s in use by ranches, and those fellows
can't go more than fifty miles without watering. So we shall have word
of them, wherever they go."

"Line cut, Mr. Gordon," came from overhead at this point, making Miss
Cullen jump with surprise.

"What was that?" she asked.

I explained to her, and after making connections, I called Sanders.
Much to my surprise, the agent responded. I was so astonished that for
a moment I could not believe the fact.

"That is the queerest hold-up of which I ever heard," I remarked to
Miss Cullen.

"Aw, in what respect?" asked Albert Cullen's voice, and, looking up, I
found that he and quite a number of the passengers had joined us.

"The road agents make us dump our fire," I said, "and yet they haven't
cut the wires in either direction. I can't see how they can escape
us."

"What fun!" cried Miss Cullen.

"I don't see what difference either makes in their chance of
escaping," said Lord Ralles.

While he was speaking, I ticked off the news of our being held up, and
asked the agent if there had been any men about Sanders, or if he had
seen any one board the train there. His answer was positive that no
one could have done so, and that settled it as to Sanders. I asked the
same questions of Allantown and Wingate, which were the only places we
had stopped at after leaving Coolidge, getting the same answer. That
eight men could have remained concealed on any of the platforms from
that point was impossible, and I began to suspect magic. Then I called
Coolidge, and told of the holding up, after which I telegraphed the
agent at Navajo Springs to notify the commander at Fort Defiance, for
I suspected the road agents would make for the Navajo reservation.
Finally I called Flagstaff as I had Coolidge, directed that the
authorities be notified of the facts, and ordered an extra to bring
out the sheriff and posse.

"I don't think," said Miss Cullen, "that I am a bit more curious than
most people, but it has nearly made me frantic to have you tick away
on that little machine and hear it tick back, and not understand a
word."

After that I had to tell her what I had said and learned.

"How clever of you to think of counting the tickets and finding out
where people got on and off! I never should have thought of either,"
she said.

"It hasn't helped me much," I laughed, rather grimly, "except to
eliminate every possible clue."

"They probably did steal on at one of the stops," suggested a
pass