fussing
over it all a pleasure, even while I felt all the time that I was
doing a sneak act and had really no right to touch her belongings. I
didn't find anything incriminating, and the posse reported the same
result with the other baggage. If the letters were still in existence,
they were either concealed somewhere or were in the possession of the
party in the Canon. Telling the sheriff to keep those in the camp
under absolute surveillance, I took a single man, and saddling a
couple of mules, started down the trail.

We found Frederic and "Captain" Hance just dismounting at the Rock
Cabin, and I told the former he was in custody for the present, and
asked him where Miss Cullen and Lord Ralles were. He told me they were
just behind; but I wasn't going to take any risks, and, ordering the
deputy to look after Cullen, I went on down the trail. I couldn't
resist calling back--

"How's your respiration, Mr. Cullen?"

He laughed, and called, "Digitalis put me on my feet like a flash."

"He's got the most brains of any man in this party," I remarked to
myself.

The trail at this point is very winding, so that one can rarely see
fifty feet in advance, and sometimes not ten. Owing to this, the first
thing I knew I plumped round a curve on to a mule, which was patiently
standing there. Just back of him was another, on which sat Miss
Cullen, and standing close beside her was Lord Ralles. One of his
hands held the mule's bridle; the other held Madge's arm, and he was
saying, "You owe it to me, and I will have one. Or if--"

I swore to myself, and coughed aloud, which made Miss Cullen look up.
The moment she saw me she cried, "Mr. Gordon! How delightful!" even
while she grew as red as she had been pale the moment before. Lord
Ralles grew red too, but in a different way.

"Have you caught the robbers?" cried Miss Cullen.

"I'm afraid I have," I answered.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

I smiled at the absolute innocence and wonder with which she spoke,
and replied, "I know now, Miss Cullen, why you said I was braver than
the Britishers."

"How do you know?"

I couldn't resist getting in a side-shot at Lord Ralles, who had
mounted his mule and sat scowling. "The train-robbers were such
thoroughgoing duffers at the trade," I said, "that if they had left
their names and addresses they wouldn't have made it much easier. We
Americans may not know enough to deal with real road agents, but we
can do something with amate