on't do, Gordon," cried Mr. Cullen. "The mandamus will be
here before that."

"Oh, don't say there is something more wrong!" sighed Madge.

"Won't it be safer to run while there is still time?" suggested
Albert, anxiously.

"I was born lazy about running away," I said.

"Oh, but please, just for once," Madge begged. "We know already
how brave you are."

I thought for a moment, not so much objecting, in truth, to the
running away as to the running away from Madge.

"I'd do it for you," I said, looking at Miss Cullen so that she
understood this time what I meant, without my using any emphasis,
"but I don't see any need of making myself uncomfortable, when I
can make the other side so. Come along and see if my method isn't
quite as good."

We went to the station, and I told the operator to call Rock
Butte; then I dictated:

"Direct conductor of Phoenix No. 3 on its arrival at Rock
Butte to hold it there till further orders. RICHARD GORDON,
Superintendent."

"That will save my running and their chasing," I laughed; "though
I'm afraid a long wait in Rock Butte won't improve their
tempers."

The next few hours were pretty exciting ones to all of us, as
can well be imagined. Most of the time was spent, I have to
confess, in manoeuvres and struggles between Lord Ralles and
myself as to which should monopolize Madge, without either of us
succeeding. I was so engrossed with the contest that I forgot
all about the passage of time, and only when the sheriff
strolled up to the station did I realize that the climax was at
hand. As a joke I introduced him to the Cullens, and we all
stood chatting till far out on the hill to the south I saw a
cloud of dust and quietly called Miss Cullen's attention to it.
She and I went to 97 for my field-glasses, and the moment Madge
looked through them she cried,--

"Yes, I can see horses, and, oh, there are the stars and stripes!
I don't think I ever loved them so much before."

"I suppose we civilians will have to take a back seat now, Miss
Cullen?" I said; and she answered me with a demure smile
worth--well, I'm not going to put a value on that smile.

"They'll be here very quickly," she almost sang.

"You forget the clearness of the air," I said, and then asked the
sheriff how far away the dust-cloud was.

"Yer mean that cattle-drive?" he asked. "'Bout ten miles."

"You seem to think of everything," exclaimed Miss Cullen, as if
my knowing that distances are deceptive in Ar