to shut out the snow-blink from the sun-fired
peaks.

"Why, they are soldiers!" she exclaimed. "At least, some of them have
guns on their shoulders. And see--they are forming in line!"

The secretary adjusted his eye-glasses.

"By Jove! you are right; they have armed the track force. The new
chief of construction doesn't mean to take any chances of being shaken
loose by main strength. Here they come."

The end of track of the new line was diagonally across the creek from
the Rosemary's berth and a short pistol-shot farther down stream. But
to advance it to a point opposite the private car, and to gain the
altitude of the high embankment directly across from the station, the
new line turned short out of the main canyon at the mouth of the
intersecting gorge, describing a long, U-shaped curve around the head
of the lateral ravine and doubling back upon itself to reenter the
canyon proper at the higher elevation.

The curve which was the beginning of this U-shaped loop was the
morning's scene of action, and the Utah track-layers, two hundred
strong, moved to the front in orderly array, with armed guards as
flankers for the handcar load of rails which the men were pushing up
the grade.

Jastrow darted into the car, and a moment later his place on the
observation platform was taken by a wrathful industry colonel fresh
from his dressing-room--so fresh, indeed, that he was coatless,
hatless, and collarless, and with the dripping bath-sponge clutched
like a missile to hurl at the impudent invaders on the opposite side
of the canyon.

"Hah! wouldn't wait until a man could get into his clothes!" he
rasped, apostrophizing the Utah's new chief of construction. "Jastrow!
Faveh me instantly, seh! Hustle up to the camp there and turn out the
constable, town-marshal, or whatever he is. Tell him I have a writ for
him to serve. Run, seh!"

The secretary appeared and disappeared like a marionette when the
string has been jerked by a vigorous hand, and Virginia smiled--this
without prejudice to a very acute appreciation of the grave
possibilities which were preparing themselves. But having her share of
the militant quality which made her uncle what he was, she stood her
ground.

"Aren't you afraid you will take cold, Uncle Somerville?" she asked
archly; and the Rajah came suddenly to a sense of his incompleteness
and went in to finish his ablutions against the opening of the battle
actual.

At first Virginia thought she woul