terbaccy ? " asked Mosely f 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 ironically, clearly insulted at the suggestion 
 that he would travel without a gun. 
 
 " Then keep a sharp lookout, and listen to 
 everything you hear, especially the where- 
 abouts of some letters. If you can spot their 
 lay, crawl out and get word to me at once. 
 Now, under you go before they come out." 
 
 I heard two men drop into the gravel 
 close alongside of where I lay, and then 
 crawl under the truck of 2 1 8 . They were n't 
 a moment too soon, for the next instant I 
 heard two or three people jump on to the 
 platform, and Albert Cullen's voice drawl, 
 u Aw, by Jove, what 's the row ? " Camp 
 not enlightening them, Lord Ralles suggested 
 that they get on the car to find out, and the 
 three did so. A moment later the sheriff 
 came to the door and told Camp that I was 
 not to be found. 
 
 u I told yer this was the last place to look 
 for the cuss, Mr. Camp," he said. cc We 've 
 just discomforted the lady for nothin'." 
 
 u Then we must search elsewhere," spoke 
 up Camp. " Come on, boys." 
 166 
 
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, u And, Mr. 
 Gunton, I want to thank you for reproving 
 Mr. Camp's dreadful swearing." 
 
 " Thank yer, miss," said the sheriff. 
 4C 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 
 evidently followed them to the door, for she 
 called, " Please let me know the moment 
 something happens or you learn anything." 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 c< Better go to bed, Madgy," Albert called. 
 * You '11 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 hadn't under- 
 stood me." 
 
 " I thought you told me to see first if 
 I were needed," responded a voice that 
 even t^e distance and the planks did not 
 168 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 prevent me from recognizing as that of Lord 
 Ralles. 
 
 " Yes," said she. u 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." 
 
 u 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 '11 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 heat 
 every word thus far spoken, and was dread- 
 169 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 ing what might follow, 'since I was perfectly 
 helpless to warn them. The platform was 
 built around the station, and in a moment 
 they were out of hearing. 
 
 Before many seconds were over, however, 
 they had walked round the building, and I 
 heard Lord Ralles say, 
 
 a You really don't mean that he 's insulted 
 you ? " 
 
 "That is just what I do mean," cried 
 Madge, indignantly. " It 's been almost past 
 endurance. I have n't dared to tell any one, 
 but he had the cruelty, the meanness, on 
 Hance's trail to threaten that " 
 
 At that point the walkers turned the corner 
 again, and I could not hear the rest of the 
 sentence. But I had heard more than enough 
 ta make me grow hot with mortification^ 
 even while I could hardly believe I had un- 
 derstood aright. Madge had been so kind to 
 me lately that I could n't think she had been 
 feeling as bitterly as she spoke. That such 
 an apparently frank girl was a consummate 
 actress was n't to be thought, and yet J 
 170 
 
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 ? " 
 
 (C Because I knew they would resent his 
 conduct to me, and " 
 
 u Of course they would," cried her com- 
 panion, interrupting. " But why should you 
 object to that ? " 
 
 " Because of the letters," explained Madge, 
 <c 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, 
 
 u 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. 
 <c 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 
 172 
 
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 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 move ; after having heard what I had, a little 
 more or less was quite immaterial. But I 
 entirely forgot my danger, in the sting of 
 what Madge had said, and my one thought 
 was to stand face to face with her long 
 enough to I'm sure I don't know what I 
 intended to say. 
 
 Just as I reached the plank, however, I 
 heard Lord Ralles ask, 
 
 Who 's that ? " 
 
 " It 's me," said a voice, <c the station 
 agent." Then I heard a door close. Some 
 one walked out to the centre of the platform 
 and remarked, 
 
 " That 'ere way freight is late." 
 
 At least the letters were recovered. 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE SURRENDER OF THE LETTERS 
 
 IF the letters were safe, that was a good deai 
 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, at 
 the lights keep moving in the town, they 
 must still be hunting for him." 
 
 U I reckon they'll do considerable more 
 Jiuntin' 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 
 
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, 
 176 
 
K. & A. TRAIN -RUBBERY 
 
 " Lie still, yer sneakin coyote of a road 
 agent," said the man, " or I '11 blow yer so 
 full of lead that yer couldn't float in Salt 
 Lake." 
 
 I preferred to *ake 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 
 12 177 
 
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. 1 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. 
 
 u 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- 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 feet 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 '11 surrender the letters." 
 
 " Hold on, boys," shouted Baldwin ; 
 u 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 '11 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 
 180 
 
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. 
 
 u 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 '11 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 theii 
 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 tnis, 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 
 
 merit 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 u 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." 
 
 cc 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 Canon, where we had to 
 camp for the night." 
 
 I explained the situation as quickly as I 
 182 
 
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. u 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, u Give me those 
 letters." 
 
 " I hold those letters by virtue of an 
 order " Camp began. 
 
 " Give me those letters," the captain 
 interrupted. 
 
 u Do you intend a high-handed interfer- 
 ence with the civil authorities ? " Judge Wil- 
 son demanded. 
 
 cc Come, come," said the captain, sternly. 
 cc 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 
 
 Evidently something in the voice or order 
 convinced Mr. Camp, for the letters were 
 hastily produced and given to Singer, who at 
 once handed them to me. I turned with 
 them to the Cullens, and, laughing, quoted, 
 c All 's well that ends well.' " 
 
 But they did n't seem to care a bit about 
 the recovery of the letters, and only wanted 
 to have a hand-shake all round over my 
 escape. Even Lord Ralles said, " Glad we 
 could be of a little service," and did n't 
 refuse my thanks, though the deuce knows 
 they were badly enough expressed, in my 
 consciousness that I had done an ungentle- 
 manly trick over those trousers of his, and 
 that he had been above remembering it when 
 I was in real danger. I 'in ashamed enough 
 to confess that when Miss Cullen held out 
 her hand I made believe not to see it. I 'm 
 a bad hand at pretending, and I saw Madge 
 color up at my act. 
 
 The captain finally called me off to con- 
 sult about our proceedings. I felt no very 
 strong love for Camp, Baldwin, or Wilson, 
 184 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 but I did n't see that a military arrest would 
 accomplish anything, and after a little dis- 
 cussion it was decided to let them alone, as 
 we could well afford to do, having won. 
 
 This matter decided, I said to the captain, 
 " I '11 be obliged if you '11 put a guard round 
 my car. And then, if you and your officers 
 will come inside it, I have a something 
 in a bottle, recommended for removing alkali 
 dust from the tonsils." 
 
 " Very happy to test your prescription," 
 responded Singer, genially. 
 
 I started to go with him, but I could n't 
 resist turning to Mr. Camp and his friends 
 and saying, 
 
 " Gentlemen, the G. S. is a big affair, but 
 it is n't quite big enough to fight the U. S." 
 
 185 
 
THE GREAT 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 A GLOOMY GOOD-BY 
 
 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 cf a place?" asked Mr 
 Cullen, laughing. 
 
 " A good one." his daughter replied 
 186 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 I thought I understood what was meant. 
 She did n't want to rest under an obligation, 
 and so I was to be paid up for what I had 
 done by promotion. It made me grit my 
 teeth, and if I had n't taught myself not to 
 swear, because of my position, I could have 
 given sheriff Gunton points on cursing. I 
 wanted to speak up right there and tell Miss 
 Cullen what I thought of her. 
 
 Of the interview which took place inside 
 2 1 8, I can speak only at second-hand, and 
 the world knows about as well as I how the 
 contest was compromised by the K. & A. being 
 turned over to the Missouri Western, the 
 territory in Southern California being divided 
 between the California Central and the Great 
 Southern, and a traffic arrangement agreed 
 upon that satisfied the G. S. That after- 
 noon a Missouri Western board for the 
 K. & A. was elected without opposition, and 
 they in turn elected Mr. Cullen president of 
 the K. & A. ; so when my report of the 
 holding-up went in, he had the pleasure of 
 reading it* I closed it with a request for 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 instructions, but I never received any, and 
 that ended the matter. I turned over the 
 letters to the special agent at Flagstaff, and 
 I suppose his report is slumbering in some 
 pigeon-hole in Washington, for I should 
 have known of any attempt to bring the 
 culprits to punishment. Mr. Cullen had 
 taken a big risk, but came out of it with a 
 great lot of money, for the Missouri West- 
 ern bought all his holdings in the K. & A. 
 and C. C. But the scare must have taught 
 him a lesson, for ever since then he 's been 
 conservative, and talks about the foolishness 
 of investors who try to get more than five 
 per cent, or who think of anything but good 
 railroad bonds. 
 
 As for myself, a month after these occur- 
 rences I was appointed superintendent of the 
 Missouri Western, which by this deal had 
 become one of the largest railroad systems 
 in the world. It was a big step up for so 
 young a man, and was of course pure favor- 
 itism, due to Mr. Cullen's influence. I 
 did n't stay in the position long, for within 
 
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 feBow 
 disappointed in love comes to enlist. 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 When I turned about to go into my car, I 
 found Madge standing on the platform of 
 218 waving a handkerchief. I paid no atten- 
 tion to her, and started up my steps. 
 
 "Mr. Gordon," she said, and when I 
 looked at her I saw that she was flushing, 
 "what is the matter?" 
 
 I suppose most fellows would have found 
 some excuse, but for the life of me I could n't. 
 All I was able to say was, 
 
 "I would rather not say, Miss Cullen." 
 " How unfair you are ! " she cried. " You 
 - <without the slightest reason you suddenly 
 go out of your way to ill-treat insult me, 
 and yet will not tell me the cause. " 
 
 That made me angry. " Cause ? " I cried. 
 "As if you did n't know of a cause! What 
 you don't know is that I overheard your con- 
 versation with Lord Ralles night before last. " 
 " My conversation with Lord Ralles ? " 
 exclaimed Madge, in a bewildered way. 
 
 "Yes," I said bitterly, "keep up the 
 acting. The practice is good, even if it 
 deceives no one." 
 
 190 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 "I don't understand a word you are 
 saying," she retorted, getting angry in turn. 
 " You speak as if I had done wrong, as 
 if I don't know what; and I have a right 
 to know to what you allude." 
 
 "I don't see how I can be any clearer," 
 I muttered. " I was under the station plat- 
 form, hiding from the cowboys, while you 
 and Lord Ralles were walking. I did n't 
 want to be a listener, but I heard a good 
 deal of what you said." 
 
 u But I did n't walk with Lord Ralles," 
 she cried. "The only person I walked 
 with was Captain Ackland. " 
 
 That took me very much aback, for I had 
 never questioned in my mind that it was n't 
 Lord Ralles. Yet the moment she spoke, 
 I realized how much alike the two brothers' 
 voices were, and how easily the blurring of 
 distance and planlrng might have misled me. 
 For a moment * was speechless. Then I 
 replied coldly, 
 
 " It makes no difference with whom you 
 were. What you said was the essential 
 part/' so* 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 * c But how could you for an instant 
 suppose that I could say what I did to 
 Lord Ralles ? " she demanded. 
 
 " I naturally thought he would be the one 
 to whom you would appeal concerning my 
 4 insulting ' conduct." 
 
 Madge looked at me for a moment as if 
 transfixed. Then she laughed, and cried, 
 
 " Oh, you idiot ! " 
 
 While I still looked at her in equal amaze- 
 ment, she went on, " I beg your pardon, but 
 you are so ridiculous that I had to say it. 
 Why, I was n't talking about you, but abou* 
 Lord Ralles." 
 
 "Lord Ralles !" I cried. 
 
 Yes." 
 
 " I don't understand," I exclaimed. 
 
 " Why, Lord Ralles has been has been 
 
 oh, he 's threatened that if I would n't 
 
 that " 
 
 " You mean he ? " I began, and then 
 stopped, for I could n't believe my ears. 
 
 " Oh," she burst out, " of course you 
 could n't understand, and you probably de* 
 192 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 spise me already, but if you knew how I 
 scorn myself, Mr. Gordon, and what I have 
 endured from that man, you would only 
 pity me." 
 
 Light broke on me suddenly. " Do you 
 mean, Miss Cullen," I cried hotly, "that 
 he J s been cad enough to force his attentions 
 upcn you by threats ?" 
 
 u Yes. First he made me endure him 
 because he was going to help us, and from 
 the moment the robbery was done, he has 
 been threatening to tell. Oh, how I have 
 suffered ! " 
 
 Then I said a very silly thing. " Miss 
 Cullen," I groaned, u I J d give anything if I 
 were only your brother." For the moment 
 I really meant it. 
 
 " I have n't dared to tell any of them," 
 she explained, " because I knew they would 
 resent it and make Lord Ralles angry, and 
 then he would tell, and so ruin papa. It 
 seemed such a little thing to bear for his 
 sake, but, oh, it 's been I suppose you 
 aespise me ! " 
 
 193 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 * I never dreamed 6f despising you/* I 
 said. u I only thought, of course- seeing 
 what I did and that you were fond 
 No that is I mean well The 
 beast ! " I could n't help exclaiming, 
 
 u Oh/' said Madge, blushing, and stam- 
 mering breathlessly, " you must n't think 
 there was really you happened to usu- 
 ally I managed to keep with papa or my 
 brothers, or else run away, as I did when he 
 interrupted my letter-writing, when you 
 thought we had but it was nothing of 
 the I kept away just but the night 
 of the robbery I forgot, and on the trail 
 his mule blocked the path. He never 
 there really was n't you saved me the 
 only times he he that he was really 
 rude; and I am so grateful for it, Mr, 
 Gordon." 
 
 I was n't in a mood to enjoy even Miss 
 Cullen's gratitude. Without stopping for 
 words, I dashed into 218, and, going 
 straight to Albert Cullen, I shook him out 
 of a sound sleep, and before he could well 
 194 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 understand me I was alternately swearing at 
 him and raging at Lord Ralles. Finally he 
 got the truth through his head, and it was 
 nuts to me, even in my rage, to see how 
 his English drawl disappeared, and how 
 quick he could be when he really became 
 excited. 
 
 I left him hurrying into his clothes, and 
 went to my car, for I did n't dare to see 
 the exodus of Lord Ralles, through fear that 
 I could n't behave myself. Albert came into 
 97 in a few moments to say that the English- 
 men were going to the hotel as soon as 
 dressed, the captain having elected to stay 
 by his brother. 
 
 " I would n't have believed it of Ralles. 
 I feel jolly cut up, you know," he drawled. 
 
 I had been so enraged over Lord Ralles 
 that I had n't stopped to reckon in what 
 position I stood myself towards Miss Cullen, 
 but I did n't have to do much thinking to 
 know that I had behaved about as badly as 
 was possible for me. And the worst of it was 
 that she could not know that right through 
 '95 
 
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 Canon. 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 r any- 
 thing, that you'd like, I'll " 
 
 Madge interrupted my speech there by 
 holding out her hand. 
 
 " You don't suppose," she said, cc 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 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 but I kept growing bluer and bluer. I took 
 a farewell dinner on their car the night we 
 were due in Albuquerque, and afterwards 
 Miss Cullen and I went out and sat on the 
 back platform. 
 
 " I 've had enough adventures to talk about 
 for a year/' Madge said, as we chatted the 
 whole thing over, cc and you can no longer 
 brag that the K. & A. has never had a rob- 
 bery, even if you did n't lose anything." 
 
 " I have lost something," I sighed sadly. 
 
 Madge looked at me quickly, started to 
 speak, hesitated, and then said, " Oh ; Mr. 
 Gordon, if you only could know how badly I 
 have felt about that, and how I appreciate 
 the sacrifice." 
 
 I had only meant that I had lost my heart, 
 and, for that matter, probably my head, for 
 it would have been ungenerous even to hint 
 to Miss Cullen that I had made any sacrifice 
 of conscience for her sake, and I would as 
 soon have asked her to pay for it in money 
 as have told her. 
 
 " You must n't think "I began. 
 197 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 ** I have felt," she continued, " that your 
 wish to serve us made you do something you 
 never would have otherwise done, for 
 Well, you any one can see how truthful 
 and honest and it has made me feel so 
 badly that we Oh, Mr. Gordon, no one 
 has a right to do wrong in this world, for it 
 brings such sadness and danger to innocent 
 And you have been so generous " 
 
 I could n't let this go on. " What I did," 
 I told her, " was to fight fire with fire, and 
 no one is responsible for it but myself." 
 
 " I should like to think that, but I can't," 
 she said. " I know we all tried to do some- 
 thing dishonest, and while you did n't do any 
 real wrong, yet I don't think you would have 
 acted as you did except for our sake. And 
 I 'm afraid you may some day regret " 
 
 " I sha'n't," I cried ; cc and, so far from 
 meaning that I had lost my self-respect, J 
 was alluding to quite another thing." 
 
 " Time ? " she asked. 
 
 "No." 
 
 What ? " 
 
K. & A. TRAIN-ROBBERY 
 
 " Something else you have stolen.'* 
 
 cc I have n't," she denied. 
 
 You have," I affirmed. 
 
 " You mean the novel ? " she asked ; a be* 
 cause I sent it in to 97 to-night." 
 
 u I don't mean the novel." 
 
 <c I can't think of anything more but those 
 pieces of petrified wood, and those you gave 
 me," she said demurely. U I am sure that 
 whatever else I have of yours you have given 
 me without even my asking, and if you want 
 it back you 've only got to say so." 
 
 cc I suppose that would be my very best 
 course," I groaned. 
 
 "I hate people who force a present on 
 one," she continued, " and then, just as one 
 begins to like it, want it back." 
 
 Before I could speak, she asked hurriedly, 
 " How often do you come to Chicago ? " 
 
 I took that to be a sort of command that 
 I was to wait, and thoueh longing to have 
 it settled then and there, I braked myself up 
 and answered her question. Now I see 
 what a duffer I was Madge told me after- 
 199 
 
THE GREAT 
 
 wards that she asked only because she wa* 
 so frightened and confused that she felt 
 she must stop my speaking for a moment. 
 
 I did my best till I heard the whistle the 
 locomotive gives as it runs into yard limits, 
 and then rose. " Good-by, Miss Cullen," 
 I said, properly enough, though no death-bed 
 farewell was ever more gloomily spoken ; and 
 she responded, " Good-by, Mr. Gordon," 
 with equal propriety. 
 
 I held her hand, hating to let her go, and 
 the first thing I knew, I blurted out, u I wish 
 I had the brass of Lord Ralles ! " 
 
 u I don't " she laughed, u because, if you 
 had, I should n't be willing to let you " 
 
 And what she was going to say, and why 
 she did n't say it, is the concern of no one 
 but Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gordon. 
 
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