“My ——!” gasps Art. “Slippery Silverton! I think that box had a shipment from the Golden Cross. What a chance I took!” “All the way from Piperock,” says I, but I don’t think Chuck got it—he was beyond words. Me and Muley went up and had a drink, and Muley laughs so hard that he forgot to pay for it. We meets Art a little later on but there ain’t much fun joshing him about it. “It’s on Chuck,” says he. “He explains the joke to me, and as she’s pulled off as per schedule I thinks it’s all right.” “But it spoils things for Telescope,” says I. “You knowing about it spoils the hold-up. It might look like a fake. Sabe?” “That’s right,” agrees Art. “Telescope is a friend of mine and—I got it! I’ll make out that I don’t feel good, and I’ll ask ‘Ricky’ Henderson to drive for me. He wants to come down anyway.” “That’s fine,” says Muley. “Telescope will make it right with you, and we won’t tell him about today.” That night we don’t have neither Telescope or Chuck with us. Telescope is just riding away as we come in, and we don’t have a chance to talk with him, and Chuck don’t come home, ’cause he’s too danged ashamed to face Telescope. The next morning the old man sends me and Muley over to the Triangle to get some cows that Johnny Myers brought out of the Sleeping Crick Hills with some of his, and we misses the picture-taking. We travels as fast as we can, but the stage has gone past when we hits the main road on our way back. There ain’t nobody at the Hell Gate crossing, so we pilgrims on to the ranch. About an hour later Telescope comes in, and a little later Chuck drifts home. “There seems to be a Jonah on this job,” states Telescope. “What yuh limping about, Telescope?” asks Chuck. “Hurt my knee. Reckon it’s a good thing the stage didn’t come down today, ’cause I’d ’a’ been a cripple in that picture. Slipped on a rock.” “Stage didn’t come down?” I asks, and Telescope shakes his head. “Nope. Me and Mister Ames was there for two hours after the time, but she don’t show up.” “Didn’t come down?” wonders Chuck, aloud. “Didn’t go to Paradise?” “She sure didn’t. Hadn’t been there when I left.” Chuck looks foolish-like, and gets busy reading an old magazine. I notices that he’s got it upside down, but his lips are moving, so I reckon it don’t matter. He’s restless, and don’t sleep well that night. The next morning, right after breakfast, up rides Bill McFee, our unworthy sheriff; Ricky Henderson, Art Miller and Al McGuire, who manages the ground work of the Golden Cross. Telescope limps over to greet them, and they seems a heap interested in Telescope’s walk. “What do yuh think, Ricky?” asks McFee. “I’d hate to swear to it, Bill, but he limped.” “I arrests yuh in the name of the law for robbing the Piperock stage yesterday, Telescope,” states Bill. Telescope looks foolish-like at Bill, and then laughs. “Yesterday, Bill? Why, it never——”