ge of this,
reeled into the gambling-place as if he were too drunk to see straight,
played the fool till he got behind his man--after which the matter
simplified itself. Rufford, the desperado, had no means of knowing that
the cold piece of metal Judson was pressing against his back was not the
muzzle of a loaded revolver, and he had every reason for supposing that
it was; hence, he did all the things Judson told him to do."

Miss Eleanor did not need to vocalize her approval of Judson; the dark
eyes were alight with excitement.

"How fine!" she applauded. "Of course, after that, you took Mr. Judson
back into the railway service?"

"Indeed, I did nothing of the sort; nor shall I, until he demonstrates
that he means what he says about letting the whiskey alone."

"'Until he demonstrates'--don't be so cold-blooded, Howard! Possibly he
saved your life."

"Quite probably. But that has nothing to do with his reinstatement as an
engineer of passenger-trains. It would be much better for Rufford to
kill me than for me to let Judson have the chance to kill a train-load
of innocent people."

"And yet, a few moments ago, you called yourself a coward, cousin mine.
Could you really face such an alternative without flinching?"

"It doesn't appeal to me as a question involving any special degree of
courage," he said slowly. "I am a great coward, Eleanor--not a little
one, I hope."

"It doesn't appeal to you?--dear God!" she said. "And I have been
calling you ... but would you do it, Howard?"

He smiled at her sudden earnestness.

"How generous your heart is, Eleanor, when you let it speak for itself!
If you will promise not to let it change your opinion of me--you
shouldn't change it, you know, for I am the same man whom you held up to
scorn the day we parted--if you will promise, I'll tell you that for
weeks I have gone about with my life in my hands, knowing it. It hasn't
required any great amount of courage; it merely comes along in the line
of my plain duty to the company--it's one of the things I draw my salary
for."

"You haven't told me why this desperado wanted to kill you--why you are
in such a deep sea of trouble out here, Howard," she reminded him.

"No; it is a long story, and it would bore you if I had time to tell it.
And I haven't time, because that is Williams's whistle for the Angels
yard."

He had risen and was helping his companion to her feet when Mrs.
Brewster came to the car door to say:

"Oh,