a little over three
hours.

The stage rolling in at a brisk pace to the station at W----, was
greeted with cheers, for the news had come from Fort Faraway the day
before of Dave Dockery's death, the killing of one passenger, wounding
of another, and the robbery of the coach.

The brave man who had dared drive through was greeted with cheers, but
he had hardly dismounted from the box when he was informed that he
would have to drive back, as there was no driver there who would take
the risk at any price.

Other drivers had been sent for, men who were afraid of nothing, but no
one had yet been found who would drive the run to Last Chance, which had
been set down in the frontier vocabulary as the Sure-death Trail.

CHAPTER XI.

RUNNING THE GANTLET.

Doctor Dick agreed to drive the coach back on condition that the driver
who came to take charge should come on to Last Chance on horseback and
be ready to come back with it.

He had shown that he did not fear the drive, but his business and
professional duties demanded that he should be at Last Chance, and there
he must remain.

He was secretly told by the agent that there was a valuable mail to go
through in registered letters, and asked if he dared risk carrying them.

"By all means, sir, for I am driving to do my full duty," was the
answer.

So the mail was made up, and at the last moment two passengers applied
for seats.

They were strangers in W----, but said they were going to Last Chance to
work in the mines, and they were accordingly given seats upon the box,
as they preferred to ride outside.

Then the coach started on its return to Last Chance with Doctor Dick
still holding the reins.

Having driven over the run once, and knowing what his relay teams could
do, he started out to make the regular time on the run.

But there was alarm felt at Last Chance when half an hour had passed
over schedule-time and the coach did not put in an appearance, and
nothing was seen of it on the three miles of trail visible down the
valley.

When an hour had passed the anxiety became great, for all conjectured
that Doctor Dick had met the fate of Bud Benton and Dave Dockery.

Some said that the delay was because the doctor was new on the road, and
this appeared to be a reasonable explanation, but Landlord Larry grew
more and more anxious, and at last decided to go out with a party on a
search for the delayed coach.

But, just as the men were told to get thei