ut you have done no unpahdonable mischief: Misteh
Winton would have found out for himself in a few hours, and we are
ready for him now."

"Oh, dear! Then he will be beaten?"

"Unquestionably. Faveh me by going to bed, my deah. Your roses will
suffeh sadly for all this excitement, I feah. Good night."

XI. THE RIGHT OF WAY

It seemed to Virginia that she had but just fallen asleep when she was
rudely awakened by the jar and grind of the Rosemary's wheels on
snow-covered rails. Drawing the curtain, she found that a new day was
come, gray and misty white in the gusty swirl of a mountain
snow-squall.

Without disturbing the sleeping Bessie, she dressed quickly and
slipped out to see what the early-morning change of base portended.
The common room was empty when she entered it, but before she could
cross to the door the Reverend Billy came in, stamping the snow from
his feet.

"What is it?" she asked eagerly. "Are we off for California?"

"No, it's some more of the war. Winton has outgeneraled us. During the
night he pushed his track up to the disputed crossing, 'rushed' the
guarded engine, and ditched it."

Virginia felt that she ought to be decorously sorry for relationship's
sake, but the effort ended in a little paean of joy.

"But Uncle Somerville--what will he do?"

"He is with McGrath on the engine, getting himself--and us--to the
front in a hurry, as you perceive."

"Isn't it too late to stop Mr. Winton now?"

"I don't know. From what I could overhear I gathered that the ditched
engine is still in the way; that they are trying to roll it over into
the creek. Bless me! McGrath is getting terribly reckless!"--this as a
spiteful lurch of the car flung them both across the compartment.

"Say Uncle Somerville," she amended. "Don't charge it to Mr. McGrath.
Can't we go out on the platform?"

"It's as much as your life is worth," he asserted, but he opened the
door for her.

The car was backing swiftly up the grade with the engine behind
serving as a "pusher." At first the fiercely-driven snow-whirl made
Virginia gasp. Then the speed slackened and she could breathe and see.

The shrilling wheels were tracking around a curve into a scanty
widening of the canyon. To the left, on the rails of the new line, the
big octopod was heaving and grunting in the midst of an army of
workmen swarming thick upon the overturned guard engine.

"Goodness! it's like a battle!" she shuddered. As she spoke the
Ros