"

"Oh, you are. And yet you would consent to take service under me, after
what has passed between us? I say you have courage; I could break you in
a year."

"Possibly; but you wouldn't, you know."

The President rose and held out his hand with a smile which no man might
analyze.

"You refuse to be bullied, don't you? and you say you would attack
anything. I believe you would, and I like that; you shall be given the
opportunity, and under a harder master than you have ever had. You may
even find yourself required to make bricks without straw. Come, now,
hadn't you better retract and go about your business?"

"Never a word; and where Gertrude goes, I go," said Brockway, taking the
proffered hand with what show of indifference he could command.

"Very well, if you will have it so. If you are of the same mind in the
morning, perhaps you'd better join us at breakfast and we can talk it
over. Will you come?"

"Yes, if you will tell the other members of your party why I am there."

The President smiled again, sardonically this time.

"I think the occasion for that has gone by," he said. "Good-night."

When the outer door closed behind his visitor, Brockway collapsed as was
his undoubted privilege. Then he revived under the stimulus of an
overwaxing and masterful desire to see Gertrude again before he
slept--to share the good news with her before the burden of it should
crush him. And he was considering how it might be brought about when the
engineer blew the whistle for Bending Bow.

XXVII

THE DRUMMING WHEELS

Bending Bow is but an insignificant side-track on the
mountain-buttressed plain some thirty miles from Denver; and I would for
the sake of the two young persons whose romance this is, that it might
have been a meeting-point with a delayed train.

When the first of the switch-lights flashed past the windows of the
Tadmor, Brockway went out and stood on the step ready to drop off when
the speed should slacken sufficiently to permit it. While hanging from
the hand-rail he glanced ahead and saw that which made his heart glad.
The signal-lamp at the station turned a crimson eye toward the train,
and that meant orders, and a few more seconds of precious time.

At the first shrill sigh of the air-brakes, he sprang off and ran beside
the private car, trying to peer into the darkened windows, and taking
all sorts of risks considering the hazard he ran of lighting upon the
wrong one.

But good fortun