The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-12-22
ccsv,r,shs. 1870 BY cA.r,.s serfsa~~'. sens,

hts lost engine. h. didn't let II In
tersrrr with our welcome when We
took our passengers around TO the
car and iif;ci them ono At a time
over the railing and climbed UP after
them. Mfr, Chadwick SEEMED 10 know
MIRA sheila: at any rate. he shook
hands with her and called her BY
name. Then he grabbed for the boss
and fairly shouted at him; Wei.
well. Grahami-of all the lucky
things this sim OF Meaopotamlai How
the dev-how in thunder did you
manage to turn up heref- And all
that you know.
The explanations. ruch a. they
were. came later. after the young
lady. contrasting hcrreif a BIT en-
cited and fu~ed up. had taken hsr
cousin under her arm and they had
both gone 20 lie down In one OF the
staierooms with tho women out of
tho way. tho boss and Mr.. Chadwick
sat together IN the open compart-
ment while the train crew was
irundilng IN back 20 the main line
Mr.. Norcroes had put me in right
by telling tho wheat king who ]
WAS no they didn't pay any atten.
ton to me.
A. n matter % course. the talk
jumped first 10 the mysterious hold.
up and kidnapping and the reason
why. All either Of them could nay
didn't servo 10 throw any light on
the mystery. not n single ray. There
had been no vioience--the pistol
shots had been merely meant 10
scare tho truJnmen--and Their. had
been no attempt at robbery; for that
matter. Mr. Chadwick hadn't even
Seen the kidnapcrs. and hadn't
known what was going on until after
II was all over.
Mr.. Norcro@- told what We had
seen. and how we had come 20 be
where we were abls 20 see Il. but
that didn't help out much, either
From any point OF Wow II seemed
perfectly foolish. and tho boss made
mention OF that II We hadn't hap
pened 10 be there TO bring the en-
zine back. tho worst that could have
befalien Mr. Chadwick and tho crew
OF the special would have been n
few hours bother and delay. In tho
course OF time the conductor would
have walked out and got 20 wire
station somewhere. tho IL might have
taken him all night. and then some,
10 get another engine.
Naturally. Mr.. Chadwick was red
hot about II. on general principles
guess no wasn't used 10 being kid
mapped. But. after all. the thing that
bothered him most was the fact that
he couldn't account for IT,
81 can't help thinking that II r.
connected with what Is due TO hap.
pen tomorrow morning. Graham" he
said, at the end OF things. There
are some certain scoundrels In Por.
tai City at tho present moment who
wouldn't stop NJ anything 10 gain
their ends. and am wondering now
II Dawes wasn't mixed up In H."
The boss laughed and said:
"You'll have 10 begin at tho be
ginning with me: I'm too new in
thlg region 20 know even the names,
Who Is Dawes?"
Dawes n n mining mnn In Portal
City. and before ia been an hour
in town yesterday he hunted mo up
and wanted me TO 30 over to Strath-
coma TO look at some gold prospects
he's trying TO finance. said No
nj first. because ! was expecting
you. and thought you'd reach Portal
D..
show up, knew I had twelve hours
more on my hands. and as Dawes
was still hanging on, / had our
trainmnster give me a special over
to Strathcona, on promise that
I'd be brought back early this eve
ming, ahead OF the Flyer from the
west--the train you were on"
Mr.. Norcross nodded And this
promise wasn't kept"