ss, an' clean up ther last o'
them?"

"Too busy making money, I guess. But this time it is not the railroads
who are going after them."

"Who is it, me an' you?"

"Almost. By orders of the government."

"That's more like it. I don't hev no love fer a train robber, fer all I
ever come in contact with wuz a bunch o' cowardly murderers, who fight
like rats when they're cornered, an' kill innercent express messengers
fer amoosement er devilment. But if Uncle Sammy sez so, an' needs my
help, he's got it right swift an' willin'."

"Well, he seems to need it, for just before we left Moon Valley I
received a letter from the United States secret service, telling me
about the robberies, of which I had heard something, but not much, as
they have been kept away from the newspapers as much as possible."

"Hev there been so many of them?"

"As I tell you, they have been so numerous as to lead one to believe
that there was a chain of train robbers clear across the continent, and
strong and capable robbers they have proved themselves to be."

"Did they git much?"

"They have got away with a vast amount of money belonging to
individuals. They seem to have had information in advance of all the big
shipments of treasure leaving San Francisco and Carson City, Nevada, as
well as of private shipments."

"Wise Injuns, eh?"

"I should say so. They have even been able to spot shipments of United
States gold en route from the mints in Frisco and Carson to Washington,
and in two instances have got away with it."

"Wow! There's where your Uncle Samuel reaches out his long arms and
takes a hand in the game. How much did they get away with?"

"The chief did not say. That is not for us to know, I guess, or he
doesn't think it will make any difference with us in our enthusiasm for
our work of running down and capturing that gang, or gangs, as the ease
may be."

"But it wouldn't do a feller no harm ter know. I'd feel a heap more
skittish if I wuz runnin' after a million than if it wuz thirty cents."

"There's something in that, but we won't let it interfere with the
performance of our duty."

"How does the chief put it up to us?"

"He tells the facts briefly, and says: 'Go and get the robbers.'"

"That's short an' ter ther p'int. Anything else?"

"He says that the worst bunch of train robbers in ten years has been
organized, with men operating on various railroads, and that from past
performances it would seem that they had ins