Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-03-07
THE GREAT K. & A.
TRAIN ROBBERY.
By Paul Leicester Ford.
By Paul Leicester Ford.

Etc. Copyright, 1896, by.J, b. Lippincot Co.
getting us in little after s, and il
those hours had done a lot of thinking
which had all come to one result-tha
Mr.. Cullen's party was concerned in tn
hold up.
The two private cars were on siding
but the Cullens had left for the Crane
.. canyon the moment they had arrives
and were about reaching there by thi
; time went to 218 and questioned tn
,, cook and waiter, but they either ha.
seen nothing or else had been primed
for not fact did get from them. Go
ing to my own car, l ordered quicl
supper, and while Twas eating it ques
toned my boy He told me that he hat
heard the shots and had bolted the from
door Of my car, as had ordered when
went out; that as he turned to go to ;
safer place he had seen man. revolver
in hand, climb over the offside gate o.
Mr.. Cullen's car, and for moment hi
had supposed it road agent till he saw
that it was Albert Cullen.
THAT was just after had got off?'
asked.
"Yis, sab. F"
'Then it couldn't have been Mr.. Cul.
len, Jim" declared, 'for found him
up at the other end of the car
"Tell you it wuz, Mr. Gordon" Jim
insisted II done seen his face cl'a in
de light, and he done go into Mr.. Cul.
lens car, whar de old gentleman wu7
sittin."
That set me whistling to myself, and
1 laughed to think how near l had come
to giving nitroglycerin to a fellow who
was only shamming heart failure, for
that it was Frederic Cullen who had
climbed on the car l hadn't the slight
est doubt, the resemblance between the
two brothers being quite strong enough
to deceive any one who had never seen
them together. | smiled little and re.
marked to myself: Il think can make
good my boast that l would catch the
robbers, but whether the Cullens will
like my doing it l question. What is
more, Lord Rallies will owe me bot.
tie" Then l thought of Madge and
didn't feel as pleased over my success as
I had felt moment before.
By 9 O'Clock the posse and l were in
the saddle and skirting the San Fran
cisco peaks There was no use of press
ing the ponies, for our game wasn't
trying to escape, and, for that matter,
couldn't, Us the Colorado river wasn't
passable, II was a lovely moonlight
night, and the ride through the pines
was as pretty a one as l remember ever
to have made 1t set me thinking OF
Madge and of our talk the evening be,
fore and of what a change "a hours had
brought 1t was lucky was riding an
Indian pony, or / should probably have
landed in a heap. I don't know that
should have cared particularly if prai
RE dog buIrow had made me dash my
brains out for wasn't happy over the
job that lay before me.
We watered at Silver Spring at quar-.
ter past r. From that point we were
clear Of the pines and out on the plain,
SO we could go better pace. This
brought us 10 the half way ranch by 2.
where we gave the ponies feed and an
hours rest We reached the last relay
station just as the moon set, about 3:40,
and as all the rest of the ride was
through coconino forest, we held up
there for daylight, getting little sleep
We rode into the camp at the Grand
canyon a little after s. and the deserted
look of the tents gave me moments
fright for l feared that the party had
gone, Tolfree explained, however. that |
some had ridden out to Moran Point
and the rest had gone down Hance's /
rail So breakfasted, and then took a Z
ook at Albert Cullen winchester. That !
It had been recently fired was as plain
Is the Grand canyon itself. Throwing ]
pack the bar l found an empty car {
ridge shell, still oily from the discharge. {
That completed the tale of seven shots.
didn't feel absolutely safe till l had |
asked Tolfree if there had been any /
hooting of echoes by the party, but his
lenial rounded out my chain of EVIL {
lence. Telling the sheriff to guard the i
bags of the party carefully, l took two /
# the posse and rode over to Moran's /
sure enough, there We're Mr.. Cullen, d
Albert and Captain Ackland. They gave
/ shout at seeing me, and even before l
lad reached them they called to know u
low | could come SO soon and if l had n
aught the robbers. Mr.. Cullen started e
o tell his pleasure at my rejoining the =
,arty, but yexpressionmadeh him pause, t
nd it seemed to dawn ON all three that v
he winchester across my saddle and the &
owboys' resting nonchalantly on the 1t
evolvers in their belts had meaning. Fl
"Mr. Cullen" 1 said, 1--WE got a /,
cry unpleasant job on hand, which r
ont want to make any worse than /
iced be- Every fact points to your party a
S guilty of holding up the train last h
light and stealing those letters. Prob b
bly, you weren't all concerned, but C,
We got to go on the assumption that e.
GU are all guilty till you prove other
rise. " II
"Aw, you re joking" drawled AL a
ert n
81 hope so, said. But for the pres le
Mt I've got TO be English and treat the al
oke seriously"
"What do you want to do?" asked
Ir. Cullen.