game
was up, Mr. Camp later in the morning asked Mr. Cullen to give him an
interview, and when he was allowed to pass the sentry he came to the
steps and suggested--

"Perhaps we can arrange a compromise between the Missouri Western and
the Great Southern?"

"We can try," Mr. Cullen assented. "Come into my car." He made way for
Mr. Camp, and was about to follow him, when Madge took hold of her
father's arm, and, making him stoop, whispered something to him.

"What kind of a place?" asked Mr. Cullen, laughing.

"A good one," his daughter replied.

I thought I understood what was meant. She didn't want to rest under
an obligation, and so I was to be paid up for what I had done by
promotion. It made me grit my teeth, and if I hadn't taught myself not
to swear, because of my position, I could have given sheriff Gunton
points on cursing. I wanted to speak up right there and tell Miss
Cullen what I thought of her.

Of the interview which took place inside 218, I can speak only at
second-hand, and the world knows about as well as I how the contest
was compromised by the K. & A. being turned over to the Missouri
Western, the territory in Southern California being divided between
the California Central and the Great Southern, and a traffic
arrangement agreed upon that satisfied the G.S. That afternoon a
Missouri Western board for the K. & A. was elected without opposition,
and they in turn elected Mr. Cullen president of the K. & A.; so when
my report of the holding-up went in, he had the pleasure of reading
it. I closed it with a request for instructions, but I never received
any, and that ended the matter. I turned over the letters to the
special agent at Flagstaff, and I suppose his report is slumbering in
some pigeon-hole in Washington, for I should have known of any attempt
to bring the culprits to punishment. Mr. Cullen had taken a big risk,
but came out of it with a great lot of money, for the Missouri Western
bought all his holdings in the K. & A. and C.C. But the scare must
have taught him a lesson, for ever since then he's been conservative,
and talks about the foolishness of investors who try to get more than
five per cent, or who think of anything but good railroad bonds.

As for myself, a month after these occurrences I was appointed
superintendent of the Missouri Western, which by this deal had become
one of the largest railroad systems in the world. It was a big step
up for so young a man, and was of cou