at a dangerous curve and picked several men up.
He took them on to Boynton, and there they seem to have disappeared,
though it was suggested that they had departed for a place unknown, either
on the top of, or underneath a fast freight train."

Chris Allonby chuckled. "Well," he said, "we haven't the least use for
Larry here, but I am almost proud he was a friend of mine."

Cheyne glancing round at the others fancied there was a little glow in
Hetty's eyes and a trace of warmer colour in Flora Schuyler's face. It was
only just perceptible to him, but he had less doubt when he saw that Miss
Allonby was watching her companion covertly, for he was quite aware that
the perceptions of the average young woman were likely to be much keener
than his own in such affairs.

"I can't help fancying you have a clue to what really happened, Miss
Torrance," he said.

"Yes," said Hetty quietly. "It is quite plain to me that Larry saved the
train."

Cheyne glanced at her sharply, and then turned to Allonby. "It strikes you
that way, too?"

"Of course," said Allonby unguardedly. "It is too bad of Larry. He has
beaten us again, though Clavering fixed the thing quite nicely."

Cheyne's face grew stern. "I am to understand that you did not warn the
engineer or any of the railroad men?"

"No," said Allonby, with evident embarrassment. "We didn't. It was
necessary to make the thing as ugly for Larry's friends as we could, and
we knew you would be at the bridge. If you had caught them in the act,
with the train not far away, it would have looked ever so much better for
us--and you."

He stopped, with an unpleasant feeling that he had blundered. Cheyne's
face had become grimmer. Miss Schuyler's lips were curled in a little
scornful smile, and there was a curious sparkle in Hetty's eyes.

"I wonder if you quite recognize the depth of Mr. Grant's iniquity yet?"
Flora Schuyler asked.

Cheyne smiled. "I confess I should very much like to meet the man. You
see, my profession prevents my being a partisan, and the cleverness and
daring of what he has evidently done appeals to me. He took the chances of
his own men turning on him to save them from an affray with us, brought
them off, and sent your cattle-train through; and what, it seems to me,
was more than all, disregarded the probability of his enemies associating
him with the contriving of the outrage."

"Wouldn't you have done that?" asked Miss Allonby.

"No," said the soldier quiet