"Territorial Delegate; firm of Parley and Jenks, Tucson. He's in it." "By heavens!" I cried, in unmixed delight. "But I didn't see him when they were shooting at us." The man from Tucson stared at me curiously. "He is counsel for the prisoners," he explained. "The Delegate to Washington defends these thieves who robbed the United States?" I repeated. "Says he'll get them off. He's going to stay home from Washington and put it through in shape." It was here that my powers of astonishment went into their last decline, and I withheld my opinion upon the character of Mr. Jenks as a public man. I settled comfortably in my canvas chair. "The prisoners are citizens of small means, I judge," said I. "What fee can they pay for such a service?" "Ah!" said Stirling, "That's about it, I guess," said the man from Tucson. "Luke is mighty smart in his law business. Well, gents, good-day to you. I must be getting after the rest of my witnesses." "Have you seen Mrs. Sproud?" I asked him. "She's quit the country. We can't trace her. Guess she was scared." "But that gold!" I exclaimed, when Sterling and I were alone. "What in the world have they done with those six other bags?" "Ah!" said he, as before. "Do you want to bet on that point? Dollars to doughnuts Uncle Sam never sees a cent of that money again. I'll stake my next quarter's pay--" "Pooh!" said I. "That's poor odds against doughnuts if Pidcock has the paying of it." And I took my turn at laughing at the humorous Stirling. "That Mrs. Sproud is a sensible woman to have gone," said he, reflectively. "They would know she had betrayed them, and she wouldn't be safe in the valley. Witnesses who know too much sometimes are found dead in this country--but you'll have government protection." "Thank you kindly," said I. "That's what I had on the hill." But Stirling took his turn at me again with freshened mirth. Well, I think that we witnesses were worth government protection. At seasons of especial brightness and holiday, such as Christmas and Easter, the theatres of the variety order have a phrase which they sometimes print in capitals upon their bills--Combination Extraordinary; and when you consider Major Pidcock and his pride, and the old plantation cook, and my reserved Eastern self, and our coal-black escort of the hill, more than a dozen, including Sergeant Brown and the private, both now happily recovered of their wounds, you can see what appearance we made descending together from the mean Southern Pacific train at Tucson, under the gaze of what I take to have been the town's whole population, numbering five thousand.