Late Saturday afternoon, however, the engineer's boy brought word to Chino that the superintendent wanted him at once. Chino found Lockwood lying upon the old lounge in the middle room of the office, his foot in bandages. "Here's luck, Chino," he exclaimed, as the Mexican paused on the threshold. "Come in and--shut the door," he added in a lower voice. "_Dios!_" murmured Chino. "An accident?" "Rather," growled Lockwood. "That fool boy, Davis's kid--the car-boy, you know--ran me down in the mine. I yelled at him. Somehow he couldn't stop. Two wheels went over my foot--and the car loaded, too." Chino shuddered politely. "Now here's the point," continued Lockwood. "Um--there's nobody round outside there? Take a look, Chino, by the window there. All clear, eh? Well, here's the point. That brick ought to go in to-night just the same, hey?" "Oh--of a surety, of a surety." Chino spoke in Spanish. "Now I don't want to let any one else take my place--you never can tell--the beggars will talk. Not all like you, Chino." "_Gracias, signor_. It is an honour." "Do you think you can manage alone? I guess you can, hey? No reason why you couldn't." Chino shut his eyes tight and put up a palm. "Rest assured of that, Signor Lockwude. Rest assured of that." "Well, get around here about nine." "It is understood, signor." Lockwood, who had a passable knowledge of telegraphy, had wired to the Hill for the doctor. About suppertime one appeared, and Lockwood bore the pain of the setting with such fortitude as he could command. He had his supper served in the office. The doctor shared it with him and kept him company. During the early hours of the evening Lockwood lay on the sofa trying to forget the pain. There was no easier way of doing this than by thinking of Felice. Inevitably his thoughts reverted to her. Now that he was helpless, he could secure no diversion by plunging into the tunnel, giving up his mind to his work. He could not now take down his gun and tramp the ditch. Now he was supine, and the longing to break through the mesh, wrestle free from the complication, gripped him and racked him with all its old-time force. Promptly at nine o'clock the faithful Chino presented himself at the office. He had one of the two horses that were used by Lockwood as saddle animals, and as he entered he opened his coat and tapped the hilt of a pistol showing from his trousers pocket, with a wink and a grin. Lockwood took the brick from the safe, strapped it into the mail-bag, and Chino, swinging it across his shoulders, was gone, leaving Lockwood to hop back to the sofa, there to throw himself down and face once more his trouble. IV. A DESPATCH FROM THE EXPRESS MESSENGER