d his jumper when he's off. On the under side of the lifted lid he had
fixed a large panel picture of Nora O'Neal.

* * * * *

Buckingham, peering over a piano-box, behind which he had hidden at
Gunnison, saw and recognized the photograph; for the messenger's white
light stood on the little safe near the picture. For half an hour he had
been watching Cassidy, wondering why he did not fall asleep. He had seen
Nora put the cup down with her own hand, to guard, as he thought,
against the possibility of a mistake. What will a woman not dare and do
for the man she loves? He sighed softly. He recalled now that he had
always exercised a powerful influence over women,--that is, the few he
had known,--but he was surprised that this consistent Catholic girl
should be so "dead easy."

"And now look at this one hundred and ninety-eight pounds of egotism
sitting here smiling on the likeness of the lady who has just dropped
bug-dust in his coffee. It's positively funny."

Such were the half-whispered musings of the would-be robber.

He actually grew drowsy waiting for Cassidy to go to sleep. The car
lurched on a sharp curve, dislodging some boxes. Buck felt a strange,
tingling sensation in his fingers and toes. Presently he nodded.

Cassidy sat gazing on the pictured face that had hovered over him in all
his dreams for months, and as he gazed, seemed to feel her living
presence. He rose as if to greet her, but kept his eyes upon the
picture.

Suddenly realizing that something was wrong in his end of the car, Buck
stood up, gripping the top of the piano-box. The scream of the engine
startled him. The car crashed over the switch-frog at Curecanti, and
Curecanti's Needle stabbed the starry vault above. The car swayed
strangely and the lights grew dim.

Suddenly the awful truth flashed through his bewildered brain.

"O-o-o-oh, the wench!" he hissed, pulling his guns.

* * * * *

Cassidy, absorbed in the photo, heard a door slam; and it came to him
instantly that Nora had boarded the train at Gunnison, and that some one
was showing her over to the head end. As he turned to meet her, he saw
Buck staggering toward him, holding a murderous gun in each hand.
Instantly he reached for his revolver, but a double flash from the guns
of the enemy blinded him and put out the bracket-lamps. As the
messenger sprang forward to find his foe, the desperado lunged against
him. Cas