der, and nodded sharply. The next moment there was a rush of
feet without, and all in a twinkle Bennet and the cowman were out of
their chairs, at the door, and staggering back before three threatening
revolvers. Staring open-mouthed, they brought up beside the overturned
table.

Alex's words were the first. "These were the chickens I was calling, Mr.
Bennet," he remarked gleefully. The K. & Z. man recovered himself and
turned on the boy, white with passion. He was stopped by an exclamation
from Finnan. "Bennet! George Bennet! What are you doing here?"

"Perhaps this will explain, sir," said Alex, handing over the map, which
he had caught up during the excitement. Bennet made a frantic move to
intercept him, but promptly Little Hawk's revolver was in his face, and
he sank back into a chair, gritting his teeth.

"A plan showing every bridge and culvert on our line, and directions for
blowing them all up, simultaneously! Well--" Words failed the
superintendent.

"And this is what you have come to, Bennet? I'd never have believed it!"

There was a second awkward silence, when Superintendent Finnan suddenly
broke it with, "Look here. I've got you now, haven't I? I've got you
where I can put you in jail for a year or so at least. Well, instead of
doing that, I'll make you a proposition:

"Drop all this kind of work; guarantee that there will be no more of
it--agree to make it a straight, square building race between your road
and mine, the first one to reach the Pass to win--guarantee that, and
I'll let you go.

"Do you agree?"

Bennet rose to his feet and held out his hand. "I'll give you my solemn
word, Finnan.

"And--and I'm awfully sorry I ever consented to go into this kind of
thing," the K. & Z. man went on, a quaver in his voice. "But it was put
up to me, and when I'd taken the first step, I thought I'd have to carry
it through."

He turned to Alex. "I'm sorry for the way you have been treated, my lad.
You are a plucky boy, and straight. You keep on as you have, and you'll
never find yourself in the position I am.

"I offered him two hundred dollars cash and a hundred a month to keep his
mouth quiet," the speaker explained to the superintendent, "and he
refused it."

"How about the Antelope viaduct, Mr. Finnan?" Alex asked as they rode
away, he on one of Munson's loaned ponies. "It wasn't blown up?"

"No, but an attempt of some kind was made. Rather a mysterious affair,"
the superintendent said. "Late