e, while he
strove with his somewhat delicate hands to lift a keg into the wagon.

The effort was too great for him single-handed, and one of his
assistants came to his aid.

"There's no time to spare," he went on a moment later, breathing hard
from his exertion. "Maybe the loco driver'll whistle for brakes." He
laughed with a pleasant, half humorous chuckle. "If that happens,
why--why I guess the train'll be chasing back on its tracks to pick up
its lost tail."

He spoke with a refined accent of the West. The man nearest him
guffawed immoderately.

"Gee!" he exclaimed delightedly. "This game's a cinch. Guess Fyles'll
kick thirteen holes in himself when that train gets in."

"Thirteen?" inquired the leader smilingly.

"Sure. Guess most folks reckon that figure unlucky."

The third man snorted as he shouldered a keg and moved toward the
Wagon.

"Holes? Thirteen?" he cried, as he dropped his burden into the
vehicle. Then he hawked and spat. "When that blamed train gets around
Amberley he'll hate hisself wuss'n a bank clerk with his belly awash
wi' boardin' house wet hash."

Again came the leader's dark smile. But he had nothing to add.

Presently the last keg was hoisted into the wagon. The leader of the
enterprise sighed.

It was a sigh of pent feeling, the sigh of a man laboring under great
stress. Yet it was not wholly an expression of relief. If anything,
there was regret in it, regret that work he delighted in was finished.

One of the men was removing his mask, and he watched him. Then, as the
face of the man who had been concealed under the car was revealed, he
signed to him.

"Get busy on the wagon," he said.

The man promptly mounted to the driving seat, and gathered up the
reins.

"Hit the south trail for the temporary cache," the leader went on.
"Guess we'll need to ride hard if Fyles is feeling as worried as you
fellows--hope."

The man winked abundantly.

"That's all right, all right. He'll need to hop some when we get busy.
Ho, boys!" And he chirrupped his horses out of the shallow cutting,
and the wagon crushed its way into the smaller bush.

The leader stood for a moment looking after it. Then he turned to the
other man, still awaiting orders.

"Get the other boys' horses up," he said sharply. "Then stand by on
horseback, and hold the train crew while they tumble into the saddle.
Then make for the cache."

The man hurried to obey. There were no questions asked when this man
gav