version, the cruel,
calf-torturing half-breed, McKee. Thoroughly mortified, she slipped
out of town by a side street, and moodily rode back to Allen Hacienda,
meeting on the way, as we have seen, Jack Payson.

After the debauch was over, and the merry, mad devil of nervous
excitement was succeeded by the brooding demon of nervous depression,
McKee broached to Bud the idea of robbing the express-agent of the
money coming to Payson. This fell in readily with the young man's
revengeful mood. He unreservedly placed himself under the half-breed's
orders.

In accordance with these, Bud hung about the road-station a great deal,
cultivating the friends of Terrill, the agent. 'Ole Man' Terrill, as
he was called, although he was a vigorous specimen of manhood on the
under side of sixty, was ticket and freight agent, express-messenger,
and telegraph-operator, in fact, the entire Bureau of Transportation
and communication at Florence station. Bud frankly told him he was out
of a job, and had, indeed, decided in view of his coming marriage, to
give up horse-wrangling for some vocation of a more elevating
character. So Terrill let him help about the station, chiefly in the
clerical work. While so engaged, Bud learned that a package valued at
three thousand dollars was expected upon a certain train. Although no
consignee was mentioned, the fact that the amount tallied exactly with
the sum Payson was expecting caused him to conclude it was Dick's
repayment of his loan. Accordingly he informed McKee that the time
they were awaiting had arrived.

Florence had grown up as a settlement about a spring of water some time
before the advent of the railroad. Builders of the line got into
trouble with the inhabitants, and in revenge located the station half a
mile away from the spring, thinking new settlers would come to them.
In this they were disappointed.

The point was an isolated one, and the station a deserted spot between
trains.

Eastward and westward the single track of railroad drifted to
shimmering points on the horizon. To the south dreary wastes of sand,
glistening white under the burnished sun and crowned with clumps of
grayish green sage-brush, stretched to an encircling rim of hills.
Cacti and yucca palms broke the monotony of the roll of the plains to
the uplands.

Sahuaroes towered over the low station, which was built in the style of
the old Spanish missions. Its red roof flared above the purple shadows
cas