West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-01-26
CHAPTER ~.

"You had better como back to the car
Miss Cullen. remarked Lord Rallies
after pause.
Bnt she declined IA do 20, saying She
wanted TO know what 1 was going TO
telegraph. And he left us, fer which |
WASH { sorry. L told her Cf the GOOD
news i had to send. and she wanted to
know IL now we would t1y TO catch the
road agents. SGT her mind ut rest ON
that score.
II think they'll give Us very little
trouble TO bag" added, "for they are
50 green that it's almost pitiful. 3"
I'm not cutting the wires2" she asked.
In everything, F" replied. but the
worst botch Is their waiting till we had
just passed the Arizona line. IL they had
held us up an hour earlier, it would only
have been states prison"
And what will il be now?"
Hanging
WHAT" cried Miss Cullen.
In New Mexico train robbing Is not
capital. but in Arizona il is, " L told her.
And If you catch them they'll be
hung?" she asked
Yes"
That seems very hard
The first signs of dawn were begin
ming TO show by this time and as tho
sky frightened told Miss Cullen that I
was going to look for the trail of the
fugitives. She said she would walk with
me, If not IN the way, and my assurance
was very positive on that point. And
here want TO remark that les saying n
good deal If girl can be mp all night
In such excitement and still look fresh
and pretty, and that she did.
/ ordered the crew TO look about. and
then began n big circle around the train.
Finding nothing. swung a bigger one.
That being equally unavailing / did n
larger third. Not trace Of foot or hoof
within half mile Of the carsl had
heard of blankets laid down 10 conceal a
trail of swathed feet, even of leathern
horse boots with cattle hoofs ON the bot
tom, but mono of these could have been
used for such distance, let alone the
entire absence of any signs of place
where the horses had been hobbled. Re-
turning 10 the train, tho report of the
men was tho same.
We've ghost road agents To deal
with, Miss Cullen" laughed. "They
come fIuzn nowhere, bullets touch them
not, their lead hurts nobody, they take
nothing, and they disappear without
touching the ground Z"
How curious it isV' she exclaimed.
"One would almost suppose it n dream. +"
Hold On, - said 1--WE do have somo-
thing tangible, for If they disappeared
they left their shells behind them. {"
And l pointed TO some cartridge shells
that lay on the ground beside the mail
car. My theory Of aerial bullets won t
do"
Tho shells are as hollow as feel, +"
laughed Miss Cullen.
Your suggestion reminds me that
am desperately hungry" said Sup
pose we go back and end the famine -
Most OF the passengers had long since
returned TO their seats or berths, and
Mr. Cullen's party had apparently done
the same, for 21S showed no signs of
life. Ono OF my darllies was awake, and
he broiled a steak and made US some
coffee in no time, and just as they were
ready Albert Cullen appeared So we
made very jolly little breakfast. He
told me at length the part no and the
Britishers had borne and only made me
marvel the more that any one of them
was alive, for apparently they had Jump
ed of the car without the slightest pre-
caution and had stood grouped together
oven after they had called attention to
Themselves by Lord Rallies shots. Cul-
len had 20 confess that he heard tho
whistle OF the four bullets unpleasantly
close.
You have a right TO be proud, Mr..
Cullen" said. "You fellows did a
tremendously plucly thing, and, thanks
to you, wo didn't lose anything.
But you went TO help, too, Mr.. Cor
don, said Miss Cullen
That made me color up, and after a
moments hesitation I said
I'm not going to sail under false
colors, Miss Cullen. Whom / went for
ward, / didn't think I could do any
thing. / supposed whoever had pitched
into the robbers was dead, and expect
ed 90 be the same inside Of ten minutes. "
"Thcn why did you risk your life, "
she asked, IF you thought It was use-
lossg"
/ laughed, nnd, though ashamed 70
tell 1t, said, 81 didn't want you 20 think
that tlso Britishcrs had moro pluck than
had
She took my confession better than
hoped she would, laughing with me.
and then said. well, that was coura-
geous, after all
Yes" ] said "Iwas frightened into
bravery"
Perhaps II they had known the dan
ger as wei as you. they would have
been less courageous" " sho continued.
And I could have blessed her for the
speech.
While wo were still eating, tho mail
clerk came to my car and reported that
the most careful search had failed 90
discover the thrco registered letters, and
they had evidently been taken. This
made inc fcol sober. slight as tho prob
able loss was lie told mo that his list
showed they were all addressed 20 Ash
Forks, A. r.. making 10 improbable that
their contents could bo Il any real valne.