Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-21
CHAPTER VII.
A Change Of Base.

n CnanSe CT Base.
we did not reach Flagstaff till Z, and !
told the stage-load to take possession OF
their car, while went to my own. 1t took
me some time to get freshened up. and then
I ate my breakfast; for after riding seven
ty-two miles in one night even the most
heroic purposes have to take the side track.
[ think. as 1t was, l proved my devotion
pretty well by not going to sleep, since l
had been up three nights, with only such
maps as l could steal in the saddle, and had
ridden over a hundred and fifty mil s to
boot But ! couldn't bear to think of Miss
Cullen's anxiety, and the moment had
made myself decent and finished eating, l
went into 21S.
The party were all in the dining room,
but II was a very diferent-looking crowd
from the one with which that first breakfast
had been eaten. and they all looked az me
as l entered as if l were the executioner
come for victims.
Mr. Cullen" / began, I've been forced
to do lot of things that weren't pleasant,
but l don't want to do more than | neeI
You're not the ordinary kind OF road
agents, and as / presume your ADDRESS
Is known | don't see any need of arresGlns
one of our own directors as yet. All L ASK
is that you give me your word, for Inc
party. that none of you will try TO leave
the country
Certainly, Mr. Gordon" he Responded
And l thank you for your great consld-
Grafton"
81 shall have to report the case to our
president and, l suppose, to the Postmaster
General. but / sha'n't hurry about either
What they will do, l can't say. Probably
you know how far you can keep them
quiet"
II think the local authorities all
have to fear. provided time is given me-
II have dismissed the sheriff and his
posse. and | gave them hundred dollars
for their work and three bottles of pretty
good whisky had on my car. Unless they
get orders from elsewhere you will not
hear any further from them"
you must let me reimburse what ex
pense we have put you to, Mr.. Gordon.
Only wish l could as easily repay your
kindness
Nodding my head in assent, as we'll in
recognition of his thanks, l continued, TT
was my duty as an official of the h. & A,
to recover the stolen mail, and had to 90
It,"
1--WE understand that" said Mr.. Cullen,
'and do not for moment blame you
But" 1 went on. for the first time look
ing at Madge, 1T is not my duty to take
part in a contest for control of the X. & A.
and l shall therefore act in this case as l
should in any other loss of mail"
"And that is-?' asked Frederic.
II am about to telegraph for instructions
from Washington" 1 replied LAS the
g. S. by trickery has dishonesty tied up
some of your proxies they ought not TO OBJ
and l think l can manage so that Uncle
Sam will prevent those proxies from being
voted at Ash Forks on Friday"
If galvanic battery had been applied to
the group about the breakfast table, 1t
wouldn't have made a bigger change.
Madge clapped her hands in joy; Mr.. Cullen
said God bless your with real feeling;
Frederic jumped up and slapped me on the
shoulder. crying, Gordon, you're the big
gest old trump breathing" while Albert
and the CAPTAIN shook hands with each
other. in evident jublation. Only Lord
Rallies remained passive.
Have you breakfasted7" asked Mr.. Gull
len. when the first. joy was over.
Eyes" l said. II only stopped in on my
way to the station to telegraph the Post
master General"
May l come with you and see what you
say?" cried Fred. jumping up.
1 nodded, and Miss Cullen said. question
ingly ME too?' making me very happy
by the question. for 1t showed that she
would speak to me. l gave an assent quite
as eagerly and in moment we were all
walking toward the platform. Despite Lord
Rallies, / felt happy, and especially l
had not dreamed that she would ever for
give me.
l took a telegraph blank, and, putting 1t
so that Miss Cullen could see what l said,
wrote
POSTMASTER General, Washington. d. C.
hold, awaiting your instructions, the three
registered letters stolen from No. 3 Over
land Missouri Western Express on Monday,
October fourteenth, loss of which has al
ready been notified you"
Then / paused and said, $50 far, that's
routine Miss Cullen. Now comes the help
for you" and 1 continued:
"The letters may have been tempered
with, and I recommend a special agent.
Reply Flagstaff. Arizona. Richard Gordon,
superintendent, X. & A. r. r.
What will that dor she asked.
I'm not much at prophecy, and We'll walt
for the reply" / said.
All that day we lay at Flagstaff. and after
a good sleep. as there was use keeping
the party cooped up in their car, / drum
med up some ponies and took the Cullens
and Ackland over to the Indian cliff DWELL
ings. l don't think Lord Rallies gained any
thing by staying behind in sulk. for II
was a jolly ride. or at least that was what
II was to me. l had of course, to tell them
all how | had settled on them as the crIml-
malls. and a general history OF my doings.
To hear Miss Cullen talk. one would have
Inferred l was the greatest Of living de-
tectives
1.-The mistake we made she asserted.
was not securing Mr.. Gordon's help to be-
gin with, for then we should never nave
needed to hold the train up. or II we had
we should never have been discovered.
What was more to me than the Hide
served admiration were two things sole said