ankful that the news of the strike got to Copah in time to bring
Gridley over on 203," he said.

Benson's boyish eyes opened to their widest angle.

"Did he say he came in on Two-three?" he asked.

"He did."

"Well, that's odd--devilish odd! I was on that train, and I rambled it
from one end to the other--which is a bad habit I have when I'm trying
to kill travel-time. Gridley isn't a man to be easily overlooked. Reckon
he was riding on the brake-beams? He was dirty enough to make the guess
good. Hello, Fred"--this to Dawson, who had at that moment let himself
in through the deserted outer office--"we were just talking about your
boss, and wondering how he got here from Copah on Two-three without my
seeing him."

"He didn't come from Copah," said the draftsman briefly. "He came in
with me from the west, on the wrecking-train. He was in Red Butte, and
he had an engine bring him down to Silver Switch, where he caught us
just as we were pulling out."

XXII

THE TERROR

Engineer John Judson, disappearing at the moment when the superintendent
had sent him back to bully Schleisinger into appointing him constable,
from the ken of those who were most anxious to hear from him, was late
in reporting. But when he finally climbed the stair of the Crow's Nest
to tap at Lidgerwood's door, he brought the first authentic news from
the camp of the enemy.

When McCloskey had come at a push of the call-button, Lidgerwood snapped
the night-latch on the corridor door.

"Let us have it, Judson," he said, when the trainmaster had dragged his
chair into the circle of light described by the green cone shade of the
desk lamp. "We have been wondering what had become of you."

Summarized, Judson's story was the report of an intelligent scout. Since
he was classed with the discharged men, he had been able to find out
some of the enemy's moves in the game of coercion. The strikers had
transferred their head-quarters from the Celestial to Cat Biggs's place,
where the committees, jealously safeguarded, were now sitting "in
permanence" in the back room. Judson had not been admitted to the
committee-room; but the thronged bar-room was public, and the liquor
which was flowing freely had loosened many tongues.

From the bar-room talk Judson had gathered that the strikers knew
nothing as yet of McCloskey's plan to keep the trains moving and the
wires alive. Hence--unless the free-flowing whiskey should precipitate
matters--there wou