emonious, not permitting
himself his old familiarity before these dignitaries of the great
railroad.

"Gentlemen, you remember Mr. Neale," said Lodge.

They were cordial--pleasant.

Warburton vigorously shook Neale's hand, and leaned back, after the
manner of matured men, to look Neale over.

"Young man, I'm glad to meet you again," he declared, in his big voice.
"Remember him! Well, I do--though he's thinner, older."

"Small wonder," interposed the chief. "He's been doing a man's work."

"Neale, back there in Omaha you got sore--you quit us," went on
Warburton, reprovingly. "That was bad business. I cottoned to you--and I
might have--But no matter. You're with us again."

"Mr. Warburton, I'm ashamed of that," replied Neale, hastily. "But I was
hot-headed... am so still, I fear."

"So am I. So is Lodge. So is any man worth a damn," replied the
director.

"Mr. Neale, you look cool enough now," observed Rogers, smiling. "Wish I
was as wet and cool as you are. It's hot--in this desert."

Warburton took off his frock-coat. "You gentlemen aren't going to have
any the best of me... And now, Neale, tell us things."

Neale looked at his papers and then at his chief. "For instance," said
Lodge, "tell us about Blake and Coffee."

"Haven't you seen them--heard from them?" inquired Neale.

"No. Henney has not, either. And they were his men."

"Gentlemen, I'm afraid I lost my head in regard to them."

"Explain, please," said Warburton. "We will judge your conduct."

It was a rather difficult moment for Neale, because his actions
regarding the two engineers now appeared to have been the result of
violent temper, rather than a dignified exercise of authority. But then
as he remembered Blake's offer and Coffee's threat the heat thrilled
along his nerves; and that stirred him to forceful expression.

"I drove them both out of this camp."

"Why?" queried Warburton, sharply.

"Blake tried to bribe me, and Coffee--"

"One at a time," interrupted Warburton, and he thrust a strong hand
through his hair, ruffling it. He began to scent battle. "What did Blake
try to bribe you to do?"

"He didn't say. But he meant me to cover their tracks."

"So!... And what did Coffee do?"

"He tried to pull a gun on me."

"Why? Be explicit, please."

"Well, he threatened me. And I laughed at him--called him names."

"What names?"

"Quite a lot, if I remember. The one he objected to was thief... I
repeated that, and snatched