San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-14
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER H.
THE HOLDING UP OF OVERLAND NO. 3.
On the third day dispatch came
from Frederic Cullen telling his father
he would join us at Lamy ON No. that
evening. l at once ordered 81 and 218
on to the connecting train, and i'll an
hour we We're back ON the main line.
While waiting for the overland to ar.
rive, Mr. Cullen asked me to do some
thing which, as it later proved to have
considerable bearing ON the events of
that night, is worth mentioning, trivial
as it seems When l had first joined
the party, had given orders for 81 to
be kicked i'll between the main string
and their special, so as not to deprive
the occupants of 21S of the view from
their observation saloon and balcony
platform. Mr.. Cullen came to me now
and asked me to reverse the arrange
ment and make my car the tail end. l
was giving orders for the splitting and
kicking in when No. arrived, and
thus did not see the greeting of Frederic
Cullen and his family. When I Joined
them, his father told me that the high
altitude had knocked his son up, so that
he had had to be helped from the or
binary sleeper to the special and had
gone to bed Immediately. Out west we
| have to know something of medicine,
and my car had its chest of drugs. So
took some tablets and went into his
stateroom.
Frederic was like his brother in ap-
pearance, though not in manner, having
quick, alert way. He was breathing
with such difficulty THAT was almost
tempted to give him nitroglycerin, in
stead of strychnine, but he said he
would be all right as soon as he became
accustomed to the rarefied air, quite
poohpoohing my suggestion that he
take No 2back to Trinidad. And while
1 was still urging the train started.
Leaving him the walls of digitalis and
strychnine, therefore, went back and
dined solus on my own car, indulging
at the end i'll cigar the smoke of
which would keep turning into pictures
of Miss Cullen. have thought about
those pictures since then and have con-
cluded that when cigar smoke behaves
like that man might as well read his
destiny in it, for it can mean only one
thing.
After enjoying the combination
went to No 21S to have look at the
son and found that the heart TONES had
benefited him considerably. On leaving
him L went to the dining room, where
the rest of the party were still at din
ner, to ask that the invalid have a
strong cup of coffee, and after deliver
ing my request Mr.. Cullen asked me to
join them in cigar This I did gladly,
for cigar and Miss Cullen's society
We're even pleasanter than a cigar and
Miss Cullen's pictures, because the pic
lures never quite did her justice, and,
besides, didn't talk.
Our smoke finished, we went back to
the saloon, where the gentlemen sat
down to poker, which Lord Rallies had
Just learned and liked They did not
ask me to take hand, for which / was
grateful, as the salary of railroad SUI
perintendent would hardly stand the
game they probably played And had
my compensation when Miss Cullen
also was not asked to join them. She
said she was going TO watch the moon
light on the mountains from the plat
form and opened the door to go out,
finding for the first time that No. 81
was the "ender." In her disappoint-
ment she protested against this and
wanted to know the why and wherefore
1--WE shall have far less motion,
Madge," Mr.. Cullen explained And
then we shan't have the rear end man
in our car at night"
But 1 don't mind the motion"
urged Miss Cullen, land the flagman is
there only after we are all in our
rooms. Please leave us the view"
Il prefer the present arrangement,
Madge," said Mr.. Cullen in very
positive voice.
1 Twas so sorry for Miss Cullen's dis
appointment that, ON impulse, said.
1.-THE platform of 81 is entirely at your
service, Miss Cullen" The moment il
was out l realized that 1 ought not TO
have said it and that deserved re-
Duke for supposing she would use my
car.
Miss Cullen took it better than
hoped for and was declining the offer
as kindly as my intention had been in
making it when, much to my astOnish-
ment, her father said:
by all means, Madge. That relieves
US of the discomfort of being the last
car, and yet lets you have the scenery
and moonlight "
Miss Cullen looked at her father for
a moment as if not believing what she
had heard. Lord Rallies scowled and
opened his mouth 20 say something, but