"One would scarcely fancy you were dying of anything," he said. "In fact, it would be difficult to imagine any of you looking better. I wonder if you know that with the way that the light falls that dusky panelling forms a most effective background, Miss Schuyler?" Flora Schuyler laughed. "We are not to be put off. Tell us what you found--and you needn't have any diffidence: we are quite accustomed to hearing the most astonishing things at Cedar." "The trouble is that I didn't find anything. I spent several most unpleasant hours watching a railroad-trestle in blinding snow, until the cattle-train went by in safety. Nobody seemed to have the slightest wish to meddle with it." Without exactly intending it he allowed his eyes to rest on Hetty a moment, and fancied he saw relief in her face. But it was Flora Schuyler who turned to him. "What did you do then?" "I and the boys then decided it would be advisable to look for a ranch where we could get food and shelter, and had some difficulty in finding one. In the morning, we made our way back to the depot, and discovered that a gentleman you know had hired a locomotive a little while after the cattle-train started." "Larry, of course!" ejaculated Chris Allonby. "I wanted to stake five dollars with Clavering that he would be too smart for him again." Cheyne looked at him inquiringly. "I don't quite understand." "No?" and Allonby's embarrassment was unmistakable. "Well, there is no great reason why you should. I have a habit of talking at random occasionally. There are quite enough sensible people in this country without me just now." "Then," said Cheyne, "I went on to an especially forlorn place called Boynton, and discovered with some difficulty that Mr. Grant, who hired the locomotive, had stopped it at a dangerous curve and picked several men up. He took them on to Boynton, and there they seem to have disappeared, though it was suggested that they had departed for a place unknown, either on the top of, or underneath a fast freight train." Chris Allonby chuckled. "Well," he said, "we haven't the least use for Larry here, but I am almost proud he was a friend of mine." Cheyne glancing round at the others fancied there was a little glow in Hetty's eyes and a trace of warmer colour in Flora Schuyler's face. It was only just perceptible to him, but he had less doubt when he saw that Miss Allonby was watching her companion covertly, for he was quite aware that the perceptions of the average young woman were likely to be much keener than his own in such affairs. "I can't help fancying you have a clue to what really happened, Miss Torrance," he said. "Yes," said Hetty quietly. "It is quite plain to me that Larry saved the train." Cheyne glanced at her sharply, and then turned to Allonby. "It strikes you that way, too?" "Of course," said Allonby unguardedly. "It is too bad of Larry. He has beaten us again, though Clavering fixed the thing quite nicely."