to bed. It's a case of four aces or a four-flush, and
no intermediate stations. Mr. Pendleton's special will pass the Junction
right around nine--not ten minutes either way. Get us there before that.
If you can do it safely, all right; but get us there. And remember that
the regular rule in railroading is reversed to-night, and we are ready
to take any chance rather than miss--_any_ chances, mind!"

"We're ready and waiting, Mr. Elkins," said Schwartz, "but you'll have
to get on, you know. Looks like there was time enough if we keep the
wheels turning, but this snow and flood business may cut some figure.
_Any_ chances, I believe you said, sir. All right! Ready when you are,
Jack."

"All aboard!" sang out Corcoran, and with a commonplace ding-dong of
the bell, and an every-day hiss of steam, which seemed, somehow, out of
keeping with the fearful and unprecedented exigency now upon us, we
moved out through the yards, jolting over the frogs, out upon the main
line; and soon began to feel a cheering acceleration in the recurrent
sounds and shocks of our flight, as Schwartz began rolling back the
miles under his flying wheels.

We sat in silence on the oil-cloth cushions of the seats which ran along
the sides of the caboose. Corcoran, the only person who shared the car
with us, seemed to have some psychical consciousness of the peril which
weighed down upon us, and moved quietly about the car, or sat in the
cupola, as mute as we.

There was no need for speech between my friend and me. Our minds,
strenuously awake, found a common conclusion in the very nature of the
case. Both doubtless had considered and rejected the idea of
telegraphing Pendleton to wait for us at the Junction. No king upon his
throne was more absolute than Avery Pendleton, and to ask him to waste a
single quarter-hour of his time might give great offense to him whom we
desired to find serene and complaisant. Again, any apparent anxiety for
haste, any symptom of an attempt to rush his line of defenses, would
surely defeat its object. No, we must quietly and casually board his
train, and secure the signing of the contract before we reached Chicago,
if possible.

"You brought that paper, Al?" said Jim, as if my thoughts had been
audible to him.

"Yes," said I, "it's here."

"I think we'd better be on our way to St. Louis," said he. "He can
hardly refuse to oblige us by going through the form of signing, so as
to let us turn south at the river."