At six-ten the runner whistled to show he had steam up. I told
one of the brakemen to stay behind, and then went into 218. Mr.
Cullen was still dressing, but I expressed my regrets through the
door that I could not go with his party to the Grand Cañon, told
him that all the stage arrangements had been completed, and
promised to join him there in case my luck was good. Then I saw
Frederic for a moment, to see how he was (for I had nearly
forgotten him in the excitement), to find that he was gaining all
the time, and preparing even to get up. When I returned to the
saloon, the rest of the party were there, and I bade good-by to
the captain and Albert. Then I turned to Lord Ralles, and,
holding out my hand, said,--
"Lord Ralles, I joked a little the other morning about the way
you thought road agents ought to be treated. You have turned the
joke very neatly and pluckily, and I want to apologize for myself
and thank you for the railroad."
"Neither is necessary," he retorted airily, pretending not to see
my hand.
I never claimed to have a good temper, and it was all I could do
to hold myself in. I turned to Miss Cullen to wish her a pleasant
trip, and the thought that this might be our last meeting made me
forget even Lord Ralles.
"I hope it isn't good-by, but only _au revoir_," she said.
"Whether or no, you must let us see you some time in Chicago, so
that I may show you how grateful I am for all the pleasure you
have added to our trip." Then, as I stepped down off my platform,
she leaned over the rail of 218, and added, in a low voice, "I
thought you were just as brave as the rest, Mr. Gordon, and now I
think you are braver."
I turned impulsively, and said, "You would think so, Miss Cullen,
if you knew the sacrifice I am making." Then, without looking at
her, I gave the signal, the bell rang, and No. 3 pulled off. The
last thing I saw was a handkerchief waving off the platform of
218.
When the train dropped out of sight over a grade, I swallowed the
lump in my throat and went to the telegraph instrument. I wired
Coolidge to give the alarm to Fort Wingate, Fort Apache, Fort
Thomas, Fort Grant, Fort Bayard, and Fort Whipple, though I
thought the precaution a mere waste of energy. Then I sent the
brakeman up to connect the cut wire.
"Two of the bullets struck up here, Mr. Gordon," the man called
from the top of the pole.
"Surely not!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, sir," he responded. "The bullet-holes are brand-new."
I took in the lay of the land, the embers of the fire showing me
how the train had lain. "I don't wonder nobody was hit," I
exclaimed, "if that's a sample of their shooting. Some one was a
worse rattled man than I ever expect to be. Dig the bullets out,
Douglas, so that we can have a look at them."
He brought them down in a minute. They proved to be Winchesters,
as I had expected, for they were on the side from which the
robbers must have fired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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