Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-06-16
CAApTElr Y

Yet TO suppuSe-which seemed the unl
ether horn 10 the dilcmma-that the 81
and guests of the vice president of tn
Missouri Western ard one of our ow
directors would be concerned in trai
robbery was TO believe something equal
ly improbable Indeed / should huv
put the whole thing down as q practica
joke Of Mr.. CullCn's party if il had no
been for the loss Of tho registered let
tors. Even practical joker would hard
y care TO 20 to the length of cuttinj
/ open government mail pouches, for I'm
Gle Sam duCSu approve Of such conduct
Whatever the explanation, / hat
| enough facts To prevent me from vast
ing more time ON that alliali plain
/ Getting the men and horses back on (,
the cars, | jumped up on the tailboart
and ordered the runner to pull out TO
| Flagstaff. 1t was a run of seven hours
getting us in little after s, and il
those hours had done lot Of thinking
which had all come to one rcsult-tha
Mr.. Cullen's party was concerned in thu
hold up.
The two private cars We're on siding
but the Gallons had left for the Grand
canyon the moment they had arrived
and were about reaching there by thi,
time. Went TO 2lS and questioned the
cook and waiter, but they either had
seen nothing or else had been primed.
for not fact did | get from them. Go.
ing to my own car, l ordered a quick
supper, and while l was eating it cues.
toned my boy. He told me that he had
heard the shots and had bolted the front
door Of my CIR, ~ had ordered when |
went ont; that as he turned to 90 TO a
safer place he had seen a man, revolver
IN hand, climb over the offside gate Of
Mr.. Cullcn's car, and for moment he
had supposed it road agent till he saw
that it was Albert Cullen.
THAT was just after / had got Off" 1
asked.
"Yis, sab"
Then it couldn't have been Mr.. Gull
len, Jim, declared, for found him
up at the other end of the car. "
Tell you it wuz, Mr.. Gordon, " Jim
insisted. Il done seen his face cl'ar in
de light, and he done go into Mr.. Gull
lens car, whar de old gentleman wuz
sittin."
That set me whistling to myself and
/ laughed to think how near had come
to giving nitroglyccrin to fellow who
was only shanlming heart failure, for
that 1t was Frederic Cullen who had
climbed on the car hadn't the slight
est doubt, the resemblance between tho
two brothers being quite strong enough
to deceive al:y one who had never seen
them together. | smiled a little and re.
marked TO myself: Il think | can make
good my boast that / would catch the
robbers, but whether the Cullcns will
like my doing it l question What is
more, Lord Rallies will owe me bot.
lie. Then | thought Of Madgc an,.
iidn't feel rs pleased over my success as
had felt moment before.
By 8 o'clock the posse and | were in
he saddle and skirting the San Fran
'isco peaks. There was no use of press
nS the ponies, for our game wasn't
rylng to escape, and, for that matter,
ouldn't, as the Colorado river wasn't
'assablc. II was a lovely moonlight
hight, and the ride through the pines
vas as pretty II one as | remember ever
o have made. 1t set me thinking of
ladgc and of our talk the evening be- /
ore and Of what change "a hours had
rought. 1t was lucky | was riding an
indian pony, or l should probably have
lndcd IN heap don't know that | .
hould have cared particularly if a prai-
lie dog burrow had made me dash INV
rains out, for wasn't happy over the
ID that lay before me.
We watercd at Silver Spring ut omar
n past IL. From that point we were
lear of the pines and out on the plain,
we could go better pace. This /
rought US to the half way ranch by 2,
hero we gave the ponies a feed and an /
ours rest. We reached the last relay
alton Just as the moon set, about $40,
I'd, as all the rest Of the ride was
rough coconino forest, we held up
ere for daylight, getting little sleep
we rode into the camp at The Grand ,
nyon little after s, and the deserted |
ok OF the tents gave mo moments
light, for ! feared that the party had
ne. Tolfree explained, however that +
me had ridden out to Moran Point I
ii the rest had gone down Hance's I
al. SO l breallfasted, and then took n !
ok at Albert Cullen S winchester. That ,
had been recently fired was as plain
the Grand canyon itself. Throwing I
ok the bar, found an empty car 1
dge shell, still oily from the discharge. 7
lat completed the tale of seven shots. /
ildn't feel absolutely safe till l had Il
fed Iolfree If there had been any 7
ootlng OF echoes by the party, but his t
NAL rounded out my chain of evil =
nee. Telling the sheriff to guard the ,,
Ss OF the party carefully, / took two q
tho posse and rode over to Moran's. v
re enough, there wero Mr.. Cullen. 4
bert and Captain Ackland. They gave "
hout at seeing me, and even before l /,
Il reached them they called to know h
W l could come SO soon and if Ind {,
light the robbers. Mr.. Cullen started !,
tell his pleasure at my rejoining the r,
rty, but myexprcssionm made him pause. +
4 1t seemed to dawn on all three thu ~
wlnchester across my saddle and the h
vboys' resting nonchalantly on tic b
divers i'll their belts had meaning. p,
Mr.. Cullen" said, eve got = q,
y unpleasant job ON hand, which
1T want to make any worse than N
ID be. Every fact points to your part n,
guilty of holding up the train last N
Int and stealing those letters. Prob le
you weren't all concerned. but a,
Q got to go on tho assumption that
are oil guilty till you prove other
e."
Aw, you're joking" drawled AL
t.
l hope 30, )" Isaid. but for the pres s.
frr% DO L.