a good one."

The dusky lashes swept round indolently. "Suppose I were to open it
to-night."

"I'll risk it," smiled the blue eyes.

"On honor, am I?"

"That's it." He held out a big, brown hand.

"You're going to try to capture the robbers, are you?"

"I've been thinking that way--with the help of Lieutenant Bucky
O'Connor, I mean."

"And I suppose you've promised yourself success."

"It's on the knees of chance, ma'am. We may get them. They may get us."

"But this prediction of yours?" She held up the sealed envelope.

"That's about another matter."

"But I don't understand. You said--" She gave him a chance to explain.

"It ain't meant you should. You'll understand plenty at the proper
time."

He offered her his hand again. "We're slowing down for Apache.
Good-by--till next time."

The suede glove came forward, and was buried in his handshake.

He understood it to be an unvoiced apology of its owner for her
suspicions, and his instinct was correct. For how could her doubts hold
their ground when he had showed himself a sharer in her secret and a
guardian of it? And how could anything sinister lie behind those
frank, unwavering eyes or consist with that long, clean stride that was
carrying him so forcefully to the vestibule?

At Apache no telegrams were found waiting for those who had been
expecting them. Communication with the division superintendent at Tucson
uncovered the fact that no message of the hold-up had yet reached him.
It was an easy guess for Collins to find the reason.

"We're in the infant class, major," he told Mackenzie, with a sardonic
laugh. "Leroy must have galloped down the line direct to the station
after the hold-up. Likely enough he went into the depot just as we went
out. That gives him the other hour or two he needs to make his getaway
with the loot. Well, it can't be helped now. If I can only reach Bucky
there's one chance in fifty he can head them off from crossing into
Sonora. Soon as I can get together a posse I'll take up the trail from
the point of the hold-up. But they'll have a whole night's start on me.
That's a big handicap."

From Apache Collins sent three dispatches. One was to his deputy,
Dillon, at Tucson. It read:

"Get together at once posse of four and outfit same for four days."

Another went to Sabin, the division superintendent:

"Order special to carry posse with horses from Tucson to Big Gap. Must
leave by midnight. Have track clear."

The th