rvice."

"And the wires?"

"We have made a cut-in from the old Shoshone Mine wire, which wasn't
taken down when the mine was abandoned. That let us out very neatly, and
no one outside of our own line-men know anything about the job. We have
four instruments in the hotel writing-room; two on the commercial and
two on the railroad wires. Will that be enough?"

Mr. McVickar nodded and reached over to press the bell-push which
signalled to his train conductor.

"That is about all I have to say," he said, in dismissal of the two
local officials. "Just nail Gryson up to the cross, where he belongs,
and keep young Blount busy and out of town; I leave the details to you.
Get orders for me as you go up to your office, Kittredge, and have the
despatcher let me out as soon as possible. I ought to be half-way to
Alkali by this time."

XVIII

THE CHASM

It was young Ranlett, a reporter for _The Plainsman_, who told Evan
Blount of the arrival of the vice-president's car, running as second
section of the Overland, and the scene of the telling was the lobby of
the Inter-Mountain Hotel, where Blount was smoking a pipe of
disappointment filled and lighted upon hearing that his father, Mrs.
Honoria, and Patricia had gone out to dinner somewhere--place unknown to
the obliging room clerk.

Ranlett had tried ineffectually to get to the private car, having for
his object the interviewing of the vice-president, but there had been
curious obstructions. The lower yard was apparently carefully guarded,
since the reporter had been turned back at three or four different
points when he had attempted to cross the tracks. Blount thought it a
little singular that the vice-president should come to the capital
secretly, but he did not stop to speculate upon this.

Having something more than a suspicion that Gantry had not properly
passed the threat of exposure up to McVickar, he determined at once to
seek an interview with the vice-president. Walking rapidly down to the
Sierra Avenue station, he saw a light in Gantry's office, and meaning to
be fair first and severe afterward, if needful, he ran up the stair and
tried the door of the traffic manager's office. It opened under his
hand, and he found Gantry sitting at his desk.

"Ranlett tells me that Mr. McVickar is in town," he began abruptly.
"Where is he?"

"Ranlett is mistaken--about twenty minutes mistaken," was Gantry's
reply. "Mr. McVickar passed through here a few minutes ago