if you care to.'

"Course, I didn't _care_, or nothing--no more than a man cares for his
head.

"I guess that was about a half engagement, anyhow, it's the only one we
ever had. She said it would be ruinous to our plans if I was seen with
her then or afterward; and agreed to leave a note at the house for me by
next trip, telling me her plan--which she should talk over with her
father.

"A couple of days later I got in from a round trip and made a dive for
the boarding-house.

"'Any mail for me, mother?' I asked old Mrs. Cameron.

"'No, young man; I'm sorry to say there ain't'

"'I was anxious to hear from home.'

"'Too bad; but maybe it'll come to-morrow.'

"I was up to fever heat, but could do nothing but wait. I went to bed
late, and, raising up my pillow to put my watch under it, I found a
note; it read:

"'Midnight, July 17.

"'DEAR JOE:

"'Just thought of that rule for changing counter-balance you
wanted. There has always been a miscalculation about the weight of
counter-balance; they are universally _too heavy_. The weights are
in pieces; take out two _pieces_; this treatment would even improve
a mule sweep. When once out, pieces should be changed or placed
where careless or malicious persons cannot get hold of them and
replace them. All is well; hope you are the same; will see you some
time soon.

"'JACK.'

"Here was apparently a fool letter from one young railroader to another,
but I knew well enough that it was from Rachel and meant something.

"I noticed that it was dated the _next night_; then I commenced to see,
and in a few minutes my instructions were plain. The old five-stamp mill
was driven by a mule, who wandered aimlessly around a never-ending
circle at the end of a long, wooden sweep; this pole extended past the
post of the mill a few feet, and had on the short end a box of stones as
a counter-weight. I would find two packages of gold there at midnight of
July 17.

"I was running one of those old Pittsburgh hogs then, and she had to
have her throttle ground the next day, but it was more than likely that
she would be ready to go out at 8:30 on her turn; but I arranged to have
it happen that the stand-pipe yoke should be broken in putting it up, so
that another engine would have to be fired up, and I would lay in.

"I told stories in the roundhouse until nearly ten o'clock that fateful
night, and then started for the hash-found