and, after bolting the rear door, to

tell my darkies to bolt the front door: s

's special. After my previous conclusion, my surprise can be judged when at the farther end I found the two Britishers and Albert Cu

e's Mr. Gordon, just too l

deal, Mr. Superintendent, and haven't been potted. Th

sed 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

him at liberty, I turned my attention to the safe. That the diversion had not come a moment too soon was shown by the dy

the pouches and sorting-compartments, while scattered over the floor were a great many letters. Setting him at liberty, I asked him

unner 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 couldn'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 threa

t it was a party of three women and a man. Going back beyond Lamy didn'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

ime, the road agents being always careful to break the lines. I told a brakeman t

ly expect to

e to be one of t

can you

very bit of water is in use by ranches, and those fellows can't go more than f

came from overhead at

ump with

that?" s

Sanders. Much to my surprise, the agent responded. I was so

hold-up of which I eve

Cul

voice, and, looking up, I found that he and q

, "and yet they haven't cut the wires in either

" cried Mi

either makes in their chance

and Wingate, which were the only places we had stopped at after leaving Coolidge, getting the same answer. That eight men could have remained concealed 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 te

most people, but it has nearly made me frantic to have you tick away o

tell her what I ha

ets and finding out where people got on and off!

ughed, rather grimly, "except to

on at one of the stops,

I replied, "and it was bright moonlight till an hour ago. It would be hard enough for one man to g

the number?" as

umber the crew think there were;

lieve the men?" a

ndency to magnify, and next, because

ast seven," asse

that strong they would never have bolted, and if you want to lay a bottle of wine, I'll wa

" he s

only 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, unop

ws 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 p

take such advantage of me. Take your

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 wai

er. In my surprise at recognizing the voice as that of Lord Ralles, I almost neglected to take care of myself; but, though he w

arrel!" cried

I continued, "I am very sorry, Miss Cullen, if I did anything the circumstances did not warrant," while cursing myself for my precipitancy and for not thinking that Miss Cu

too much in a hurry, my man," he growled, speaking to me as

his manner was enough to make a sai

set down here. But the tone in which she said them, and the extended hand and the grateful little squeeze sh