Pawnee
Junction. The station-master's face fell as he saw the lady, but he
saluted the engineer with as easy an air as he could assume, and
watched for an opportunity to speak to him alone. Sinclair read the
despatches with an unmoved countenance, and after a few minutes'
reflection simply said: "All right. Be sure to keep the matter
perfectly quiet." At breakfast he was _distrait_--so much so that his
wife asked him what was the matter. Taking her aside, he at once showed
her the telegrams.

"You see my duty," he said. "My only thought is about you, my dear
child. Will you stay here?"

She simply replied, looking into his face without a tremor:

"My place is with you." Then the conductor called "All aboard," and the
train once more started.

Sinclair asked Foster to join him in the smoking compartment and tell
him the promised story, which the latter did. His rescue at Barker's,
he frankly and gratefully said, _had_ been the turning point in his
life. In brief, he had "sworn off" from gambling and drinking, had
found honest employment, and was doing well.

"I've two things to do now, Major," he added; "first, I must show my
gratitude to you; and next"--he hesitated a little--"I want to find
that poor girl that I left behind at Barker's. She was engaged to marry
me, and when I came to think of it, and what a life I'd have made her
lead, I hadn't the heart till now to look for her; but, seeing I'm on
the right track, I'm going to find her, and get her to come with me.
Her father's an--old scoundrel; but that ain't her fault, and I ain't
going to marry _him_."

"Foster," quietly asked Sinclair, "do you know the Perry gang?"

The man's brow darkened.

"Know them?" said he. "I know them much too well. Perry is as ungodly a
cutthroat as ever killed an emigrant in cold blood, and he's got in his
gang nearly all those hounds that tried to hang me. Why do you ask,
Major?"

Sinclair handed him the despatches. "You are the only man on the train
to whom I have shown them," said he.

Foster read them slowly, his eyes lighting up as he did so. "Looks as
if it was true," said he. "Let me see! Fort ----. Yes, that's the --th
infantry. Two of their boys were killed at Sidney last summer by some
of the same gang, and the regiment's sworn vengeance. Major, if this
story's on the square, that crowd's goose is cooked, and _don't you
forget it_! I say, you must give me a hand in."

"Foster," said Sinclair, "I am going to put